This Month in the Bee Yard
December
Once the hives have been prepared for winter, as recommended last month, there is very little that needs to be done during the month of December. Even after a heavy snow or ice storm, don't worry about clearing the hive entrances. If all hives have good top ventilation, they will be fine until the snow or ice melts. At that point, check and make sure that the entrance reducer is still in place on each colony and that each entrance is open and not clogged with leaves or dead bees.
December, however, is a good time to do a little reading, make plans for next spring, assemble new equipment and make those needed repairs.
Two good reference books are the ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture and The Hive and the Honey Bee. These books are available from several of the bee supply dealers.
Two of the more popular bee journals are the American Bee Journal and the Bee Culture. If you are not familiar with either of these monthly bee journals, complete information on each company is listed below:
The American Bee Journal address is 51 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, IL 62341. Their web site is www.dadant.com and their e-mail address is abj@dadant.com. On their web site, select American Bee Journal for current and past table of contents as well as subscription information. They advertise that they will send a free sample copy upon request so you may want to write or send an e-mail and request a sample copy. If you do contact them for a sample copy, be sure to include your home address.
The Bee Culture address is The Root Candle Company, 623 W. Liberty Street, Medina, OH 44256. Their web site is www.BeeCulture.com and their e-mail address is info@BeeCulture.com. On their web site, you can view current issues or read some of the older issues. They too advertise that they will send a free sample copy upon request. Their complete information is listed above. Again if you do contact them for a sample copy, be sure to include your home address.
If you are a member of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA), you can get a good discount on the above two journals. The coupons are on the last printed page of the Yellow Book. The coupon for the American Bee Journal gives you a 25% discount and the coupon for the Bee Culture gives you a 20% discount. The Yellow Book is the official handbook of the NCSBA and is produced annually as a free service to the membership.
I would like to wrap-up this final issue of This Month in the Bee Yard by inviting each of you to join the local chapter of the Alamance County Beekeepers as well as the state association, the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association. Attending and participating in programs, workshops and field days sponsored by these two organizations can help you become a better beekeeper and help you stay better informed and abreast of what's happening in the field of beekeeping. kgp