NEWSLETTER July-August 12

THE PRESIDENTS HIVE STAND

We've come half-way through calendar 2012, definitely a year for the record books. Not just temperature records, though we are seeing those in plenty. From BANV's perspective, it's a year of new ideas and successes, lots of new beekeepers, lots of you contributing to the bees and your own growth as beekeepers. I am most impressed by the surge of interest in issues and initiatives by several small groups of club members. While too few of you have pitched in on our Outreach efforts, we have at least flown our club banner at a couple events so far, and even generated some early interest in next year's classes for new beeks. Taking our message to the public is important; I hope you'll find a way to help when the next call goes out. Several of you are dealing with pesticide spraying situations, and dealing with it in fine fashion as involved citizens confronting the companies, coordinating efforts to contact local government, and so on. Your grassroots efforts are also part of BANV's mission, but you didn't wait for somebody else

to bless or direct your efforts. You did it yourselves way to go! We may soon have another opportunity to shape the beekeeping world close to home. If you live in a ZIP code tied into the City of Fairfax we'll need your voice to be heard when that entity addresses beekeeping rules in the near future. Watch for information about this via the listserve or directly to your email. If you were part of the nuc or queenrearing programs, you're in a special class and I'm grateful for your extra effort on behalf of all of us. And all of you in special interest groups for Top Bar Hives, or extracting honey, or staying engaged with students as a mentor, or the list can go on and on share your stories when we meet and via the listserve and website, and keep your club interesting and entertaining. As we start the beekeeping year, I hope to see many of you at the special programs coming later in July and again in late August. Perhaps you have the VSBA Fall meeting on your calendar (Nov. 2-3)? Just like anything, you'll get more out of BANV if you put more in. Thanks for what you have done and keep it up!

EDUCATION CHAIR
When Pat stepped down as Education Chair in May BANV saw the end of many dynamic years of intense, professional training classes for newbees and all beekeepers. Her teaching of literally hundreds of us make her shoes impossible to fill by one person. Instead, we're looking for a person to lead a committee to manage BANV's education mission. A new Education Chair wont have to carry the load the alone and teaching classes isn't a requirement. A team effort to find classrooms, share teaching duties, organize mentors, and look at the future training needs of BANVs members comprises most the job.Is that person you? Please contact me soon with your questions and level of interest.
Rob McKinney, President
beekeepersnova+president@gmail.com

Minutes of BANV Meeting: May 22, 2012

Budget Request
At the July 24th meeting I will ask your approval to add $500 dollars to our guest speaker expenses, and a new amount of $750 for sustainability projects such as queenrearing, nuc production and so on, and add a new amount of $250 to support our Outreach efforts. The first request is needed due to additional costs to rent facilities. The second amount gives us funds to order genetically desirable queens for 2013 projects. The third amount is to pay for materials/handouts and a portable shelter to use at events. You must be present at the meeting to vote on these changes to our budget

Mark your calendars

July 24: BANV meeting: Frank Linton: remote monitoring of hives. @ Mason Dist. Govt Ctr. 7:00 pm. July 30, and July 31: two Michael Bush presentations, sponsored by BANV & PWRBA. Beforehand, well gather for dinner at a restaurant (TBD). Please RSVP asap: beekeepersnova+rsvp@gmail.com. The session topics will include Organic/sustainable beekeeping; Queens-rearing, maintaining, selecting; trends & thoughts on the evolution of beekeeping especially in the face of current challenges. Dont miss this presentation! August 13-17 : EAS 2012 Conference in Burlington, VT (see article below) August 25: Wyatt Mangum, Fall/Winter Mgmt for Top Bar Hives: 9-4 at Thomas Jefferson Library, 7415 Arlington Blvd (Rt 50), Falls Church. This is a registration event; $25 payable in advance to Pat Haskell:8108 Collins St., Annandale, VA 22003. August 31: Dr. Rick Fell on Fall/Winter Management Refresher class. 7:00 pm; location: Mason District Govt Center. Sept. 25:BANV meeting: Bee-Craft: Mead-making with Paul Steblein, and candle making with Kathryn Preston; Mason District Govt Ctr, 7 pm. November 2-3: VSBA Fall Meeting, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave,VA.(now 2 days!) November 16-18: Apimondia 2012 Symposium.(see article below)

