Hurricanes

Apparently I wasn't joking about the end times. Earthquakes and now hurricanes? Jeez, it's like someone's out to get us.

So what should do you? If you're in a roof or back yard, get your hives on to a wide stable base. I recommend wooden shipping pallets. They're free and widely available. Using ratchet straps, you can cinch down your hives and keep them from toppling. They're what I use in Fort Greene, and I am pretty confident in the safety of those hives. If you are worried, you can also weigh them down with cinder blocks.

Hives cinched down tightly, around BOTH shipping pallets, and weighed down with planters.
As you can see, I also moved them very close to the wall to help block the wind.

As good as it's gonna get.

Chase Emmons, of the Brooklyn Grange, rescues my $10 lawn chairs.

If you're in an evacuation zone (Red Hook, Coney Island, etc) you might be boned. However, the NYC Beekeeping group has extended the possibility of providing temporary hive locations on high ground. However, their location may be in the Bronx, and you will probably have to move the hives yourself. Still, better than the alternative...

Unfortunately, I do not have the logistical capability to move the hives I maintain at the Added Value farm. Last year (before I managed them), the hives were destroyed in the tornado. This year, it'll probably be the hurricane. Because I couldn't move them to the Bronx, I did what I could to secure them in their current location. They're not going to get knocked over by the wind, but are still at risk of flooding. Cross your fingers, folks.

The hives were moved to a strong pallet set on cinder blocks and strapped down THROUGH the blocks using multiple ratchet straps.
Thanks to Karl, Maris, and Anna, volunteers at Added Value who helped me lift and secure the hives and got soaked and filthy in the process.  

A message from the NYC Beekeeping Group:

Friends -
As of 8.40 Friday morning August 26th, official word is that:

"While the forecast remains uncertain, there is a possibility New York City may experience hurricane or tropical storm conditions this weekend."

Hives ratchet-strapped down TO something, such as a shipping pallet from a local grocery store, are less likely to tip over in high winds. Loop the strap completely around the hive, and completely under the pallet slats, so that one end of the strap is hooked to the other, then ratchet down very tight.

IF YOU ARE IN AN EVACUATION ZONE PLEASE CALL THE BEE RESCUE HOTLINE: 917-740-4BEE (4233) ABOUT MOVING YOUR HIVE TEMPORARILY TO SAFER GROUND.

To check whether you are in an evacuation zone: http://gis.nyc.gov/oe...

We've posted the map of evacuation zones in case the official website is busy: https://docs.google.c...

To monitor official updates please see http://www.nyc.gov/po...

-or-

http://prtl-prd-web.n...

We hope all will be well, but recommend taking precautions.

If you CAN get your hives to the Bronx, you should. As Jim mentions in the comment below, the site is very secure. It's just a matter of getting them there.

The noblest sentiments of man.

Weekly 101 (8/16/11)

I HAVEN'T DONE ONE OF THESE IN AGES OH GOD SO MUCH TO DO THIS WEEK!

The time has arrived! The first meeting of the NYC chapter of the Backwards Beekeepers is here!

Brooklyn Grange will be hosting on their vast rooftop farm, Sam Comfort will be there waxing philosophical about treatment-free beekeeping...growing strong bees, resisting the urge to rely on chemical crutches to keep your bees alve, catching wild bees, swarming, all of the things that make a beekeeper "backwards".

We hope that many of you can make it. We encourage folks to bring a small jar of the honey they harvested this season so that we can all . We'll have some fresh baked bread from Roberta's on hand to serve along side of it while we marvel at the genius of bees and the hazy Manhattan skyline.

While you are at it, we hope you will "like" our Facebook fan page too! We'll post updates frequently and share pictures of our beekeeping adventures as well as dates for upcoming classes and workshops led by some of our members, like Tim O'Neal, Sam and myself!

Hope to see many of you urban beeks there!

p.s. Big, big, BIG UPS to Renee Garner for designing our logo. It's freaking awesome and we're so lucky to have such talented people willing to help us out! You're amazing, Renee!

The first meeting is being held at the Brooklyn Grange on Thursday, August the 18th from 6:30-9PM. It's right by the 36th st E/M/R Station in Queens! I'm a founding member, so the only reason not to show up is because you don't love me OR the bees!

It will also be followed by a drinking session at a local watering hole hosted by the Honeysuckle Rosies (I'm never not going to find that name ridiculous, Meg.)


