Use Beeswax Candles at Special Events!

Many of our votives, tealites and hand-dipped candles have been used for special events such as weddings, showers or other parties. They make a very nice party favor.

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Our daughter, Mary, just married and she used pairs 9.5 inch of hand-dipped candles at each place setting. They were placed in a plastic bag along with a message from the wedding couple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for pictures of Mary and Jason dipping the candles.

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We also have a wedding candle that was used at our oldest daughter, Andrea's wedding. These were placed on the wedding table with the bride and groom.

Andrea used the 6 inch candles in a similar fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Votives and floating candles are always in demand for special occasions.

Checking colonies, Winter damage, Raising new queens, Varroa Mites

We are hearing of very large honeybee losses across the country over the winter. Honeybee colonies are being decimated by varroa mites. Varroa mites are a mite the size of a pin head that grows on the honeybee pupae and causes the honeybees to weaken and die.
More about varroa mites and how beekeepers deal with them......

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Bee killer imperils crops
A tiny parasite, colloquially known as a 'vampire mite,' is devastating honeybees. That worries experts because honeybee-pollinated crops are valued at more than $15 billion a year. Click here for an article in the Palm Beach Post...

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We have lost over 50% of our colonies this year. Some of the colonies will be replaced by making splits (splitting 1 colony into 2), some will be replaced by package bees and some will not be replaced and we will just have less colonies this year to produce honey.

This year we purchased and installed 40 2lb packages. Each package includes a can of sugar syrup to feed the bees during transit, 2 lb of honeybees and a queen in a special queen cage. The package bees come from the warmer states (Georgia, Alabama). Beekeepers in these area shake honeybees from their colonies to put in boxes to sell.

Click here to see how we install these honeybees....

 

What has happened to all the Honeybees?

About 10 years ago the beekeeping community started seeing damage from 2 different mites.

Trachial mites are microscopic mites that live inside the breathing tubes of the honeybees. They typically will weaken and kill the bees over winter Trachial mites are still a problem but are somewhat easier to keep under control.

Varroa mites, which are a larger problem, are external honeybee parasites (about the size of a pin head) that attack both the adults and the brood, with a distinct preference for drone (male) brood. They suck the blood from both the adults and the developing brood, weakening and shortening the life span of the ones on which they feed. Emerging brood may be deformed with missing legs or wings. Untreated infestations of varroa mites that are allowed to increase will kill honeybee colonies. Losses due to these parasitic mites are often confused with causes such as winter mortality and queenlessness if the colonies are not examined for mites.

We have had winter damage due to varroa mite of over 50% the last 2 years (10% is normal).

What are beekeepers doing to deal with the problem? There are many different treatments, each with their own set of problems.

• Improving queen stock is one of the most important efforts being done. There are queen breeders all over the country that are improving the blood lines of their queens. Mite resistant bees from Russia have been imported. There is a new line of SMR mites resistant bees now available. Honeybees with "hygienic behavior" are being bred, these bees are better "housecleaners" than other bees and this helps with varroa mite resistance. We have been using Russian and SMR queens in our spring program and even though it has helped, we still have had some large losses. It takes a few years to change the blood lines in all of your honeybees.

• Pesticide Strips - Coumophos and Apistan strips have been very effective in the past. These strips are put in the hive in the fall after the honey crop is taken off and then removed about a month later. Unfortunately, varroa mites have built up a tolerance to these strips in many areas and they are no longer affective.

• Essential oils such as wintergreen and peppermint in a grease patty that is put on top of the bees has also been useful. We have used these in the past.

• Thymol (from the thyme plant) and formic acid is another more natural treatment for varroa mites. We use thymol in a mixture with Food Grade Mineral Oil that is put in a fogger and applied to the colonies.

• There are many new ideas being tested - from white vinegar solutions to a special fungus that attacks the mites.

 

More on Varroa Mites:

Bee killer imperils crops - Palm Beach Post
University of Kentucky
University of Florida
BeeNet

Spring Honey Recipes

This recipe was sent in by one of our readers, Barb Stopinski

• I have a wonderful honey recipe that I would like to share. It is a home remedy for colds, cough and congestion that really works - or at least for me.
  1 tablespoon honey
  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Mix the two together and eat once a day until symptoms disappear. I only took it for 3 days.

• Another wonderful recipe is for a face mask that the ladies will enjoy.
  1 egg yolk
  1 or 2 tablespoons honey

  Mix the two together very well until it is creamy. If it's too thin, add a little more honey. When first mixing, it will look separated. Keep mixing with a spoon - it will blend very well. Apply to the face avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 20 minutes and then rinse off. You won't believe how soft your skin will be. This is also great for wrinkles.

 

Do you have a great honey recipe - please and we will put it in our newsletter.

Candle W*nner & Laugh of the Month

Congratulations!

Spring candle winner: tarasmith@kellerfordkia.###

Will this months w*nner,
tarasmith@kellerfordkia.###
please contact us and send your address so that I can ship your candles.

Our list of previous candle w*nners.

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Click below for something silly to end this newsletter with.

Laugh of the month: Strongbad Characters: King of Town

See You Next Month!

Honeyflow Farm Main Page

Honeyflow Farm
4939 Mill Rd.    PO Box 275
Dryden, Michigan 48428
(810) 796-2344 (Phone & Fax)

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