The third annual Upper Peninsula Beekeeping Conference has been cancelled. The event was scheduled for March 28, 2020, at Northern Michigan University’s Seaborg Mathematics and Science Center. Organizers from the Superior Beekeeping Club and partners at NMU have cancelled the event due to concerns about COVID-19/coronavirus and the health and welfare of those registered for and involved with the event. Refunds will be issued to those who have registered for the event. This conference will not be rescheduled. Follow the Superior Beekeeping Club’s Facebook page or check the club’s website (http://superiorbeekeepingclub.weebly.com) for info about future activities.
Sorry to have had to cancel the UP Beekeeping Conference. Following is our official response.
The third annual Upper Peninsula Beekeeping Conference has been cancelled. The event was scheduled for March 28, 2020, at Northern Michigan University’s Seaborg Mathematics and Science Center. Organizers from the Superior Beekeeping Club and partners at NMU have cancelled the event due to concerns about COVID-19/coronavirus and the health and welfare of those registered for and involved with the event. Refunds will be issued to those who have registered for the event. This conference will not be rescheduled. Follow the Superior Beekeeping Club’s Facebook page or check the club’s website (http://superiorbeekeepingclub.weebly.com) for info about future activities.
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NOTES FROM THE FAR NORTH
January 1, 2020 The following is a modification of what I submitted to the Michigan Beekeepers Association for their January newsletter. Have a wonderful new year. *Again, I am writing this back in the “woods cabin.” I have a warm fire with a lot of snow coming down….a great spot for a bit of reflection. * Winter came early for us this year over 60” by December 20th, followed by a warm up over Christmas but snowing hard today (Dec. 30). There still is over 1 ½ feet of snow on the ground. *The hives are tucked in till at least March – no digging them out now. There were some fall losses in the area…. I think maybe more mite and virus issues. *While gone for 10 days in Oct., I came home to several dead hives. These were healthy treated hives – I suspect they got in to something. This would be unusual for fall but not unheard of. This is the 1st time in over 30 years I have lost bees in the fall…very discouraging to say the least. *On a more positive note, the UP clubs have been active and continue to see increased interest in beekeeping. We are planning our 3rd all UP Conference – March 28th, 2020. It has continued to grow each year. *Beekeeper, Isaac Behrens of Marquette/Skandia is starting to raise some queens here in the area. Maybe our dream of locally adapted “snow queens” will become a reality….stay tuned! *Now is the season to do some serious reading about our favorite little insects. Both the Bee Culture and American Bee Journal have great articles. Most local libraries have them and lots of back issues. I picked up Larry Connor’s book this summer “Keeping Bees Alive” and have found it a great read. As usual for my winter, I peruse my old copy of The Hive and The Honeybee by Dadant. This is a great base of accumulated bee knowledge, but there is always a need to review the latest research. *I have been asked many times about the price of UP honey. There is a lot of variation but generally around $20.00 per quart at retail. Some marketing and name recognition will push that up to $30.00 or a bit more. No problem selling all that is produced. *Hope to see you at the Spring Conferences. MBA conference March 6&7th (http://www.michiganbees.org/2020-spring-conference/) and the UP Conference March 28th.( https://upbeekeepingconference.weebly.com/) Both of these have intro beekeeping sessions. There will be a beekeeping 101 session in Escanaba on January 25th(https://www.facebook.com/baydenocbeekeepingclub). *Please contact me with any concerns or questions at: www.upbees.weebly.com or [email protected] I am writing this on October 3rd with rain coming down and a temp. of 44. I am in one of my favorite “cold time” spots - the little cabin back in our woods with a warm crackling fire. The only thing that would make it better would be some snow coming down. A slow spring and flower bloom led to a fairly brief period of ideal weather in late June early July. But alas….cool very dry weather set in that slowed the nectar and the bees foraging activity. All of this has led to a reduced honey harvest this fall. The goldenrod and asters are long gone and bees are busy eating the groceries they set aside this summer. Fall feeding is in full swing. The Marquette based Superior Beekeeping Club sponsored an extraction day here at my place. I clear all the tools out of my shop, fire up the wood stove to get the temp to 90 plus , set up 3 extractors and have a great day watching the honey flow. I always enjoy observing that moment that new beekeepers see “their” honey flowing out of the extractor for the 1st time. I still am awed by the sight after 30 plus years of that annual event. Most of the honey was darker than previous years…any thoughts on that? Drought?? Local clubs across the UP have been busy with sessions on overwintering. I did one for the Bay de Noc (Escanaba) Club last week. Isaac Behrens did 2 sessions for the Superior Bee Club at our extraction event. He did a great job. Hopefully it all pays off when we dig them out in the spring. Many thanks to Megan and others that have spread the word about mite control. We can do everything right but still lose our hives if we fail to control mites. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at [email protected] or www.upbees.weebly.com
Bee SocialA nice turnout for the party on June 22nd. Hive inspections, mite count demos, Hive House viewing, tours, potluck, mead and bee talk...what more could a bunch of beekeepers want!? It is always nice to relax with a group that has passion not only for our bees but also our environment. Our pollinators play an enormous role in keeping it all going - if only all people would do the same. You can see all the pictures from the Bee Social here. Bee NewsThe bees are picking up after a very slow start. Less than 1/2 of the 65 days following the arrival of our bees in April were "fly days". It is very hard to build up for the July honey flow with that ratio. The flowers have been running about one to two weeks behind. Swarms have been slow but will pick up soon. Make sure you give them room (more supers) but be ready to capture them. Remember that you can learn more about wildflowers and download your own document to track the bloom where you live on this page of the website. Hive SamplesState apiarist, Mike Hansen, state veterinarian, Susi Baer, and an inspector from Northern Lower Michigan, Zack, were here to pay a visit and go through my hives and take samples. This is part of the USDA Aphis Honey Bee Pests & Disease survey. When the results come in, I will let everyone know.
