Africanzied honey bees are still a potential issue. The Alabama Department of Agriculture is holding a planning meeting tomorrow (May 27, 2009) to continue to make plans for the eventual arrival of these bees in Alabama. I will give a summary report here after I return to Ohio.
OSU Honey Bee Lab
Wooster, Ohio
Author Archives: Jim
Nice lawn – but not for bees
May 21, 2009 – 1:57 pm
This is a very pleasant location for bee hives. However, for the bees, it’s a green wasteland. Manicured lawns look nice to humans but we need to remember that such areas have a limited carrying capacity for wildlife.
Lawn comment – Ohio Department of Natural Resouces
May 21, 2009 – 1:42 pm
Why is plant diversity important?
If your lawn is primarily a monoculture of Kentucky bluegrass, it may be effective in maintaining a manicured look, but it will not sustain a diversity of animal species. Similarly, a wetland dominated by purple loosestrife cannot sustain a diversity of native wetland plants or animals.
A woodland dominated by garlic mustard [...]
Mice in my truck
May 8, 2009 – 11:46 am
An Observation
If you leave a truck in the field – loaded with bees for pollination – be prepared for critters to invade the truck and build nests on/in the truck. Worse, expect them to destroy electrical wiring harnesses. This is the fourth year I have left the truck in the orchard for 10-14 days, [...]
Bee Yard
May 6, 2009 – 4:11 pm
This is our primary bee yard near the bee lab. We try to keep about 40 colonies at this location.
Ohio honey bee colonies building up
May 6, 2009 – 1:17 pm
As usual, the 2008/2009 winter was somewhat challenging, but Ohio’s beekeepers did not experience the high winter kills of recent years. Presently, bee colonies are building up nicely. This lab received its first swarm call of the year today (May 6, 2009). The caller said that, “A large swarm was hanging in a pine tree.” [...]
