Holland City to Consider Legalizing Beekeeping Within City Limits

We received this story from Tom Volkema:

For many years I kept a couple hives in my back yard in the Historic District in Holland.  Then one fateful afternoon about 2 years ago, I received a letter from the city indicating that keeping of bees within the city limits was not allowed.   Apparently someone had complained after confusing a yellow-jacket with a honeybee.  First, the city ordinance considers bees a nuisance.  Second, residential properties within the city are limited to 2 pets !!

It was sad for me as I had a very productive queen and more than 80,000 gorgeous girls working hard to fill my hives with honey.

But alas…..I had to euthanize the lot before winter.

Then I noticed that over the last few years that scores of municipalities around the country…including the bourough of Manhattan….were modifying their ordinances and easing their restrictions on residential hives.

I currently split my time between my house in Holland and my apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  It seemed to me that if I could have a hive on the top of a 34 story high-rise in New York City, then certainly I should be able to keep a couple innocuous hives in the Historic District of Holland.

About a month ago I approached Holland City Council.  Since then I’ve gathered lots of examples of municipalities that have revised archaic proscriptions regarding honey bees and now working the the city Planning Commission to craft an updated ordinance that allows at least a few hives per residential property.  I have not had any negative push-back so far, but could sure use some cheerleading and support from fellow bee-keepers in the area……by phone or e-mail or letter to the city.   This is far from done!

Honestly, I am NOT an altruistic, tree-hugging environmentalist:  my intentions are singularly self-serving.  I simply love to watch my girls work and build their hive and give me honey in the fall!!!!  There’s nothing more relaxing on a warm summer afternoon than to pull up a comfy chair next to a humming hive, pour a tall pitcher of cold beverages, light a big oily cigar, and read a good book while I watch the arrivals and departures of my bees laden with pollen and nectar.

Channel 13/ABC/WZZM did a piece today <Monday May 13> which is likely available on their website <note: here’s the story>

Feel free to contact me anytime:  LEKKUM@YAHOO.com or 616-403-4257.

UPDATE: The Holland Planning Commission met Tues. May 14 and received information for review. Mark Vanderploeg. city planner, said that the beekeeping ordinance will likely be addressed at the next meeting Tuesday May 28 during the study session starting at 4:00 PM. The public (this means YOU, beekeepers!) is welcome to attend. Information received by the commission is available as a PDF document at the Planning Commission’s May 14 meeting site- skip to page 8 of the document.

First HABA Meeting of the year Thursday, May 16, 2013 6:30 PM

May 16, 2013 Meeting at Don Lam’s house at 6:30 PM.  

(882 West 26th Street, Holland, MI 49423)

Here’s the plan:

Hive Inspections–we’ll break into 4 groups, each group will compare two hives.

Common Split Methods will be presented by Jill Woods.

How to Start Raising Queens will be presented by Gary Veale and Randy Slachter.  This will be an introduction to grafting and non-grafting methods.  They’ll also discuss typical problems that may prevent success.  

 Cleaning Out Dead-Outs will be discussed by Jack Hartman.

Please bring along a chair and bee suit and veil if you are participating in the hive inspections.

News flashes – second installation demo (and deliveries) rescheduled! first HABA meeting of 2013 May 16 at 6:30!

This just in: due to bad weather in Georgia, Don Lam has to postpone the bee delivery date to May 14 – so naturally, the HABA installation demonstration scheduled on the same day is ALSO postponed until May 14.

In other news: The first HABA meeting of 2013 will be May 16 (Thurs.) at Don Lam’s house at 6:30 PM. Save the date! more details soon…

Finallly!  to contact HABA, use the email link in the second box on the right side of this screen.

Package Installation Demonstrations @ Don Lam’s April 23 and May 14 7:00 PM

Come and see how a package gets installed in a hive at Don Lam’s on April 23 and May 7 at 7PM. Experienced club members will demonstrate the proper way to install your new bees in their new home.

