Lee Valley’s Gardening Newsletter (Vol. 3, Issue 1, February 2008) has quite a nice write-up on getting started in beekeeping, written by Stephanie Harper of Sweet’s Corners Bee Co. of Lyndhurst, Ontario.

We particularly like the sound advice for beginning beekeepers to contact local beekeepers’ clubs:

“These organizations hold meetings often attended by people who are willing to take you under their wing and invite you to visit their apiaries, which is the best way to gain insight into beekeeping. You will be amazed at how excited these experienced beekeepers are about bees, and how infectious their enthusiasm is.”

The author also suggests checking the stores for local honey, and reading the labels to find contact information for a nearby beekeeper who might serve as a mentor when you’re getting started with bees.

Dr. David Boyle of Maritime MicroBiologicals Inc. reports on his research, on behalf of the New Brunswick Beekeepers Association, into the possibilities of using a beneficial fungus as a biological method of controlling Varroa mites in honey bee colonies:

Biological Control of Varroa Mite of Honey Bee

NBBA and Maritime MicroBiologicals Inc.

As we know too well, Varroa mites are a real problem for beekeepers. Control options are limited, especially since the mites have become resistant to many chemicals that have been directed against them. Therefore, when reports about fungi that controlled Varroa appeared about eight years ago, they were greeted with great interest.

The idea was that these disease-causing fungi, by targeting the mites but not bees (or beekeepers), could be used as biological control agents. Analogous “biocontrols” have been successful against other agricultural pests, so why not use them against Varroa?

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Good timing is one of the keys to controlling Varroa mites in honey bee colonies. Knowing the life cycle of the parasite, and its population growth through the season, will help beekeepers to treat in a timely and effective manner, and keep the Varroa mite populations down to levels that the bees are able to tolerate.

There are three common methods of monitoring the population of Varroa mites in honey bee colonies:

1. Drone brood sampling
2. Natural drop on sticky board
3. Powdered sugar roll

Here is a brief explanation of each of those methods.

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Established beekeepers in Canada take the winter months to rest up and plan for a new year of beekeeping, decide what bees to order for spring, and check over their equipment — repairing, cleaning, building or purchasing hive equipment as required.

At this time, new beekeepers should be making plans to buy the equipment and bees you’ll need to get started when spring comes. To help, Country Fields Beekeeping Supplies Ltd. has prepared A Guide for the Beginning Beekeeper for an overview of basic beekeeping information:

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The Honey Files: A Bee’s Life is an educational video and teacher’s guide set, available now through the National Honey Board.

The focus is, of course, on beekeeping and pollination in the United States, but there’s a great deal here of value to teachers and home-schooling parents in other countries as well.

This 20-minute VHS videotape and 96-page teacher’s guide will have you and your students buzzing! Designed especially for educators of grades 4 - 6, these fun, new educational materials provide information, classroom activities and reproducible worksheets about bees, honey and pollination.

Although the package is designed for grades 4 - 6, much of the material is equally appropriate for more advanced levels as well — and the information contained in the Educator’s Overview sections alone will provide teachers, parents, and older children with a solid understanding of honey bees and their role in nature and agriculture.

Just take a look at the Table of Contents for the Teacher’s Guide:

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