The meeting was called to order by Rick Haynes at 7:10 pm. There were 53 people present for the meeting. Julie Waser announced they still have some nucs available to members if anyone wishes to have one please contact Julie. Jane Harding offered that a limited number of hard copies of the newsletter were available at the meeting if anyone wished to have one. Whitney Long then gave a talk on honey judging at fair competitions. She explained the various criteria that are used to judge honey and explained how to meet those standards. She suggested that members place a honey entry in the Arlington County Fair. It is a fun and educational endeavor and enough entries to demonstrate interest helps fair officials determine to continue to have honey as a fair entry category. The Arlington County Fair is one of the few that accepts entries from non- county residents. There will be no state fair this year and entry for the Arlington County Fair is free to BANV members. Luan Do then gave an informative talk on harvesting honey. He talked about steps to use in removing the frames from the hive, uncapping the frames and extracting the honey. He demonstrated and allowed members to try their hand at uncapping a frame of honey and using an extractor to remove the honey from the frame. The meeting was then adjourned.
Respectfully submitted, David Thompson, Secretary

Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS) Conference, Aug.13-17

by Karla Eisen You are invited to the 2012 EAS Conference to be held at University of Vermont and hosted by Vermont Beekeepers. The theme will be "Bees and Beyond". See the EAS website for greater detail: http://www.easternapiculture.org/c onferences/eas-2012.html Tom Seeley, Dewey Caron, Debbie Delaney, Michael Palmer, Jim Tew, Ross Conrad, Michael Young, Larry Connor, Maryann Frazier, Marla Spivak, Sam Comfort, Kim Flottum,. Dianna Sammataro and a whole host of other local and international experts that will be presenting at EAS (plus some familiar Virginia names such as Pat and Jim Haskell, Billy Davis ,Karla Eisen, Jonathan Duffy and Frank Linton!). 2

Enter the Honey Contest, and socialize with new and old beekeeper friends. Shelburne Farms social will have a Bar-B-Q, small band, and improvisation troupe. See the newest beekeeping equipment from friendly and knowledgeable vendors. The remarkable EAS Auction will be Thurs. eve and of course the EAS Banquet Fri. eve. We will even horse around at the "Bee Rodeo." A very special tour of the Intervale for 50 lucky EAS conference attendees will be held on Thursday August 16th. You are going to have fun! Rowan Jacobsen, author of the bestselling Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis, will be the keynote speaker at the Banquet Friday evening. Access to some of the best experts in the world, hive openings, beekeeping supplies, lectures and workshops on: * Apitherapy I & II * Mite ABC's * Queen Rearing * Pesticides in the Orchard * Sustaining the Apiary with Fall Reverse Splits * Bee & Colony Photography * Hygienic Bees * Native Pollinators * Issues with Organic Honey * Nucleus Colonies in the Sustainable Apiary * Urban Bee Sites Issues * Community Based Nuc Program * Sustainable Beekeeping: A Chemical Free Approach Please check out the EAS website above for more detail.

informative page is intended as a guide to help beekeepers prepare entries for many competitive categories at honey shows. The same principles also help beekeepers create better quality products. EASs meeting, in Burlington, Vermont, August 13-17, 2012, will offer a large honey contest. See Conferences and Contests at:
http://www.easternapiculture.org/

Sustainability Update
By Rob McKinney, compiled from several reports

Apimondia Qubec 2012 Symposium

The international beekeeping congress, Apimondia, doesnt come to North America often, especially this close to Virginia. Its a great opportunity for anyone looking to learn more about beekeeping in other countries. Practicing your high school French is optional, as all symposium conferences will be in English (with instant translation to French). The program presents several world class speakers, an exhibit hall full of the latest and greatest innovations in beekeeping, and a choice of workshops. Looking forward to seeing you in Qubec City, Canada, November 16-18, 2012. Early-bird registration runs through September 15. For information on programs, registration, hotels, and local tourist activities, go to the official website at: http://www.craaq.qc.ca/lecalendrier-agricole/apimondiasymposium-2012/e/1205

