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PSBA Needs You!Posted: March 2nd, 2008Are you an experienced beekeeper who likes to talk to interested new beekeepers about how to manage honey bees, what to look for in a colony, what to expect, and what to watch out for? Do you have some time to mentor a new beekeeper? If so then P.S.B.A. is looking for you. Let me explain. My name is Mark Antunes and I am a member of the Montgomery Co. Beekeepers Association and PSBA. Some of you may remember me from the 2005 state meeting as the gentlemen who spoke after dinner about, “What I Have Learned About Beekeeping”. Since then I have learned more and had even more things go wrong. But, I learn from my mistakes and misfortunes and I am willing to help others who want to start keeping bees and help them avoid some of the problems I have experienced. For the complete article, select the following link: PSBA Needs You!HÄAGEN-DAZS gift to support Penn State honey bee researchPosted: February 25th, 2008As the pollination season approaches in Pennsylvania and the Northeast, scientists at Penn State and elsewhere continue to seek answers to the decline of the nation's honey bees and other pollinators, which are critical to the production of $15 billion worth of crops in the United States. To assist in this effort, a major ice cream brand has stepped up to support honey-bee research and education. Häagen-Dazs has announced a gift of $150,000 toward honey-bee-related programs in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The college has taken a lead role in investigating the cause or causes of Colony Collapse Disorder CCD-, a mysterious ailment that has decimated honey bee colonies across the country over the last 18 months. For the complete article, select the following link: HÄAGEN-DAZS gift to support Penn State honey bee researchNew Virus May Be Key To CCDPosted: September 8th, 2007 (Australia) or September 7, 2007 (USA)The long awaited publication of the virus research for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was finally published on Thursday in Science. Click here for a summary of the article. Unfortunately, a fee is required for a copy of the full text - so check your local newstands for the magazine. Other sources have already published extracts and summaries of the article. The article reports that the presence of a virus, the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), is a strong indicator for CCD. IAPV was found in most but not all colonies suffering from CCD. IAPV was found in very few colonies not suffering from CCD. The virus appears to have been brought into the U.S. on imported bee stock from Australia. The beekeepers with CCD either used imported queens or packages or purchased from others that had imported stock. However, beekeepers here in Australia have not reported suffering from CCD. So, questions remain as to what additional factors trigger CCD. Is IAPV the smoking gun cause of CCD? Probably not, but IAPV is most likely one of the bullets. What does all this mean for Commonwealth beekeepers? A survey of Pennsylvania beekeepers must be performed to determine the degree of contagion. If the virus is only found in certain areas, perhaps the disease can be controlled for a short time - although this approach was not successful for any other imported pests and diseases in the past. Discussions have been ongoing with Penn State University and Penn Department of Agriculture as to the cost and survey protocol. The other immediate concern for beekeepers is a source of uninfected replacement stock. Many of our queen raisers in the Commonwealth have had heavy losses and are not shipping this year. The ideal solution is to ensure that our local producers have uninfected stock and support our local queen raisers. A greater task is to ensure that out-of-state producers have uninfected stock. These solutions may be mute if IAPV is found to be widespread. Apimondia starts tomorrow here in Australia and may provide some interesting discussions as Dr. Jeff Pettis, USDA Beltsville Bee Lab, is a conference speaker. Commentary: Jim Bobb in AustraliaAsian Parasite Probably Not CCD Smoking GunPosted: July 28th, 2007Although an article from Madrid suggests that Nosema ceranae might be the cause of CCD in the US, scientists here disclosed that the presence of Nosema was not consistent in colonies with CCD. It was widely thought that the common Nosema in the US was Nosema apis but that may not be the case. Studies are planned at the USDA to study the effect of Nosema on bee health. Although researchers do not believe that Nosema is the sole cause of CCD, it may be one of several stressing factors that can increase susceptibility to CCD. The CCD Working Group still recommends treating Fumidil B as a prevention for Nosema. July 19, 2007 Planet Ark: Asian Parasite Killing Western Bees - ScientistReported by: Jim Bobb
Calls to Washington Update: Farm Bill Passes House and includes Bee Research Funds!Updated: July 28th, 2007
