AUCTION OPPORTUNITY submitted by beekeeper Vicki

Vicki reports there is an auction near Waukau this Sunday, the 11th.  One item being offered is a beehive with bees and miscellaneous equipment.  Vicki checked it out for the auctioneer and indicated the hive is active and full of honey.  According the auctioneer the owner had died last spring and the hive has been unattended since then.

Location: 2209 County Road M just off of Highway 91
Time: 9:00AM this Sunday, the 11th

ECWBA does not endorse any product.

DOES IT TAKE ROYAL JELLY TO MAKE A QUEEN?

Some new research may indicate that royal jelly is not the only factor in creating a queen instead of a worker.  Read the article via the link below.

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/royal-jelly-isnt-makes-queen-bee-queen-bee/

MIDWEST QUEEN SUPPLIERS

The queen is the major determinant of the honey bee colony performance.  Her genetics influence how the colony does in honey gathering, hive population, mite resistance, etc.  Some beekeepers feel bees acclimatized to regional or local conditions also influence the winter survival of the colony.  

To that end I have put together a list of queen suppliers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan.  This list probably does not list all “local” suppliers, but gives you a start.  I have not purchased queens from all of those listed, so cannot speak to the quality of the queens or level of service.   ECWBA does not endorse any supplier or product. 

Also, please note that queen bee suppliers in the Midwest region can not start raising queens until mid to late April, so mated queens may not be available until late May or early June.  This listing will be put into the RESOURCES section of the blog for your future reference.

   

WISCONSIN

Jon Polcyn-Lone Oak Apiary of Montello, Wi.

TYPE: Open mated VSH Italian and VSH Carniolan

AVAILABILITY: June thru August

EMAIL: Queenbreeder@Gmail.com

Telephone: 920-229-3046

Sweet Mountain Farm on Washington Island

TYPE: Local Russian Nucleus Colonies and Queens

AVAILABILITY: see website for availability
Website: www.sweetmountainfarm.com

EMAIL: Info@Sweetmountainfarm.com

Telephone: 920-847-2337 (emails preferred)

Fred Ransome-Flying Squirrel Apiary of Princeton, Wi.

TYPE: Open mated USDA Russian

AVAILABILITY: June thru August

EMAIL: Fredransome@AOL.com

TELEPHONE: 920-229-2204

IOWA

Golden Ridge Honey Farm

TYPE: USDA Russian

AVAILABILTY: TBD

EMAIL: grhoney@powerbank.net

TELEPHONE: 563-547-4222

Foley’s

TYPE: USDA RUSSIAN

AVAILABILITY: June thru August

EMAIL: www.Russianbee.com

TELEPHONE: 515-991-4666

MINNESOTA

BBHONEY of Houston, Minnesota

TYPE: Minnesota Hygenic and Hygenic Italian

AVAILABILITY: TBD

EMAIL:  www.bbhoneyfarms.com

TELEPHONE: 507-896-3955

NATURE’s NECTAR LLC  of Stillwater, Minnesota

TYPE: Carniolan, Italian and Minnesota Hygenic

AVAILABILTY: TBD

EMAIL: Natures-nectarllc.com

TELEPHONE: TBD

MICHIGAN

Rhodes Bee Farm

TYPE: Carniolan, Italian Minnesota Hygenic, Buckfast Cross, Grey Mountain (caucasian) cross

AVAILABILTY: TBD

EMAIL: rhodesfarmmi@gmail.com

TELEPHONE: 231-245-3039

One way of processing your wax submitted by Beekeeper Denise

There are many ways to recover the wax from your honey extraction process.  Here is one.


http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/mind-your-beeswax/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10.01.15%20-%20KBB%20eNews&utm_term=KBBees%20eNews

10 REASONS BEEHIVES DIE IN THE WINTER submitted by beekeeper Denise

Here is a link to an interesting article in "Keeping Backyard Bees" that lists 10 reasons why a beehive doesn't survive the winter and suggests remedies for each.

http://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/10-reasons-beehives-dies-in-the-winter/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10.01.15%20-%20KBB%20eNews&utm_term=KBBees%20eNews