You did a great job producing nucleus hives for our newest class of beekeepers. It's an important part of the effort to increase the number of local colonies we manage, with all the advantages that local bees can bring to our beekeeping work. The packages from Georgia will continue to be useful to our beekeeping by dint of their availability, but as we move more and more into regionally raised and regionally available bees we should see an increase in survivability and quality and depend less on non-local bees to start or increase colonies. A second initiative this year following the sustainability path is the local queen-rearing project. With the ability to select for traits and characteristics, we will be making positive improvements in the genetic stock of our area's bees over the next few years. Queen-rearing is more technical than assembling a nuc colony and fraught with its own trials. Our weird spring weather, particularly its timing and fluctuations in temperatures during a critical April period, along with the prolonged and extensive swarming season, made it more difficult to manage source hives and available brood, and affected the success of installed queen cells. Add in the learning curve of new grafters and those who accepted queen cells...well, we had surprisingly good numbers despite the odds. Over 200 queen cells/virgins were created, the majority of them survived finishing, and they were distributed to more than a score of 3

EAS Honey Show

http://www.easternapiculture.org/c onferences/eas-2012/2012-honeyshow This spring the Eastern Apiculture Society (EAS) added a new page on honey shows to its website. The

BANV members, including several 'newbees'. The grafters kept a share to requeen or expand hives. Some were used for nucs, and the rest went to those of you who requested queen cells. The grafting group was fairly small for such an ambitious project. But like other BANV initiatives that look to the future, Pat and Jim were in the forefront sharing their skills and hard work to make this worthwhile project. Our next steps will be to expand the number of you who participate fully in grafting/queen-rearing. With this experience under our belts, by purchasing mite resistant queens mated with local drones for local survivability, and then by raising nucs and virgin queens from that stock, BANV will be making a real contribution to the long-term health of bees in this region.

placing a screen over it to allow air to pass, but not bees. Mite and beetle loads are beginning to peak. Check your hives for mites and beetles and take steps to assist the bees in controlling these pests if you find evidence that the mite loads or beetle population are getting out of control. The BANV website and many other sources provide advice on what to do in these circumstances. The bees that are hatched in September and October will carry your hives into the winter. The pollen collected in the next 6 weeks may be critical to the health and viability of these bees. If your hives do not have frames full of honey and bands of stored pollen by the end of August, then consider modest feeding of a small pollen patty. A small patty that is quickly consumed will not attract as many beetles as a large patty that begins to ferment in summer heat.

Ours was mostly dark honey. Every family got to take some jars of honey home to enjoy.
Brenda Kiessling, Leader, 2 B A Bee
4-H member Jacob Steblein at the decapping box

Arlington County Fair Honey Show: Open to all BANV Members Aug. 8-12, 2012
The Arlington County Fair organizers recently reaffirmed a long-standing arrangement permitting ALL BANV members to enter the honey and beeswax competition, regardless of where they live. (Other competitive categories are restricted to residents of Arlington and Falls Church). Since the Virginia State Fair was cancelled this year, the Arlington County Fair has become a more important local resource for beekeepers. Many Reasons to Enter a Honey Show. Its a chance to get feedback on the quality of your honey and preparation technique. Using a score sheet, the judge will rate your sample(s) on fill accuracy, cleanliness, and other factors including the percent moisture in your honey sample (this is reason enough for many people to submit a sample). Because honey containing greater than 18.6 percent moisture can ferment, samples above this level are disqualified. If you have a competitive streak, youll be interested in seeing how your bottling skills stack up against 4

This Month In The Beeyard July August

By John Fraser

The heat and the drying up of most nectar sources will lead to robbing. Robbing is characterized by worker bees aggressively pushing their way into hives, past the guard bees, in an attempt to get inside and rob honey, nectar and pollen stores. This will result in fighting at the entrances and a number of dead bees on the ground below the entrances. Here are some recommended steps to reduce the risks of robbing. First, when feeding, feed all the hives in a beeyard, not just one or two. Second, reduce entrances and consider use of robbing screens for nucs and other relatively weak hives. Third, minimize the length of time that hives are open to the air when examining hives. Fourth, if an upper ventilation hole is used, consider

4-H ACTIVITIES

On Saturday, June 23, 2012, 2 B A BEE 4-H club harvested and extracted honey. Five families and 17 people did the work. It's easy and fun with so many people (see the photos).

other beekeepers... and, you might even win a ribbon (and the bragging rights that go with it). Furthermore, county fairs are part of American history. This is a chance for you (and your beekeeping children) to get a taste of the way our forefathers enjoyed a county fair.

the fall for the sellers so we can make positive changes for 2013.