Tomorrow (Wednesday the 17th) there is a FREE beekeeping round table and honey tasting at the Union Square Greenmarket:

Greenmarket's Beekeeping Roundtable
Wednesday, August 17th
6:30-8pm FREE
Bee-friend local beekeepers at a honey tasting and informational on keeping bees and harvesting honey at the Union Square Pavilion. Hear from experienced beekeepers, Greenmarket's own David Graves and Meg Paska a Brooklyn-based "Backyard Homesteader" and blogger, and taste an array of honey from light to dark varieties that result from a number of local flowers and processing techniques.

I am going to be there after I get a haircut! I'll try not to shed on you!


EXCITINGLY, now that I am back from vacation (still pale), I'll be hosting one of my FREE Public Hive Inspections at the Red Hook Community Farm, across the street from IKEA and starting at 11AM on August 20th. Come for the flatpacks, stay for the bees!

Starting at 11, I will go through a basic inspection for each hive, starting with a lesson on lighting a smoker, moving on to visual inspections of the comb and a short talk on what to keep your eye out for (with examples!), and finishing up with another short talk on what we should expect to see in the next inspection.

In an exciting turn of events, one of the hives may have been robbed out and destroyed by its neighbor while I was gone! Come and see the aftermath of the CARNAGE!

DID I MENTION THAT IT'S FREE!?

It's all going down at the Added Value Red Hook Community Farm, located at 3-49 Halleck St, Brooklyn, 11231.

To get there by Subway:

A/C/F train to Jay Street/Borough Hall. Exit the station and walk west to Boerum Place and Joralemon Street. Take the B61 bus going towards Red Hook. Exit the bus at the IKEA store, and the farm is across the street.
F/G to Smith and 9th Street. Exit the station to the rear of the train (there is only one exit in this station). Transfer to the B77 (right in front of the station) Take the B77 to Van Dyke and Dwight street. You'll find yourself in front of the Liberty Heights Taproom. Take a left crossing Dwight Street and proceed up Van Dyke to Red Hook Community Farm (one block walk, from the bus stop you can actually see the farm at the end of the street).

This event is taking place during the Farm's open volunteer hours, so anyone who comes out should consider sticking around for a while after the inspection to help out! I'll be sticking around for a while to answer any lingering questions and hang!

If you ARE feeling brave and want to help out, consider wearing light colored long pants and a collared shirt. I've got an extra veil I can lend out to particularly courageous volunteers!

Special thanks to Added Value for hosting this, and future, FREE PUBLIC HIVE INSPECTIONS! They're doing great work, and are always looking for volunteers. If you'd like to help them out, check out their website!


FINALLY, in a late breaking update, the NYC Beekeeping group is hosting a Sunday Morning Hive inspection in Manhattan:

Start time is 10.30am, but may shift so please check back toward the weekend. There will be an opportunity to help harvest after inspection, so bring a hat (or you'll have to wear a funny-looking shower cap in the kitchen.)

ID is required to enter this location. Directions will go out to all participants - Parking may be something of a challenge even on Sunday so please allow extra time if you are driving.

Please bring your veil/jacket & hive tool if you have. Standard attire is long pants and closed shoes with socks so you can tuck in your pants.

As always, those remaining on the wait list from last time have priority for this event. If you get wait listed for this one, you'll have priority next time.

It's happening Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM! If you want to find out where, you have to sign up at their website, or email them at nycbeekeeping@gmail.com!

Pesticide Sprays: Keep Your Hive Alive

*UPDATE*  Due to the rain, spraying has been delayed until tonight (August 4th) in Brooklyn and Queens, and August 8th in Rockaway!

"Tonight's spraying in Queens and Brooklyn has been postponed until tomorrow night due to weather. Tomorrow night's originally scheduled spraying in Queens is now scheduled for August 8, weather permitting."

A helpful local beekeeper (Thanks, Dennis) sent me this notice from the NYC Department of Health:

The Health Department Will Spray Pesticide to Reduce Adult Mosquito Populations

Spraying scheduled for parts of Brooklyn and Queens to help prevent West Nile Virus

August 1, 2011 - To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of West Nile Virus, the Health Department will spray pesticide from trucks in parts of Pomonok and Holliswood in Queens, and parts of Greenwood Heights, Park Slope and Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather, application will be delayed until Thursday, August 4, during the same hours.

