Thursday, August 22, 2013

Bee Whisperer, Buddy May Receives Two Master Beekeeper Awards


BUDDY RECEIVES TWO MASTER BEEKEEPER AWARDS


On Friday, August 9, 2013, Ralph C. (Buddy) May Jr. was awarded, in West Chester Pennsylvania, the coveted EAS Master Beekeeper Award by Dr. Dewey Caron, Chairman of the EAS Master Beekeeping  Certification. The EAS (Eastern Apicultural Society) is the largest non-profit Beekeeping Organization in the United States. This award is believed to be the first and only EAS Master Beekeeper Award achieved by a resident of South Carolina.

The EAS Conference is held in a different State each year with an attendance averaging over 750 each year. The Conference will be held in 2014 in Richmond, Kentucky. Buddy completed satisfactory, four (4) examinations over a 3 day period, Apiary Field Exam, Oral Exam, Written Exam, and Laboratory Exam. Photo is of Dr. Dewey Caron and Buddy as the Award is being presented. Dr. Caron is the EAS Chairman Emeritus & EAS Master Beekeeper Advisor.
Buddy also serves as a Director on the EAS Board of Directors representing the State of South Carolina.

Additionally, on Monday, August 11, 2013, Buddy was informed by the Master Beekeeper Program Chairman for the SCBA, that he had successfully completed the Master Beekeeper Exam in Clemson, SC at the Summer Conference. Buddy has completed the requirements for the Master Program and the documents are being submitted for acceptance.

Buddy has made a practice of sharing his beekeeping knowledge with many mentorees, currently approximately 25. He teaches beekeeping at both Furman Learning for You, and Furman OLLI. In addition Buddy teaches beginner beekeeping, intermediate beekeeping, and queen rearing at his apiary in Greenville, SC.


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Hands On Beginner Beekeeping Workshop ALMOST FULL


          “MAY FARMS LLC”

       Presents

                       “HANDS ON INTRODUCTORY BEEKEEPING WORK SHOP”

Our June 2nd and 16th Workshop is ALMOST FULL. This is an excellent way for you to learn beginner beekeeping! Be sure to go online and register. See details below: 

June 2 & 16: July 7 & 21: August 4 & 18: September 1 & 15: October 6 & 20

The minimum class size will be 5; the maximum will be 10. Each work shop will last from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The work shop will consist of two (2) days, three (3) hours each and will be priced at $75 total. A bee veil, smoker, and hive tool will be required. The text, “The Hive and The Honey Bee” ISBN number 0915698099 is suggested, but not required. A note book will be provided and hand - outs on each topic will be included. The “Work shop” will consist of a short lecture followed by a visit to the adjacent bee yard on each subject matter. This Work shop is designed for the new beekeeper with little or no experience, or for that experienced beekeeper who would like a refresher course on bee yard management. Emphasis will be placed on proper analysis of various stages of brood. Alternative dates will be given for inclement weather.

A tentative Workshop Outline is as follows: (This is subject to some revision)
I. Brief History of Beekeeping
II. Importance of Beekeeping
III. Castes of Honey Bee and Function of Each
IV. Bee Keeping Equipment
V. Bee Activities and Behavior
VI. Thorough Physical Examination of Hives in various stages of development
VII. Diseases, Pests, and Treatments (Including Microscopic Examination)
VIII. Seasonal Management
IX. Hive increases
X. Conclusion and Summary


If you have any questions, please let us hear from you. Please send your sign up request for the workshop and deposit made payable to May Farms, LLC to:
May Farms LLC, 100 Birnam Court, Greenville, SC 29615
The Bee Whisperer
Ralph C. (Buddy) May Jr.
Cell: 864-430-0318  or Email: buddy_may@bellsout.net

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Hive Inspection

May 19, 2013


BEE WHISPERER’S LEARNING POST


Dear Beekeepers,

Many times there are quite a few questions that are unanswered, among beekeepers, especially those who have just begun this new venture. My comments are initially directed to them in the formation of this post, but it need not prevent review for the more experienced beekeeper. Thus we will begin the post with “Hive Inspection”;

HIVE INSPECTION

You have obtained your first bee hive, whether it is a NUC, 8 Frame, or 10 Frame Hive. Also, a three pound package of bees with a mated queen has been introduced. You have been feeding your bees sugar water at the rate of 5 lbs of sugar to 1 gallon of water to assist the bees in drawing out the foundation in the brood box. Sometimes, when the nectar is flowing, the bees will cease taking the sugar water, do not be disturbed, depending on when you introduced your bees, the foundation in the lower brood box may be drawn, so it is time to put on the 2nd brood box, which can be a deep or a shallow box.