BANV Mapping Project Report

By Chelsie Romulo

PURPOSES. ALL ADDRESS AND LOCATION INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT PRIVATE WITHIN A BANV-OWNED DATABASE. NO LOCATION INFORMATION CAN BE DERIVED FROM THE MAPS, NOR WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO "ZOOM IN" ON THE MAP.

One more important reason to participate: In this era of county cutbacks, if BANV does not reverse the declining numbers of honey entries in recent years, this honey show could be cancelled. BANV encourages you to enter as many classes as you are able (but just one entry per class). So, if you are interested, please read further detail on page 9!

After reviewing comments and input from BANV members we would like to focus our first mapping effort on honey production, queen survivability, and swarming. Please take the time to fill out the questionnaire on the BANV website as completely as you can. You can access the questionnaire two different ways: 1. By going to the BANV website (http://www.beekeepersnova.org/) and clicking on "Club Activities" and then choosing "BANV GIS Project" in the drop-down menu. 2. By using this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadshee t/embeddedform?formkey=dDRBdEl CMm5ZaWNpbmExYVc1WlN0SlE6 MQ Our aim is to collect data from BANV members to create maps that will detail different aspects of beekeeping over time. This project is for BANV members in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and beyond. We'd like your input and history about your beekeeping operation**. This project is being co-ordinated by BANV and a student at Northern Virginia Community College. If you have any questions or comments please email beekeepersnova+gis@gmail.com
**ANY INFORMATION COLLECTED FOR THIS SURVEY IS SOLELY FOR MAPPING

Update on 2012 state legislation for Virginia Beekeepers from Lannie Ballard, VSBA legislative liaison.
As most of you know, the General Assembly passed the Beehive Grant Fund which became part of the Code of Virginia on July 1, 2012. It will take effect on January 1, 2013. The Fund started out as a proposed tax credit last fall before being changed to a grant during the General Assembly session. The Beehive Grant became a reality for Virginias beekeepers when Governor McDonnell signed the state budget for 2012-2013. The legislatures appropriated $125,000 towards the Fund for FY 2012-2013 and another $125,000 for FY 2013-2014. A copy of the wording from the state budget authorizing these funds is included below. Besides a change from tax credit to grant, the legislation has led to considerable confusion as to the final wording and how to apply for the grant. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, (VDACS) has the responsibility of writing the guidelines and for developing an application procedure. In addition, grant applicants must register with VDACS. Like the grant, registration will be a new procedure for Virginia beekeepers. As I understand from Keith Tignor VDACS hopes to have the 5

Results of the first coordinated BANV Nuc Program:

By Julie Waser

2012's early spring brought our club many early nucs. The club had a total of 13 members who produced nuc hives for our students and mentors. There were a total of 84 nucs sold through the pre-order process. We had 1 top bar nuc, 71 mediums, and 12 deeps that were sold. Anyone who purchased or sold a nuc can expect to receive a survey in early fall. Next step is to learn what worked and what needs to be improved. There will be a meeting in

documents available by the fall VSBA meeting in Weyers Cave, VA. Again thanks for all your help . -- Lannie Ballard. From the State Budget: Included in these amounts is $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year from the general fund for the Beehive Grant Fund, to be established on the books of the Comptroller. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund at the end of each fiscal year, including interest thereon, shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund, which shall be in the form of grants, shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon the written request signed by the Commissioner. Grants from the Fund shall only be made to applications to the Beehive Grant Program. For more information: VABees@vdacs.virginia.gov
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European Hornets love munching on apples and pears still growing on our trees, and appear especially fond of the fruit that has fallen to the ground. They first got in trouble with me when they girdled and killed both our newly planted lilac trees. Apparently European Hornets get nourishment from the sap of lilacs and sweetgum trees, and no doubt from many other tree species as well.

kill a variety of insects to feed their developing larvae. Big insects like grasshoppers and crickets are included on their preferred list of food as are, unfortunately, honey bees. Sometimes it was clear that an individual European Hornet was on the prowl as it aggressively attacked bees in flight near my feeder. It all happens very quickly a clash of wings and the hornet, suddenly burdened by the weight of the bee, could be seen flying away at half speed, presumably in the direction of its nest.

