NEW TOOL FOR BEEKEEPERS!

Hello Beekeepers:

Check out the "Bee Brief" from NOD Apiary Products.
BIG NEWS


We are introducing a new product the "Bee Brief" this is a 4 frame totally redesigned NUC BOX that has been specifically made to help beekeepers work quickly and efficiently to increase hive numbers as fast as possible.

In combination with either queens or queen cells this NUC box works fantastic to get hive numbers up.

What is it good for:

Maximizing Colony Numbers
Raise your own queens throughout the season!!!
Get your hive numbers back up the quick Bee Brief way
Increase your hive numbers cheaply for those pollination dollars
minimal inputs maximum return
take control of your queen quality
Going after honey? Strength to Strength hive management
easy comb replacement - clean up you outfit
hive beetles can be controlled in a BB
no disease transfer - just power wash to make like NEW!
grab-drop and go
30 inter-lock-able nucs on a standard 40 X48 inch pallet - double stack for trucking
A great SAFE way to move nucs.

What makes it work:

Grab and Go construction - 10 handles to move and carry with, all plastic construction it makes this nuc great for leaving in the bee yard on the ground - no problem.

Stackable - Bee Briefs are totally inter-lock-able between each other. As well as being designed to fit perfectly on a standard 48x48 skid, 10 to a layer. Stack at least 3 layers high (when full of bees) then stack pallets two high.

Light Weight. Made from, low pressure, injected moulded plastic. Each Bee Brief is on just over 9lbs. Easy to carry and designed to be able to be carried two at a time.

Your beekeepers can MAXIMIZE YOUR COLONY NUMBERS with the Bee Brief from NOD.

I have included a couple of pictures with this email plus the two links below will take you to a variety of pictures and videos on both Mite AwayII and the The Bee Brief.

http://picasaweb.google.com/MiteAway
http://www.youtube.com/NODApiaryProducts


Thanks

Steven HaylestromDirector - Marketing & Sales
NOD Apiary Products
Tel: 866 483 2929
Email: Steven@Haylestrom.com
Web: http://www.miteaway.com/

NOD Apiary Products is an Award Winner!

A very proud day for CEO David VanderDussen and everyone at NOD Apiary Products!

Rural Plan is Getting Results - News Release http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/infores/releases/2007/030807.htm
For Immediate Release March 8, 2007
MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT FOCUSES ON INNOVATION AT THIRD AGRI-FOOD SUMMIT
On-Farm Innovation Recognized
QUEEN'S PARK - The Ontario government recognizes that innovation will pave the way forward for the province's agri-food sector, and Premier Dalton McGuinty took the opportunity to recognize farmer-innovators today at the Premier's Summit on Agri-Food.
"Ontario's farmers have helped build a world-class agri-food sector in this province," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "By recognizing their hard work and investing in their innovative ideas, we can help farmers pursue new markets, attract investment and strengthen our rural communities."
The first $100,000 Premier's Award of Excellence for Agri-Food Innovation will go to David VanderDussen. VanderDussen developed Mite-Away II, an environmentally friendly product to protect honeybees from mite infestations, which is exported around the world. The $50,000 Minister's Award was presented to Fritz and Paul Klaesi by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky. The recipients pioneered the use of technology that generates electricity from manure.
"Innovation creates jobs, helps the economy and builds new markets for Ontario's businesses," said Dombrowsky. "By recognizing and encouraging innovation on the farm, we are helping Ontario's agri-food sector get out ahead of the competition."
Farm-level innovation can assist the agri-food industry to meet the challenges facing the sector by, among other things, enhancing profitability in the marketplace, meeting evolving consumer demands and better managing the effects of farming on the environment. Fifty-five regional awards will be presented to innovators across the province in the weeks following the Summit.
- 30
Contacts: Kelly Synnott Minister's Office 416-326-6439
Brent Ross Communications Branch 416-326-9342
Backgrounder
ONTARIO'S TOP TWO FARMER-INNOVATORS RECOGNIZED AT PREMIER'S SUMMIT ONAGRI-FOOD
The five-year, $2.5-million Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, announced as part of the 2006 provincial budget, recognizes that farmers have always been innovative in the running of their businesses and will foster even greater innovation across the province's agri-food sector.
The innovation must have been developed and used on an Ontario farm, must have the potential for use on a broader basis and for having a positive effect on the agriculture industry. The innovation submitted by
the first recipient of the Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence easily met those criteria.
David VanderDussen developed, manufactures and distributes Mite-Away II, which defends honeybees against varroa mite infestations. The Hastings County resident has disarmed a major threat to Ontario's bee industry. That's not only good news for apiarists, but also for all those farmers whose crops depend upon pollination.
The varroa mite has long been a serious problem, threatening bee populations and reducing honey production. VanderDussen worked with the University of Guelph, the Ontario Beekeepers Association and the Canadian Honey Council to develop an effective and environmentally-friendly product to control the mites.
Mite-Away II, with its extremely high efficacy rate, has received approval from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in Canada and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, and is now widely used across North America.
Fritz and Paul Klaesi are the first recipients of the Minister's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. The Klaesis are early adopters of anaerobic digester technology, and are turning manure into electricity. Theirs is one of Ontario's first operational systems that is generating electricity to the grid through the net metering program - and that's after they have powered two homesteads and the farm buildings.
The manure-based anaerobic digester generates 750 kilowatt hours of electricity a day, enough to power 30 homes. The Klaesis hydro bill has shrunk from $2,500 per month to $30 per month. Other benefits include the reduction of greenhouse gases and of the odour associated with spreading manure.
Strong believers in their innovation, the Klaesis willingly share information and host visitors. They are willing to participate in ongoing research and evaluation of this technology, to support its further development and implementation across Ontario.
The producers' next steps are to secure a contract under the Standard Offer Program through which electrical power generated from renewable energy sources is purchased to augment Ontario's power supply.
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Contact: Kelly Synnott 416-326-6439