It’s recommended that you wear your bee suit & veil for this demonstration, as the bees are often not happy with the process.

For directions, see Don Lam Bees’ home page

Get your bee orders in! Lam’s Honeybees Accepting Orders for Delivery April 23 and May 7

ORDER INFORMATION
FOR PACKAGE BEES AND NUCS 2013

Three Pound Packages of Italian Bees Come Complete with A Queen.

For an additional cost, queens can be marked for easier identification in the hive.

A. Three Pound Packages with Unmarked Queens

• 1 – 25 Pkgs     $80 each + $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 26 – 50 Pkgs  $79 each + $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 51 – 99 Pkgs   $78 each+ $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 100+ Pkgs       $77 each + $2 refundable cage deposit*

*Cage deposit refund limited to packages purchased from us. Cages must be clean, free of staples, and in original condition.

B. Three Pound Packages with MARKED Queens

• 1 -  25 Pkgs     $83 each+ $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 26 – 50 Pkgs  $82 each+ $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 51 – 99 Pkgs   $81 each+ $2 refundable cage deposit*
• 100+ Pkgs       $80 each+ $2 refundable cage deposit*

*Cage deposit refund limited to packages purchased from us. Cages must be clean, free of staples, and in original condition.

C. Orders for EXTRA queens for replacement and splits

• Unmarked Queens: $22.00 each
  
• MARKED Queens: $25.00 each
  

D. Orders for Strong Five Frame Nucs

• 1 – 49   $115 each+ $15 supplier’s refundable nuc box deposit
• 50+       $113 each+ $15 supplier’s refundable nuc box deposit

Order from Lam’s Honeybees (Don & Jean Lam)

www.DonLamBees.com

Delivery in Holland, Michigan 49423 on Tuesday, April 23 and Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Woodenware also available for delivery in Holland – call for orders, pricing & info 616.886.1116

It’s Almost Here – the 2013 MBA Spring Conference March 8-9

This just received via email:

Hard to believe but the 2013 MBA spring conference is just over two weeks away!

And the deadline to preregister for the conference is only two weeks away.  Why preregister?  Well, first of all you get a discount on the registration fee.  Second, all of your conference materials will be ready for you when you arrive and you will not have to stand in line. Third, it helps us in preparing for the conference. As usual, the conference will be held at the Kellogg Center on the Michigan State University campus.  The dates are Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9.

Conference details are available on the MBA web site.  Here are a few of the highlights…

The conference agenda is more or less settled.  We have moved the venue to the north end of the Kellogg Center.  This will give us more room for the classes, vendors and the gatherings.  The on-line agenda has a map to the various rooms.  We suggest that you print out a copy of the agenda so that you can find your way around.

The garden hive show and competition is promising to be one of the hits of the conference.  New this year, we will be displaying garden hives in the main lobby of the Kellogg Center throughout the week prior to the conference (ANR Week on the MSU campus).  During the conference, you will be able to vote for your favorite.  The winner will receive a free package of bees courtesy of the Michigan Honey Festival.  Word has it that there are some extraordinary garden hives coming so you will surely want to look them over.

The vendor room will be much larger than in years past.  And we have some new vendors showing up!  A list of vendors is available on the MBA web site.  Our vendors encourage preorders so that they can have product available for you at the conference (and there is usually no shipping!).

There will be a live auction in the general session immediately after the lunch break on Saturday.  We know of a complete bee hive, two garden hives and an observation hive that will be in the auction (may be more items).  Live auctions are always a lot of fun and you will certainly want to be there for this one.

If you are staying overnight, our block of rooms at the Kellogg Center are sold out but we have more available at the Courtyard Marriott, which is just a short drive from the conference site. Details are available on the MBA web site.

And, as usual, there will be silent auction of donated items on both days of the conference.  Everyone is encouraged to bring items to donate (again, see the web site) and to bid often and bid high!

Please visit the MBA web site for the latest conference info. Be sure to register on-line before Wednesday, March 6, to get a discounted registration and avoid standing in line. See you at the conference!

