All–
I am releasing this a bit early so that the last few of you who have not completed the Bee Informed Partnership Survey, can do so NOW! The survey has been extended until TODAY. Click here to be redirected to the survey. The first part takes a mere 5 minutes. If you decide to continue with the management survey, expect to add an additional 15 minutes. I know you’ve had this request 100 times this month and I feel like an NPR station on a fund drive! But–we need to get these surveys submitted as we need 300 data points to get Colorado’s information separated to the state level. THANK YOU!
The groundhog did a helluva job on his prediction for this year! Ol’ Phil said we were in for an early spring and we ended up with a heck of an April here in the northern part of the state. Much of the state remains in varying stages of drought but the moisture was an absolute godsend. These were the lowest temps seen for this time of year in quite some time and I feel as though hive losses in April were magnified by this weather situation. May will be ushered in with yet another snowstorm. How does that saying go–in like a lion, out like a lamb? I thought that was for March!
Summer Meeting
All of the summer meeting plans have been completed! Click here to be redirected to the Summer Meeting section of the website. Dr. Dewey Caron will be our featured orator and he will be joined by a full schedule of top notch speakers. All information–pre-registration forms, speaker bio, talk descriptions, and schedule can be found on the website. In addition, we have procured discounted rates on hotel rooms in both Glenwood Springs and Silt. Links to the properties can be found on the Summer Meeting page. Finally, the Summer Meeting would not be the Summer Meeting without the Beekeepers Ball! The Ball menu is also posted on the Summer Meeting site and I strongly encourage you to PRE-REGISTER to ensure a spot at the table. In fact, I strongly encourage you to pre-register for the entire event so we can have adequate food and seating all day. Call or email if you have any further questions. I can be reached at 970-213-3099 or president@coloradobeekeepers.org.
Package Bees
A big thanks to all of our package bee people. This is a very under-appreciated job and these folks deserve a round of applause. I cannot imagine what havoc is wreaked when you’ve got $50,000 worth of bees on your truck and your delivery is scheduled for the middle of a snowstorm! Thanks to you all!
Neonicotinoids
There has been a considerable amount of press this month on the status of neonicotinoids in both the US and the EU. I have updated the CSBA website to reflect both sides of the controversy. What I do not like about the neonics is the effect that the discussion is having on the beekeeping community. A schism has developed between those who believe that they are contributing to the difficulty in keeping bees alive and those who do not. I ask that all of you, whichever perspective you espouse, remain civil in your discussion and stay focused on the larger picture of bee health.
Personally, I do believe that there is mounting evidence of a negative impact on both honeybees and pollinators BUT I do not believe that if these are removed from the market, that we will return to a previous and more toxic group of insecticides. I further believe that this potential of returning to a worse class of pesticides should not preclude a rational discussion of the neonics. The data should speak for itself.
Final Notes
I will post 2 more recipes once the weather tanks. The first is for Simple Cheesecake and includes options for both a single large cheesecake and individual ones. The second recipe is a bit more complicated but the results are stunning–Tiramisu! These are both candidates for the Meet and Greet this year and I would appreciate some feedback if/when you try them.
As always, if you have any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to call or email.
Thank you for being a member.
Beth
970-213-3099
president@coloradobeekeepers.org