This information is provided as a public service, but we cannot guarantee that the information is current or accurate. Readers should verify the information before acting on it.
Feedback and technical inquiries to:about.omafra@ontario.ca Queen's Printer for Ontario
Last Updated: March 8, 2007
2 of 2 3/9/2007 10:03 AM

NOD visits California Pollinators

In February, David VanderDussen and Steven Haylestrom, NOD's CEO and Marketing Director visited beekeepers in the midst of pollinating California's almond orchards. Workshops were put on in the bee hives right in the almond orchards. David and Steven provided beneficial knowledge about switching from damaging chemical treatments to Mite-Away II formic acid mite treatments. Formic acid leaves no harmful residues in the wax or honey.

They were able to see first-hand the devastating effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

The bees, seemingly healthy only 2 or 3 weeks before, abandon the hives. Causes of this disorder are currently being investigated. For more information on this disorder, visit the website at www.maarec.org.

Formic acid is considered an antiseptic or astringent and promotes a generally healthy hive along with killing varroa mites. Several beekeepers who have been on the Mite-Away II program for a year or more, report very healthy hives with abundant bees. Bonnie and Brent Woodsworth are migratory beekeepers who have been using Mite-Away II since spring 2005.

Bonnie tells me that the bees look like "the good old days" and they are currently splitting hives not only for their own use, but are selling packages as well. They are unaffected by CCD.

Randall Johnston is another migratory beekeeper who moves bees from his home in Idaho down to California for almond pollination. He has been using Mite-Away II for one year and is pleased to open his hives and see abundant populations. He is also unaffected by CCD.

At NOD Apiary Products, we want to help, educate and inform. Promotion of sustainable beekeeping practices is what we are all about. Helping keep beekeepers in business in one thing we hope to achieve.

To view videos of workshops held during the California trip, please visit the following google links:

A Wash
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4106806624347737262
Bee Brief
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-4840313867093371963

Steven is heading down to Florida from March 25- 29 for another trip to visit beekeepers in the field. If you are a commercial beekeeper and would like to attend a workshop call 866-483-2929 for information on workshop locations. You may also call 813-579-3828 and leave a message.

BEESWAX WONDER CREAM- A Story

By Eleanor Orr

Once upon a time, there was an enthusiastic beekeeper. He loved his honey bees, extracting and packaging honey and creating candles with his beeswax. He made dinosaur, angel, beehive and bee candles. He made tapered and fat pillar candles. What more could he do with his beeswax?

One day he came across a recipe for beeswax hand cream. Maybe this would be something he could do. He consulted his good wife. She studied the recipe and agreed to assist him in this endeavour. After all, there were only four ingredients and nothing complicated in the procedure. They would need jars though. She had an idea.