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT BEESTING RESPONSE

By Whitney Long Most beekeepers do not have severe reaction to bee stings. But sting response is a serious topic that we don't always understand sufficiently. A long talk with an immunologist was very informative and helpful. I'm not a doctor, but I can recite what he told me. From what he said, your experience is not unusual, but everyone is different. Immune systems change - both to react more strongly in some cases and to get desensitized in others. I've experienced both... becoming less sensitive back in 1980 (eventually a sting resulted in a tiny red dot) but in 2006 I developing a severe swelling reaction (now my hand and arm can gain 3-5 pounds of swelling, I'm petite, so that's 2-3 times its normal size!). Bee and wasp venom are both complex, but different. However, a few percent of the components are the same. I react strongly to bee sting now, but recently discovered I 6

One Mans Observations on European Hornets

by Dan Stiles (excerpted and edited with the authors permission; this article appeared in Bee Culture magazine a few years ago) Two summers ago I noticed a few European Hornets around our apiary in rural West Virginia. These hornets appear to be about an inch and a half long and their yellow and brown markings make them very easy to identify. Their present range includes just about all of Europe and now all the eastern/north central states in our country. European Hornets were first reported in the United States in the early 1800s.

These giant (as compared with honey bees) hornets fly during the day - and at night. Sometimes if I leave the kitchen door open on a warm summer night, European Hornets will fly in, apparently attracted to the lights. This hornet house invasion happens fast within a minute or two. With the door closed, they bang against the window closest to the light. Essentially they are overgrown yellow jackets, and a friend who was stung by one said it certainly was a memorable experience! They have no barb so they can sting repeatedly. They build gray colored papery nests in sheltered places out of the wind and rain, like within a hollow tree. (Ive never found a nest). Worker hornets forage day and night for liquid nourishment to bring back to their nest, but they also capture and

react even more strongly to wasps. I now have even a little worse reaction to bees than before the wasp sting. Benadryl is often helpful for most people for certain sting reactions, but the effect is short lived. One must take it within one hour of being stung and might need to continue taking it for 24+hours. Certain components of the venom are active for many hours and our immune systems ramp up over the first day or more. If the Benadryl wears off, one can still get a reaction. Apparently Zyrtec (or generic equivalent) is very effective for beestings. Ideally, the person getting stung takes it for three days before the sting for optimal benefit. Seriously, that was the immunologists recommendation. Since that is not very practical, I take a Zyrtec as soon as practical after getting stung and keep taking it for 2 days. This usually holds my reaction to a 5" welt, painful, but doesn't interfere with life. If I don't keep taking it for the two days, the reaction is worse. Where you get stung (body part) can make a big difference. A scalp sting does not swell much because your head is above your heart ...any part kept elevated will swell less. Also, there is less soft tissue to swell. Wrist and ankle stings are some of the worst, as swelling there also restricts lymphatic fluid flow back from the extremity, like putting a tight rubber band on you wrist, exacerbating the effect. Ice almost always helps. The more hours one can spend alternating ice and no ice (as for a sprain), the less one will react to the sting. It is not always practical, but it really can help when it is. You will not be surprised to hear that there is no medical evidence that taping a penny to the sting helps.

Also, reportedly, there is no evidence that strong swelling reaction means a person will develop an anaphylactic reaction in the future. They are two totally different types of immune response. According to the immunologist, the only concern on that front is that if one's immune system is changing, as evidenced by any change in your allergy status, there is always a small chance that the change could also be in the direction of anaphylactic reaction. But swelling reaction is no more a precursor than developing hay fever would be. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to study up on symptoms of anaphylactic reaction and keep a mobile phone in your pocket if you are beekeeping alone. A BANV member I mentored a few years ago developed anaphylactic response...it is real, scary, and life threatening. KNOW THE SYMPTOMS AND HAVE A PLAN IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

Other BANV members have suggested you see your doctor. It is a good idea. Although the doctor can't do anything about your current sting, he or she could have helpful information on how you can limit the effects in the future. I would have avoided a lot of misery if I'd gotten more medical advice sooner. The physician I saw was empathetic to beekeeping and offered useful information and practical suggestions, rather than simply suggesting I change hobbies.