Now, let’s gather our netting, hat, hive tool, smoker, and gloves and head to the bee yard (Apiary). Never go into the bee yard without these things and be sure your smoker is well fueled and smoking. The bees will be pretty calm for now, but as the summer wears on, they may be more agitated. Let’s position ourselves in the rear of the hive or on one side. Smoke the entrance, and then lift the telescoping cover and inner cover and smoke this area as well. Lower these items and wait about 2 minutes then remove the covers. If you have a 2nd brood box in place and/or honey super, smoke and let it sit and then remove these and set them aside.  The bees will begin to take honey into their crop or honey stomach and not pay you much attention. Use your hive tool to take out the first frame on either side of the hive. We want to get to the lower brood box. The first frame, in all likelihood, will not have much done to it, at this point. The bees will begin drawing out the comb in the center of the hive first. As you look at the frames, pay attention to whether it is drawn and if there is honey, pollen, and brood stored. Is the brood capped? How much brood is there? Is the brood spotty, with no larva in uncapped cells? Use a little smoke if the bees get restless.

Now, if you have a second or upper brood hive in place, ask the question, where is the queen? You do not have to see the queen. Presence of larva is sufficient to tell you what you need to know. If the upper brood box contains larva and capped brood, the queen has moved up and the lower box will have either capped larva or empty cells. Remember that the queen will only move UP -  Not Down.  If this is the case, it is best to consider reversing the hives to give the queen room to lay more eggs, or you might find yourself in a swarm condition due to a congested hive. If so, put the top brood box on the bottom and bring the bottom brood box to the top.

Revisit your hive every two weeks to check on the conditions. Do not forget, the queen will be laying about 1500 eggs a day and the brood box will fill up rather rapidly.

Note: You should have a copy of the book “First Lessons in Beekeeping” by Keith s. Delaplane, ISBN number 978-0-915698-12-7. It will be an excellent book for reference as you journey into the world of beekeeping.

As you investigate your hive, make a note on a pad of what you saw, describing as best you can what you actually witnessed in the hive. Date it and refer to it often, making notations each time you re-enter the hive.

Next, we will visit some of the scenes that we find in our hive and discuss what the causes and remedies are to correct them. But first, we must be able to distinguish what we have seen. Review the text to help identify some of the scenes. The main thing, for you at this moment, is to become comfortable with going into the hive to gain the experience of entry, observation and exit.

Until then,

Have a great experience!






Thursday, May 2, 2013

2013 Hands On Introductory Beekeeping Workshop Schedule



 “MAY FARMS LLC”

 Presents

“HANDS ON INTRODUCTORY BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP”

During the past several years, while teaching Introductory to Beekeeping classes,  it has become explicitly clear that classroom lectures, coupled with a single field trip to the bee yard does not adequately prepare a new beekeeper to cope with all he or she will encounter in an “Apiary”.

Therefore, we are offering “Hands on Introductory Bee Keeping Workshops” at May Farms LLC in Greenville, SC. Emphasis will be on providing experience for the new beekeeper while applying the test proven method of Hands On Is The Best Teacher. Weather conditions may cause revising Workshop dates, however currently the dates selected for the workshops are:

               June 2 & 16:  July 7 & 21:  August 4 & 18:  September 1 & 15:  
                                                     October 6 & 20

Minimum class size  -  5                             Maximum -  10

Each workshop will last from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The workshop will consist of two (2) days, three (3) hours each and will be priced at $75 total.
A bee veil, smoker, and hive tool will be required. The text, “The Hive and The Honey Bee” ISBN number 0915698099 is suggested, but not required. A
notebook will be provided and hand outs on each topic will be included.

The “Workshop” will consist of a short lecture followed by a visit to the adjacent bee yard on each subject matter. This Workshop is designed for the new beekeeper with little or no experience, or for that experienced beekeeper who would like a refresher course on bee yard management. Emphasis will be placed on proper analysis of various stages of brood.


NOTE: Alternative dates will be given for inclement weather.