She called several mothers with infants and asked them to save their baby food jars. And that is how Orr Beeswax Hand Cream came into being. The hand cream in baby food jars were given out to family and friends. Compliments were abundant. The hand cream seemed to have miraculous healing powers. The beekeeper and his wife decided to help other people and produce the hand cream for sale. They found a company that sold proper jars and a Farm Co-op that sold mineral oil in gallon jugs. Pouring the cream into the jars had proven difficult and messy but they did away with that problem by buying a cake- icing bag. A printer produced attractive and dignified labels for the jars.

Soon they had customers coming to the door over and over for the healing, soothing cream. Stories abounded about the success of beeswax hand cream. In fact it soon became evident it was not just a hand cream. It was being used for cracks on feet, psoriasis, rashes, sunburn, splits in the skin at the end of fingers and thumbs, chapped lips, cuts and abrasions. One lady recommended it to friends as a means of keeping black flies from biting. She put it on her grandchildren and swore that it worked. She told others, who then came to the house asking for the cream that prevented black flies from biting. At a farm fair a lady sampled the cream and returned later to announce excitedly that she had a wart on her hand for some time and the cream had caused the wart to vanish. Another customer bought a jar and returned for another jar when the cream healed the rough skin under her nose caused by “allergy nose”when a prescription from a dermatologist did not help at all. Grandparents bought several jars to send to their grandson with severe excema and returned for more when the parents reported the cream miraculously helped.

Eventually the beekeeper became enchanted with producing queen bees and lost interest in his beeswax products. But the cream was still in demand. What to do? Fortunately a beautiful, talented daughter took over making the cream using the beekeeper’s beeswax and equipment. When her husband was posted overseas, a younger sister became entranced with producing beeswax products. She was very creative and thought of ways to make the cream attractive as gift items, and her candles were presented in unique ways.

But why was the beeswax cream so magical? Propolis! The honeybees produce propolis to fill in spaces in the hive and stick things together. The beekeeper would scrape this substance off with his hive tool and save it. When he had a sufficient quantity he would mail it to a pharmacutical company where it was used for manufacturing healing products. Of course, there must be traces of propolis in the beeswax! But I like to think it is magic. Try some and see for yourself!

FREE PLANS - MiteAway Migratory Lid

Lots of beekeepers make their own equipment. NOD Apiary Products has designed the MiteAway Migratory Lid that has the rim built in! Now you can do mite treatments, and apply pollen patties, all with one piece of equipment. This lid avoids carrying around two separate pieces of equipment and can stay on the hive year-round. This lid also avoids equipment storage issues. Please go to the website at www.miteaway.com to download the full set of plans for this handy lid.

NOD is also offering a $200.00 per pallet cash rebate - "Save Your Bees-Save Your Cash!" on purchases of full pallets (960 treatments) of Mite-Away II formic acid pads by beekeepers between Oct. 31/06 and Feb. 16/07. This offer is available when you purchase directly from us or directly from any of our distributors. See www.miteaway.com or call 866-483-2929 for details on how to receive your rebate check in the mail.

Beekeepers Learn from the Tech Transfer Gals

More Pictures from May 27 and 28, 2006
Beekeeping Courses
Frankford, Ontario

Pictures from the Beekeeping Course

More pictures from Beekeeping courses held in May.

Ontario Beekeepers Learning

In late May, NOD Apiary Products in Frankford, Ontario hosted two beekeeping courses on behalf of the Quinte Beekeepers Association. Alison Skinner and Janet Tam from the Ontario Beekeepers Association Tech Transfer Program were the instructors. We also welcomed Melanie Kempers, a brand new employee of the Tech Transfer program who was taking the courses along with the other students. We are so lucky, here in Ontario, to have the Tech Transfer Program. Alison and Janet provide invaluable instruction and are a resource that as Ontario beekeepers we should be very proud of. Ontario is a leader in beekeeping research and technology development within North America. These courses would be very difficult and time consuming to develop at the local association level, so as a club, we didn't hesitate to sign up when the courses for 2006 became available. Local associations promote beekeeping and have a responsibility to their members to access resources such as Alison and Janet.
On Saturday, an Introduction to Beekeeping course was held. It was a great day and a good time was had by all. Luckily, we had a rain free weekend for the courses. We were able to go into the hives behind the NOD building and look for the queen, look for eggs, learn what a good brood pattern is, do a split and much more. Classroom instruction was also a big part of the day.
On Sunday, it was time for the Introduction to Queen Rearing course. Again, students got a chance to create cell builder hives right in the bee yard. They also grafted eggs and had ample classroom time to learn about different queen rearing techniques, proper mating of the queen and other important topics.
Each student received the brand new Ontario Beekeeping Manual or the Ontario Queen Rearing Manual, both compiled by the OBA Tech Transfer Team.
Attendees for these courses came from as far away as North Bay and Barrie.
Thanks again to Alison and Janet. Keep up the good work!