Sincerely,

Terry Toland, President
Ann Leonard, Vice President
Steve Tilmann, Treasurer
Michigan Beekeepers’ Association
http://www.michiganbees.org/
248-421-6601

Holland Area Beekeepers Winter Banquet details (Saturday, January 26, 2013 in Holland)

HOLLAND BEEKEEPERS’ WINTER BANQUET

Saturday, January 26th, 2013
We’re gathering at Maplewood Reformed Church, 133 East 34th Street. in Holland (49423) on the corner of 34th and Columbia Ave.
Plan to arrive any time after 6 pm – Dinner will be served at 6:30pm and there will “bee” plenty of buzzing conversation at the tables.

The cost for the banquet will be $15.00 per person.

We’ll be having our ‘teacup’ auction – remember to let Jill Woods know if you’d like to donate something.

Our speaker will be Charlotte Hubbard, a beekeeper since 2008, who works about 20 hives in southwest Michigan.  She’s also editor of the Walter T. Kelley Company’s free e-newsletter, Modern Beekeeping.  Charlotte will humorously discuss her beekeeping journey from wanting “nothing to do with these stinging insects!” to her full-blown love affair and fascination with them, and the life lessons she’s learned while keeping bees … some of those lessons taught repeatedly to her by bees.  Charlotte also writes a monthly humor column on beekeeping which may be found on the back page of each issue of Modern Beekeeping, available at no charge at www.kelleybees.com.

Please RSVP – If you plan to attend, please send an email with the number of people coming to Jill Woods.

HABA Bee School – register now!

If you’ve thought about beekeeping and didn’t know where to start, then this is the place to be. Find out what’s needed, where to get your bees and equipment, what it costs, what to expect, and meet and talk to local beekeepers. Beekeeping is a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby, and of course there’s the honey! Class size is limited, so sign up soon!

Details:
School will be held in Holland at
Grand Valley State University
515 S. Waverly Road, Holland, MI

Date: February 9, 2013
Time: Check in at 8:30AM
Class starts at: 9:00 AM
Ends around 3:00 PM
Q&A after the class with experienced beekeepers
Lunch is provided.
Wicwas Press will be there with an array of books for sale, other vendors selling bee products & equipment are expected as well.
Cost: $35 for adults, children 12 and under are $12.
Register here
(thanks again to the Michigan Beekeepers’ Association for hosting our registration)
Please check this web page in case of bad weather cancellation.

(corrected post 11/14/13 to fix end time, add full address, and cancellation info)

HABA Member on Kickstarter with a CSApiary Proposal

HABA member Sara Fiorenzo has asked that we share her latest project: She’s developing a CSApiary! CSA’s, as you no doubt know, are subscription services that link local farmers directly with customers. Sara’s CSApiary (Community Supported) bee hive project plans to include at least 10 bee hives and produce over 300 pounds of organic honey for its subscribers.

She’s posted her project on Kickstarter for startup funds.  Here’s the link. This project will only be funded if at least $9,000 is pledged by Sunday February 10, 10:33am EST. Go Sara!

Apitherapy Day in Ohio, Saturday February 16, 2013

This just in From Jerry Catana via Don Lam, especially for those who remember Kristine Jacobson’s apitheraphy talk at a past HABA Winter Banquet:

APITHERAPY DAY IN OHIO
DATE: Saturday February 16, 2013
TIME: 8:00/8:30 am – 4:30 pm
PLACE: Pittsfield Township Hall, State Road 303 at Ohio Route 58,n, David Richmond and Jerry Catana.
The program is free (donations are accepted).  There will be a pot luck lunch, bring a dish to pass.

This is the best one day program about apitherapy that I know of.  There are over 110 years of experience between the speakers.
Come and learn about the health benefits of apitherapy.

For more information contact:

Jerry Catana 586-463-2325
Kristine Jacobson 616-454-9119
Donald Downs 440-647-2483

ALSO VISIT www.apitherapy.blogspot.com and www.apitherapy.org