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The story goes like this: David’s father, Arthur Hoehn, was looking for a way to stay busy when he retired. So, one day, he bought some bees.

David Hoehn’s father, Arthur, right, taught the family everything they know about beekeeping. Arthur was a beekeeper for 27 years, raising up to 70 hives at his peak. He died in April, but this photograph hangs in the family’s honey house so Arthur can keep an eye on things.

“The thing about beekeeping is it gives you something to do all year long,” David says. “In the spring, in the summer. In the winter you work over the boxes, cut out all the rotten wood. And the next thing you know, here come the bees again.”

Arthur’s hobby blossomed into an obsession. At the height of it, he managed 70 hives, producing hundreds of gallons of honey each year.

“When you have one hive, you want two. When you have two, you want four,” David explains. “And if you got four hives, you want eight — that’s just being a beekeeper.”  [ … continue reading ]

Source: http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2013/jul/25/shawnees-most-honest-business-has-no-employees-cus/

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wcba

Honey For Sale

These local beekeepers have honey for sale

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If you find a contact below that is in error
or no longer valid, please drop us a note at:
cedarbees@gmail.com and we will attempt
to correct it.  Thanks.
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Lebanon

  • Margaret Cantrell — 615.286.1306
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  • Greg Tomerlin — 615.428.7799 — cedarbees@gmail.com
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Mount Juliet

Walter Hill

Watertown

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If you have local honey for sale and would like to be listed above, send your name and contact information to: petrabee@hotmail.com

varroa_on_beeJuly 17, 2013 — Honey bees (Apis mellifera) infected with the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, or the microsporidia, Nosema ceranae, have changes in the chemical profile of their skin and in their brains, finds research in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Ecology. Despite this, parasitized bees were not expelled from the hive, which, the authors say, supports the hypothesis that stressed bees leave the hive altruistically to prevent the spread of infection.

This study from INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) investigated the effect of parasitization on honey bees living in hives at Avignon. Individual bees were infected with either the ectoparasite Varroa, which lives on the bees, or endoparasite Nosema, which invades their bodies, and reintroduced to the hive. After a few days the effect of infection on bees and their behavior was monitored.

Parasitization caused changes in the levels of active genes in the brains of infected bees. Varroa altered the activity of 455 genes, including genes involved in GABA and serotonin signaling, while Nosema affected 57. Twenty genes were common between the two infections and several of the up-regulated genes are involved in oxidative stress, neural function and foraging behavior. Parasitized bees also tended to have a higher viral infection as well, adding to their disease burden, — even if they did not have physical symptoms. [ …continue ]

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717051738.htm

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wcba

by Laura Poppick, Staff Writer | July 17, 2013 02:03pm ET

honeycomb_2The perfect hexagonal shape of honeycomb cells — once thought to be an incredible feat of math-savvy insects — has now been explained by simple mechanics.

Scientists have marveled at the angular perfection of honeycomb for centuries, but none have been able to clearly describe how it forms. Engineers in the U.K. and China have taken a step forward by showing that the cells actually start off as circles — molded by the shape of a bee’s body — and then flow into a hexagonal pattern seconds later. The researchers reported their findings yesterday (July 16) in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

“People have always speculated how bees have formed these honeycombs,” said Bhushan Karihaloo, an engineer at Cardiff University in the U.K. and co-author of the study, citing Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler as two of the luminaries mystified by the problem. “There have been some incredible, esoteric, even bizarre explanations; [some people] believed the bees had an uncanny ability to measure angles. But it’s actually much more mundane.”

Source: http://www.livescience.com/38242-why-honeybee-honeycombs-are-perfect.html

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wcba

Beehive Detection Dog

Claudia Kawczynska | July 13, 2013

beekeeper_dog

Bazz, wearing his new bee-proof working gear, is Australia’s first apiary dog. Beekeeper Josh Kennett devised this suit so that his Lab, and working partner, Bazz could help sniff out a virulent bee disease, the American foulbrood.

Dogs can’t get near a hive of bees without being aggressively chased away. So Kennett got the idea to train Bazz from his American counterparts but in the U.S. the colder temperatures negate the need for protection. [… continue reading ]

Source: http://thebark.com/content/beehive-detection-dog

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wcba

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL ORGANIZED BEEKEEPER ASSOCIATION?

If you are not a member of a local county beekeeper association …you maybe missing out on a wonderful beekeeping learning experience. I would suggest that you get on the web and find out who has an active club. There are clubs just like some beekeepers … Some provide for their membership while others share very little for membership growth. You need to find a club that makes its number one goal to expand the knowledge base of all members where mentors are assigned to all new members. A club that is directed by a experienced beekeepers who want to share their knowledge and love of beekeeping with their membership. A club that has a board of directors, monthly meetings set at the sometime each month that allows the membership ease of attending… a library for the membership to checkout books and DVDs for a month at a time, a newsletter and web-site for keeping the membership informed, monthly speakers of a national calibre that speak on seasonal topics of timely importance, a membership booklet with bylaws, membership list, monthly program listing, grant opportunities, short courses offered, training classes, picnics, parties, and advanced training courses on specialized trainings for experienced beekeepers. A club that provides bee merchandise and group orders for bees, equipment, and national publications and offers opportunities for community activities. A club that has family activities and has potluck meals at all meetings. A club that recognizes members for outstanding service. A club where the object of the organization is to educate, inform and share ideas and interests involved with the keeping bees, and upholds the state apiary laws. A club where the leadership is involved in leadership of regional, state and national meetings. Does such a club exist… You bet they do. I am a member of the Wilson County Beekeepers Association lead by the leadership of President Carey Mitchell and Secretary/Treasurer Petra Mitchell who make all of the above activities happen. Since joining this group I can’t wait to attend the next meeting and to participate in all Short courses and trainings. Being a member of such a group will make you a better beekeeper and you bees will think you.

President Carey Mitchell gives Leadership to the Wilson County Beekeepers Association ... A Learning Experience!

President Carey Mitchell gives leadership to the Wilson County Beekeepers Association … A Learning Experience!

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petra_mitchell_organization_superstar

Petra Mitchell, Secretary / Treasurer – gives organization to the Wilson County Beekeepers Association … a real key to a Successful Association.

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Thanks to the Mitchells for all the time and effort they put into making sure each member of the WCBA has a real learning experience!

Herb Lester
04 July 2013

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