Just a reminder for the Club event on Saturday. All those interested are welcome. See below for information.
Sat June 22nd at 3pm, Superior Beekeeping Club Summer Kick Off Party DIRECTIONS TO JOEL'S From the light in Harvey ( just a bit southeast of Marquette), go 6 miles South on US 41 toward Escanaba. Turn right on Kunde Road. Go 1/2 mi - you will see a big mailbox on the left -turn right into the driveway. You will see an old cabin and barn on your left- keep going up the drive to the house. You may have to park down by the old cabin or even on the road. Joel & Mary Lantz 906-942-7106 or cell 231-349-3995 192 Kunde Rd. Skandia,mi. 49885 We will have people doing guided hive inspections, you can get right up close to the action or stay on the side lines and observe. So bring your protective gear. We will have a mead tasting so feel free to bring your favorite mead or your own brew to share if you like. Tour the hive house, outdoor kitchen, and the writers cabin. We also will have a potluck so bring a dish to pass and your own table service, plates, cup, silverware. If you play an instrument or sing please come jam for the group.It has always been a really fun evening I look forward to seeing everyone. This is the must attend event of the year. * FEED YOUR BEES Since some of our packages arrived in mid-April we have had less than 1/2 as bee "fly days". The bees have not been able to make optimal use of the maple tree blossoms. Without consistent food available, our bees will have a rough time. Snow pile update(backwards) below. *** Check the Superior Beekeeping Club page for upcoming events.
A great opportunity for those of us in real bear country to get some financial assistance for fencing. See below.
Prevent Bear Damage! There is still time to get money for Bear Fences Don't be like my dad, who lives deep in bear country, and didn't have a bear fence around his hives. He got hit twice this spring, and lost all of his overwintered hives If you live in bear country, you really should fence your hives. Yes, fences are expensive, but MDARD had provided Michigan Beekeepers with cost sharing to help cover the costs. To apply and to get more information visit http://www.michiganbees.org/bears/ * Earth Day at the Co-op went well with lots of interest in the observation hive and the honey tasting. Superior Beekeeping Club VP John Robinson and I answered many bee questions and were able to "talk bees" for two hours. Thank-you Marquette Food Co-op for all of your support and highlighting the critical role of bees in our food chain. ** Our all UP Bee Conference went very well..yet again we were all sold out. Our speakers were great, with the keynote address by Mike Connor "Bees and Trees" setting the tone for a great day. Many thanks to our conference committee, chaired by Susan Payant joined by Michelle Landis, Isaac Brenhans, Lauri LaBumbard, and Barbie Dupras. I will let the slide show do the talking for the conference. https://youtu.be/hZaL_WKmAcA *** Congratulations to our UP Beekeeper of the Year-- TOM NEBEL—UP BEEKEEPER OF THE YEAR-2018 Tom has been an active beekeeper for over 40 years. What he doesn’t know about bees probably is not worth knowing. He continues to practice his “art” and has been generous in mentoring new and “old” beekeepers. Tom lives with his wife Grace in Brampton, Michigan (near Escanaba). He currently has about 30 hives-- down from his peak of over 300. Tom makes a road trip every spring to lower Mi. or Wisconsin to pick up packages for those of us still shivering here in the Far North Country. We all want to thank Tom for his lifetime commitment to bees and beekeeping **** Some of our packages are in with more coming soon. Keep the 1 to 1 sugar syrup on them as long as they take it. ***** The bees are hauling in the pollen--from alders and some pussy willows--bright yellow. A few more "fly days" and the maple tree bloom would be nice. 23 degrees this morning doesn't help this come about. 😊 Marquette Food Co-op
April 17 at 5:18 PM · Our new “Save the Planet, Eat Organic” bags are in just in time for #EarthDay. The MFC will donate $1 from each bag sold through April 30 to the Superior Beekeeping Club, a local organization providing education and resources to beekeepers in the U.P. Join the club for a meet & greet at the Co-op from 11-1 on Earth Day, April 22. |
Joel LantzKeeper of bees. Archives
February 2022
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