beekeeping

[rdy-b]

If I'm wrong hopefully some of my fellow 'bama beeks will correct me. Here's my understanding of the comb law. Yes, if you're a commercial pollinator you can pull your bees through Alabama. However, if you're out of state and want to sell bees inside Alabama it's packages only,  no comb. Some give that law credit with keeping AFB/EFB at low to almost non existence levels in our state. I'm not versed enough to say one way or the other.

but would you say that BAMA would be a good wintering state??--AFB is becoming a fairy tail these days--intro travel from Australia
is -and has been-for front against pathogens and spread of vectoring hosts-we need to keep a clean house in the USA so we are not overwhelm  by problems that are not already managed in the USA--dose BAMA give us the footing required by all or is it a self
postulating event???
RDY-B

[GSF]

<dose BAMA give us the footing required by all or is it a self postulating event???

...don't know if I understand your question here but I'll answer it the best I can. It's a state thing.

[Paul Reyes]

I guess they will always be new beekeepers, and enough room for everyone to join in.

[jayj200]

my understand is AFB is rare

[Richard M]

every winter is like this and every winter someone notes it.  if it were not for our Australian friends, i don't think we'd have any bee topics in the winter   :-D

OK.  here's some beekeeping stuff...

My hives are still out there and upright!

My American beekeeping books are exciting though but, my favourite bits are the sections on dealing with grizzlies and/or skunks in your apiary.

That's dedication. It's pretty boring here by comparison

[BlueBee]

Michigan has finally gotten a bit of a winter break today.  It's been foggy and cloudy all day but it did get into the upper 40s for the first time in many weeks.  

I heard this strange buzzing noise coming from the back yard. :?  Sounds like I'm still in the bee keeping business for another year  :-D

[Dallasbeek]

It ain't over till it's over -- winter, that is.  My fig tree thinks it's spring.  We had one or two freezes and it lost its leaves, but now it's budding out.  It's going to be surprised when January gets here and it's really cold.  One year I had basil growing in the garden until January 1, when everything froze.  Texas weather is totally unpredictable.  Today I was in a tee shirt.  Next week I may be wearing a heavy coat.  Go figure.  You may just be catching some El Nino weather, Blue.

[rdy-b]

my understand is AFB is rare

thats what the fairy tail comment was getting at-there was a poster that made the comment *its a state thing*
perhaps they are reading old bee books(the state officials)-or perhaps the influx of state money keep in state is the driving force
--education must keep up with technology-and the funds that are generated by both-the old- bees on comb law
Have a propensity to keep the funds in state--but is this best for beekeeping -the industry has surpassed and overcome
wax moths and AFB-the list goes on from fire ants-to cerana from australia--there is big concern about boarders being open
canada and mexico--there is much federal concern with free trade and dumping fees for a lose of dollars to us AG--I just think
the state laws pertaining to bees on comb are antique for the industries needs--RDY-B

[Chiefman]

We have seen our bee club membership explode in the last few months. Many of the new members are women who are first time beekeepers and with only backyards to keeps their hives.

[rdy-b]

We have seen our bee club membership explode in the last few months. Many of the new members are women who are first time beekeepers and with only backyards to keeps their hives.

yes sir thats a good thing for australia-- ;) RDY-B

[10framer]

wouldn't bother me if every state closed the borders for a few years.  i doubt afb is rare, it's more likely not recognized or never reported.  georgia doesn't require inspections as long as you don't sell bees.  i ave a neighbor that feds his year round and mixes antibiotics into the feed.  what do you think that's doing?  how many more people treat just to do it?  i keep bees in georgia and would also keep them in alabama if it weren't for the law.  i don't think it's a bad thing, though.  migratory pollination is very hard on bees (i've done it and took losses before the varroa was even in the states) and i don't really like the idea of bees that have been exposed to other bees from every state and all their strains of what ever being wintered within flying distance of my hives. 

[Eric Bosworth]

In the early to mid '90s my parents got out of beekeeping. It started with serious difficulty keeping bees alive throughout the winter. Then they got AFB and had to burn everything. By that time it just wasn't fun anymore for them. While i do not totally agree with 10framer about closing borders for a few years I think he does have a point. In New Yuck to transport bees you need a health check. How often that is enforced is another question. Anything is legal if you don't get caught. I doubt highly that bees are inspected before being transported in New Yuck.

[Dallasbeek]

Texas law requires some kind of certificate of inspection OR an affidavit that the apiary from which queens originate is free of disease, pests, etc. I've never seen anything like this accompanying queens I've bought, whether originating in Texas or from any other state.  Other parts of the Texas Agriculture Code require permits to move from one county to another, but authorization to move freely is available if a beekeeper does cutouts, swarm removals or whatever.  I know of people on that list.  I don't know anybody that applies for a permit to move their hive to a neighboring county.  The bureaucrats could tie beekeepers up a million ways if given a chance, but ignorance is bliss, I guess.

[Michael Bush]

>It's pretty boring here by comparison

When I started beekeeping in 1974 I had no skunk issues (not until 2003) and I've never lived where there were bears.  It wasn't "boring" just because bees are so interesting, but it wasn't challenging in the way it is now with Varroa and small hive beetles etc.

[jayj200]

every winter is like this and every winter someone notes it.  if it were not for our Australian friends, i don't think we'd have any bee topics in the winter   :-D

OK.  here's some beekeeping stuff...

My hives are still out there and upright!

Its not just this time of year.   I have been here for 8 years now and this has turned into a coffee house with blueboy pushing all your buttons.   

Ya gotta push back