Bee Informed Partnership

The Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is an Extension project that endeavors to decrease the number of managed honey bee colonies that die over the winter. It is a large collaboration between research institutions, universities and beekeepers from all over the country. BIP has been funded for 5 years by USDA/NIFA (US Department of Agriculture/ National Institute of Food and Agriculture). The collaborative group is all about beekeepers telling other beekeepers what works and what doesnt. Most everyone agrees that we need to stop losing so many bees each winter. As a community, beekeepers have many answers; BIP helps beekeepers tap into that communal knowledge For that to work BIP needs as many beekeepers to share their stories as possible! If you have taken the National Winter Loss survey anytime in the past 5 years, you have participated in a BIP activity. That survey represents a portion of their past work, which they hope to continue with your help go to 7

Finally, bee sting is one of the allergies most responsive to desensitizing allergy shots, with a very high rate of successful desensitization. But it can take up to 6 years. Unfortunately, although it might inadvertently have helped me in 1980, getting stung a lot is not a good way to plan on getting desensitized. The body usually just keeps reacting to the sting-size dose instead of habituating as it would to the tiny allergy shot dose.

www.beeinformed.org and sign up to participate in this years survey. As an example of the information flowing from BIP, see information reviewing the differences in reported colony losses related to the use of hive beetle traps, available at: http://beeinformed.org/2012/05/nati onal-management-survey-20102011-release-hive-beetle-traps/

has caused the killings, the Varroa mite is a major contender. The mites can spread the virus while consuming the bees blood. Study authors say the research could shine light on the cause. To read more stories like this, subscribe to Greenwire, an enewsletter that tracks Environmental & Energy Policy News. www.eenews.net.

Tiny mite helps spread fatal bee virus

A report submitted by member Paul Steblein According to research published in Science (Ben Hirschler, Reuters, June 7), parasitic mites are to blame for the uptick in the rates of infection of a virus associated with honeybee deaths. Only recently has the Varroa mite infiltrated bee communities in Hawaii, so researchers examined what impact the mite had on bees. They found that with the introduction of the Varroa, the incidence of deformed wing virus, or DWV, in honeybees increased from 10 percent to 100 percent. Meanwhile, the amount of the virus found in the bees bodies increased by 1 million times. Also, there was a large decrease in virus diversity, with one strain becoming most dominant. It is that strain that is now dominant around the world and seems to be killing bees, said Stephen Martin of the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom and lead author of the study. My money would be on this virus as being key. Throughout the world, bee populations have been plummeting, a phenomenon scientists have called colony collapse disorder. While researchers have been unsure what

time-wise... no need to be concerned. Your plates will arrive in the mail with stickers coinciding with the registration dates that are current as of when the DMV sends the plates. You don't have to worry about when your current plates expire, but you do need to keep your registration up-to-date since it's separate from these plates. Please let me know if I need to further clarify. Please help us reach our goal!
Samantha Gallagher pollinatorplates@gmail.com to register online, visit: pollinatorplates.blogspot.com/p/getyour-plate.html

POLLINATOR PLATES
A note from Samantha Gallagher

AMAZING NEW BOOK ON POLLINATION!

The Travelling Beehive is a new free illustrated book that examines in depth the importance of pollination for our current lifestyle. Halfway between literature and popular science, it can be downloaded as pdf, or onto iPad, or viewed online To see it online, go to http://apolo.entomologica.es/cont/m ateriales/lcvwe/ Theres more detail on the Prince William Regional Beekeepers Association (PWRBA) website: http://pwrbeekeepers.com/news

To my friends of pollinators!! We've reached 101 applications received, and 349 to go. If all those who gave me their email addresses (not just BANV members) would follow through, and send in the application for VA Pollinator Plates, wed be amazingly close to our goal only 9 applications away from the required number of applications to get our plates on the road! If it would make your life easier for me to mail you an application along with an addressed envelope to send it back, I would be more than happy to do so. Please email me at the email address below and let me know. Note that your plates and registration are completely independent of one another. The plate is more of an aesthetic. So those of you who might be worried about dates of your registration expiration, getting things to line up

Want to contribute to the BANV newsletter? Write to:

beekeepersnova+editor@gmail.com We prefer concisely written material, rather than suggestions & hints. Inclusion depends upon space available, timeliness, and/or relevance. Thanks!