 A tentative Workshop Outline is as follows: (This is subject to some revision)

I.              Brief History of Beekeeping
II.            Importance of Beekeeping
III.          Castes of Honey Bee and Function of Each
IV.          Bee Keeping Equipment
V.            Bee Activities and Behavior
VI.          Thorough Physical Examination of Hives in various stages of development
VII.        Diseases, Pests, and Treatments (Including Microscopic Examination)
VIII.      Seasonal Management
IX.           Hive increases
X.             Conclusion and Summary



If you have any questions, please let us hear from you. Please send your sign up request for the workshop and deposit made payable to May Farms, LLC to:

                    May Farms LLC, 100 Birnam Court, Greenville, SC 29615

The Bee Whisperer
Ralph C. (Buddy) May Jr.
100 Birnam Court
Greenville, SC 29615
Cell: 864-430-0318
Email: buddy_may@bellsout.net
www.mayfarmsllc.com

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Hands On BeeKeeping Workshops


                                                                                         “MAY FARMS LLC”

 Presents

“HANDS ON INTRODUCTORY BEEKEEPING WORK SHOP”

During the past several years, while teaching Introductory Beekeeping classes,  it has become explicitly clear that class room lectures, coupled with a single field trip to the bee yard do not adequately prepare a new beekeeper to cope with all he or she will encounter in an “Apiary”.

Therefore, we are offering “Hands on Introductory Bee Keeping Workshops” at May Farms LLC in Greenville, SC. Emphasis will be on providing experience for new beekeepers while applying the test proven methods of Hands On - Is The Best Teacher. Weather conditions may cause revising workshop dates. Currently, the dates selected for the workshops are:

          June 2 & 16:  July 7 & 21:  August 4 & 18:  September 1 & 15:  October 6 & 20

The minimum class size will be 5; the maximum will be 10. Each workshop will last from 2:00 pm
to 5:00 pm. The workshop will consist of two (2) days, three (3) hours each and will be priced at $75 total. A bee veil, smoker, and hive tool will be required. The text, “The Hive and The Honey Bee” ISBN number 0915698099 is suggested, but not required. A note book will be provided and hand outs on each topic will be included. The “Workshop” will consist of a short lecture followed by a visit to the adjacent bee yard on each subject matter. This Workshop is designed for the new beekeeper with little or no experience, or for the experienced beekeeper who would like a refresher course on bee yard management. Emphasis will be placed on proper analysis of various stages of brood. 

Alternative dates will be given for inclement weather.

 A tentative workshop outline is as follows: (Subject to some revision)

I.                 Brief History of Beekeeping
II.                Importance of Beekeeping
III.               Castes of Honey Bee and Function of Each
IV.               Bee Keeping Equipment
V.                Bee Activities and Behavior
VI.               Thorough Physical Examination of Hives in various stages of developement
VII.              Diseases, Pests, and Treatments (Including Microscopic Examination)
VIII.            Seasonal Management
IX.               Hive increases
X.                 Conclusion and Summary


If you have any questions, please let us hear from you. Please send your sign up request for the workshop and deposit made payable to May Farms, LLC and mail to:

                      May Farms LLC, 100 Birnam Court, Greenville, SC 29615

The Bee Whisperer
Ralph C. (Buddy) May Jr.
100 Birnam Court
Greenville, SC 29615
Cell: 864-430-0318
Email: buddy_may@bellsout.net

Friday, April 5, 2013

Seasonal Allergies????



IT REALLY DOES WORK!

Consuming one spoon of honey daily help us to lead a healthy long life.

One Good Benefit of HONEY:

Suffer From Seasonal Allergies???
Especially for those who suffer from seasonal pollen allergies, wildflower honey can serve as a GREAT long-term remedy. By consuming even very small amounts of locally harvested honey, the human body becomes ‘inoculated’ against the very pollen allergens which trigger the allergic response. This form of ‘self-immunization’ is very similar to the homeopathic concept of “like heals like”. According to this Law of Similars, “by using drugs to induce symptoms, the artificial symptoms would stimulate the vital force, causing it to neutralize and expel the original disease and that this artificial disturbance would naturally subside when the dosing ceased.”[2}
In conclusion:
The best honey which is fit for healthy consumption is honey that is raw, organic, locally harvested and never heated in the process of transferring from honeycomb to jars. Using it medicinally for those who do not have sugar or weight problems is really the best, since there is nothing else quite like it as an efficacious delivery system. The honey bees works very hard to create such a nectarean substance; perhaps we can now acknowledge their contribution to global wellness.

{SOURCE: “Therapeutic uses of Honey in Ayurveda” by Dr. Krishna.R.S at Pioneer Thinking}