Liz Corbett
President
Quinte Beekeepers Association

From Sea to Bee - A Reluctant Beekeeper

Here is a beekeeping story written by a good friend and colleague, Eleanor Orr. Her late husband, Neil Orr, helped start NOD Apiary Products. She sent it to me this morning and it is definitely worth sharing!

A RELUCTANT BEEKEEPER by Eleanor Orr

Fireflies. Now that is really something to see. If I weren’t here in this cluttered, beeswax-scented truck on a warm June night, I’d miss this dazzling show. At least something
is positive. I am hot, tired and uncomfortable. Clad in coveralls, boots, gloves and hat with veil, I sit patiently waiting. That is not true. I am not patiently waiting. Neil get back here! I want to go home!
We are parked in a bee yard on a remote farm having just returned hives from an apple orchard to their home base. These hives were loaded and taken to the orchard several days ago. Now that part of this pollination procedure was not bad. Neil had already designated the hives that we would take, closed the entrances and secured each hive with rope before picking me up to help load the hives. We drove to the orchard where pallets had been placed previously, usually in a group. We unloaded the hives, Neil opened the entrances and we returned home. No big deal.
The number of hives ordered by the orchardist is determined by the size of the orchard. Our truck can hold fifteen hives. If more are required, we must make two trips. Since we are hired by several orchardists each spring, this means a trip when the blossoms in a particular orchard are just right for pollination.
Why do this at night? Honeybees return to the hive at dusk and emerge again when the sun warms the hive. If the weather turns threatening, bees head for home. They also stay inside if the weather is cold or wet.
It only takes one day of good weather for the honeybees to pollinate an entire orchard. The orchardist calls when he is ready to spray the blossoms with insecticide. It is imperative the hives be removed before that happens.
. Returning the hives to the bee yard, is where the hard part begins. It is pitch black except for stars and perhaps a moon. The ground is not flat and we have to maneuver between hives that were left in the bee yard. The hive must be handled gently and set down on the pallet facing the correct direction. Any jarring and the bees will be angry, suspecting a marauding black bear, skunk or raccoon. Picture two adults, one 6 feet tall and one 5 feet, four inches, lifting and carrying a hive in the dark, in silence, over uneven terrain endeavoring to find the correct spot for the hive. Because of the pollen and nectar the bees have brought in, the hives are heavy. There are bound to be some bees traveling on the outside of the hives that escaped before the entrances were closed.
When the hives are all back in place, I wait tensely, suspecting some stray bees have decided to keep me company in the truck. Neil cautiously opens the hive entrances so the bees can resume their normal routine. This requires some time as the hives are here and there throughout the beeyard. He is efficient and in no hurry.
At last! I hear Neil at the back of the truck. He is loading some empty supers he has decided to take back to the home yard. He gets in and starts the engine. The truck bumps out of the beeyard onto the dirt lane. I open the window and take off my hat and gloves.
“That went well, don’t you think? Tomorrow I’ll remove the constraints from the hives and check to see if more frames are needed to prevent over- crowding. The hives are all heavier than when we took them to the orchard so I am assuming every hive is thriving.” Neil reaches over to squeeze my leg. “Everything okay?” He turns up the volume on the classical music station he always listens to.
Back home Neil lets me out and drives to the bee yard at the back of the honey house.
I strip off my beekeeping outfit, pour a glass of cold white wine and head for the bath. Ah! This is so delightful; almost makes it all worthwhile.
I hear Neil come into the house. I loll in the lovely hot water and enjoy the thought that we did it and it is over. The bathroom door opens and Neil says, “I suspected I’d find you here. Thanks for your help. Oh, by the way, there was a message from Bill Henderson. He wants the hives removed from his orchard tomorrow.

I lie back in the comforting, fragrant warmth. Ah, well. Maybe I’ll be lucky and the fireflies will perform for me again.