ARLINGTON COUNTY FAIR Your County Fair Entries. The Arlington County Fair is a small fair, appropriate for beginners and experienced beekeepers to test their honey and wax quality. Categories, called classes open to all BANV members are in Department I Honey and Beeswax. Classes include extracted honey (three different classes: light, medium, and dark), comb honey, chunk honey, beeswax sample, and baked goods made using honey for at least 50 percent of the sweetener. The competitive entry guide lists all the class numbers, registration instructions, and a few simple rules (e.g., extracted honey sample must be in a 1-pound classic honey jar for uniformity). The Competitive Entry Guide is available online at: http://arlingtoncountyfair.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012ACF-CE-Guide_Total.pdf Children and adults are judged separately and receive separate awards. Enter Several Classes, But Only One Item per Class. You may submit a separate entry for any class (e.g., a 1 pound jar of pale honey in the light extracted honey class and another jar of medium amber honey in the medium extracted honey class. Residents of Arlington County and Falls Church may also enter candles, homemade soap, and other items in the separate Crafts category (in the competitive entry guide see Department IV Crafts Other). When and How? The fair runs August 8-12, 2012. Your samples must be submitted on Wednesday August 8 (4-9 p.m.) or early Thursday morning Aug 9 (7-9 a.m.). At that time you must also provide a completed entry form and attach exhibitor tags to your sample (tie them around the jar neck or tape to comb honey samples). Both the entry form and tags are available at the registration desk when you drop off your sample(s), or save time onsite and download a copy of the form at: http://arlingtoncountyfair.us/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/2012ACF-CE-Guide_EntryForm.pdf. See the guide for instructions. Tags are often available in advance at Arlington County libraries. Judging takes place Thursday and is closed to the public. Entries remain on exhibit until the fair closes Sunday (pick up 4:30- 6:30 pm). Alternative Drop Off/Pick Up. BANV members who live at a distance can form a honey carpool announce your availability or need on the BANV Yahoo group. If you will be out of town the week of the fair, you may drop off samples earlier with a BANV member in in South Arlington. (Contact Whitney Long whitneylong@earthlink.net 703-447-4985; I can help transport completed entry forms and tagged samples in your packaging. Upon request, I can also collect samples after the fair on Sunday.) nd Where? Arlingtons Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2 Street South, a few blocks off Route 50 near South Glebe Rd). Parking at the Fair. Thursday morning you may park in front of the community center fair grounds to drop off entries. At other times, parking is annoying! You must park at a distance and walk or take a shuttle bus. One strategy is parking north of Route 50 near Jackson or Irving Street and taking the pedestrian bridge across Route 50 (bridges south footing is behind the community center). See shuttle bus and other transportation options at: http://arlingtoncountyfair.us/getting-here/ More Information on the Fair. For general information see http://arlingtoncountyfair.us/ or use your Web browser to search Arlington County Fair 2012. For information specific to honey entries, you may contact Whitney at using the contacts listed earlier in this article. More Information on Honey Shows and Preparing Entries. If you are new to honey shows and would like to learn more about the judging criteria, see the Resources section of the Eastern Apiculture Society web site at: http://www.easternapiculture.org/resources/57.html The BANV website also includes slides from a PowerPoint presentation on Honey QualityPreparing, Judging, and Exhibiting; see the FAQ: Honey Judging Competition section of the BANV website http://www.beekeepersnova.org/.

BANV Officers 2012-2013

President st 1 Vice President nd 2 Vice President Secretary Treasurer Newsletter team Membership Outreach Recognition Mentoring Librarian Spring Nuc Program GIS Mapping Webmaster Rob McKinney Rick Haynes David Michaelson David Thompson Steve Johnson Beekeepersnova+president@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+1vicepresident@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+2vicepresident@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+secretary@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+treasurer@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+editor@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+membership@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+outreach@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+recognition@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+mentoring@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+librarian@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+nucprogram@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+gis@gmail.com Beekeepersnova+webmaster@gmail.com

WORKERBEES
John Fraser & Jane Harding Terri McPalmer & Denise Taylor Martha Kiene Carolyn Foley Amy Bennett Frank Linton Julie Waser Chelsie Romulo & Jeny Beausoleil Kamalesh Kalaricki

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