The Bill now goes to the Senate. The pollinator protection amendment is very similar to the Pollinator Protection Research Act (S. 1694) introduced by Senator Boxer (CA). Senator Casey (PA) has already signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. Senator Arlen Specter (PA) did sign a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Michael Johanns on April 13, 2007 requesting that immediate administrative action be taken regarding CCD. The resulting USDA report can be viewed at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/br/ccd/ccd_actionplan.pdf. However, Senator Specter has not signed on to the senate research bill (S. 1694). Please contact Senator Specter's office and ask that he support research funding for CCD and bee health. Josh Stull is Senator Specter's Legislative Assistant for Agricultural Issues. His contact information is below:
Josh Stull Reported by: Jim Bobb
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EAS Heads to Kentucky for 2008Updated: June 18th, 2008
Make your plans now for EAS 2008 at Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky from August 4-8, 2008! The short course will be from Monday to Wednesday and the conference from Wednesday through Friday. Come to one or both. The program is full of beekeeping information from the theoretical to the practical “hands-on” in the bee yard, and everything in between. Many of the writers in the bee journals will be attending. Perhaps, the greatest value of the event is learning from other beekeepers. Kentucky is a fantastic place for the entire family – the area has great activities with good food, shopping, lakes, camping, and caves. Plenty of activities for the not-so-beekeeping inclined family members. For complete details, biographies on speakers, daily agenda, and online registration, visit www.easternapiculture.org or contact Jim Bobb at Chairman@easternapiculture.org or 610-584-6778. Beekeeping Calendar of EventsUpdated: June 18th, 2008
2008 PSBA Summer Meeting and PicnicUpdated: June 18th, 2008Join us Friday and Saturday, July 18th & 19th, for a review of Penn State Wiley Research Center bee research, a tour of Hackenberg’s apiary and extraction facility, a hay ride featuring bee forage plants, queen rearing, summer splits, good food, and homemade ice cream. Tammy Horn, Eastern Kentucky University, will be a speaker on Saturday. She is author of the book “Bees in America”. This year's event is hosted by the Centre County Beekeepers. If you plan to attend either day’s events, RSVP now. Please leave a message at (814) 383-4331 or e-mail superbee22@hotmail.com with your reservation. Click here for a detailed agenda, map, and more information. Local Bee Associations
Updated: June 11th, 2008Pennsylvania has many local, county and regional associations across the Commonwealth. If you would like to join a local beekeeping club or just ask a bee-related question, find the contact information on the interactive map.A President's Potherings
Posted: May 12th, 2008Jim Bobb, PSBA President, opines on a few subjects, such as Cinco de Mayo, the swarm season, bee inspection program, sterilization of bee equipment, the PSBA web site, Senator Specter research support, summer meeting and picnic, PA queen breeding and local queen lines, summer library reading program, new beekeepers, appreciation for local treasurers and Maryann Frazier, a wedding, and EAS in Kentucky. Click here to read the article. Packages and Nucs for Sale
Updated: March 16th, 2008Order your packages and nucs now for replacement or expansion colonies. Click here for the ads of packages and nucs for sale in Pennsylvania. New Beekeeping CoursesUpdated: March 14th, 2008
Registration & Bee InspectionPosted: June 13th, 2007
Bee inspection for 2007 started May 1. If you would like to contact the inspector for your region to schedule a visit, check the interactive map for contact information. Remember that all packages and hives that are brought into the Commonwealth must have a certificate of inspection. PA Approved Bee TreatmentsPosted: June 13th, 2007Although many different treatments and home remedies have been bandied about, below are the pesticides approved for use in Pennsylvania for 2007.Varroa Mites:
Website LinksPosted: July 9th, 2007
PA Bee LawPosted: July 8th, 2007
Several beekeepers have asked questions about the PA Bee Law. Click here for a Summary of the Bee Law. A full copy of the Bee Law can be found here.
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The House Agriculture Committee last week removed all additional funds for research into CCD and other honey bee problems. In debate Thursday on the House Floor, the pollinator protection amendment #75 was voted to be included in the Farm Bill. Many congressmen have been contacted by concerned beekeepers and their support helped the amendment pass. The Farm Bill was passed yesterday.
Many local organizations offer beekeeping events. Mark these local, state and national beekeeping events on your calendar. Click 
If you are thinking of keeping bees or getting back into beekeeping - there are still new beekeeper classes and short courses left. Or, take some classes to prepare for next year. Courses are also offered on the internet. Check out these 
Pennsylvania requires that every beekeeper in the Commonwealth be registered. The registration costs $10.00 for a two year period and covers all apiaries and hives owned by that person. Click for an 
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