Ground-based spraying will occur in Far Rockaway on Thursday, August 4 between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather, application will be delayed until Monday, August 8, during the same hours. Recently, the Health Department received several mosquito nuisance complaints from the neighborhoods of Arverne, Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater; Edgemere Park and Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary. Some mosquito breeding sites in these areas are inaccessible. The Health Department believes that the proposed nuisance ground application of adulticide will reduce the population of nuisance mosquitoes.

For these sprayings, the Health Department will use a very low concentration of Anvil 10 + 10, a synthetic pesticide. The use of pesticides in New York City is conducted in accordance with guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). A complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is available at www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wnv/feis.shtml.

Maps of the affected areas:

August 8 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens • Neighborhoods: Arverne/Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater and Edgemere Park and Landfill • Zip codes: 11691 and 11692 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 8

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens

• • Neighborhoods: Arverne/Somerville, Edgemere, Bayswater and Edgemere Park and Landfill
• • Zip codes: 11691 and 11692
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

August 4 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Brooklyn • Neighborhoods: Greenwood Heights • Zip codes: 11215, 11218, 11219, 11225, 11226, 11232 and 11238 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 4

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Brooklyn

• • Neighborhoods: Greenwood Heights
• • Zip codes: 11215, 11218, 11219, 11225, 11226, 11232 and 11238
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

August 4 8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens • Neighborhoods: Parts of Pomonok, Queensboro Hill, Kissena Park, Murray Hill, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Cemetery and St Mary's Cemetery • Zip codes: 11355, 11358, 11364, 11365, 11366, 11423 and 11427 • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10

August 4

8:15PM - 6:00AM

Spraying in Queens

• • Neighborhoods: Parts of Pomonok, Queensboro Hill, Kissena Park, Murray Hill, Fresh Meadows, Flushing Cemetery and St Mary's Cemetery
• • Zip codes: 11355, 11358, 11364, 11365, 11366, 11423 and 11427
• • Pesticide to be used: Anvil 10+10 

So what should you do?

Well, there are a couple things to take in to consideration. Firstly, the spraying is being done by ground level trucks and at night in a relatively small number of neighborhoods, so unless you live in one of the areas highlighted in the maps above and your hives are in the front yard and populated with vampire bees, the little buggers probably will not be sprayed directly. Your bees won’t be flying at night, so your foragers won’t be directly in the line of fire.

HOWEVER, that does not mean you shouldn’t take basic precautions to minimize exposure through overspray or drift. Jim at NYC Beekeeping suggests setting up a tent of sorts to protect the front and sides of the hive from any spray. An explanation of his idea can be found HERE, and a diagram of his suggested set-up is HERE.

Many of you will not have the time or materials to set up a tent on such short notice. Well babies, don't you panic. By the light of the night when it all seems alright, I’ll suggest some other methods to minimize exposure.

The lows for the next two nights are 68 and 70, respectively. Because we are lucky enough to have a break in the heatwave and because the active sprays are being done at night, I suggest simply closing up the entrance to the hive with wire mesh or screen in the evening. You can then loosely drape the front of the hive with a wet, breathable cloth. Burlap would be best, but if you don’t have that, get creative. An old bed sheet would probably do the trick. The screen will prevent any bees from flying, and the damp cloth will both prevent spray from getting in (or on) the hive and help keep it cool.

Make sure you remove both the screen and the cloth in the morning, otherwise your bees won’t be able to keep the hive cool in the heat of the day.

To minimize the exposure of your field force or foraging bees, you should gorge the hive with sugar syrup. You all have hive feeders, and now is the time to use them. By giving the bees an internal supply of food, you will curb the numbers of bees leaving the hive, and accordingly minimize the number of bees exposed to residual pesticides.

The authors of The Beekeepers Handbook, Diana Sammataro and Alphonse Avitable, suggest pouring a quart of sugar syrup directly on top of the frames twice a day for two to three days after a spray to limit foraging. I think that the combination of a hive top feeder and a couple of sprays of sugar water in and on the front of the hive should be sufficiently distracting. If you’ve been seeing a lot of pollen come in, you might consider feeding a pollen supplement as well, to discourage them from bringing in contaminated pollen.

The short version:
1.) In the EVENING BEFORE THE SPRAY: Close up your hives with screen mesh blocking the entrance and a wet, breathable cloth draped over the front of your hive. This will prevent direct exposure of the bees to the pesticide, and help prevent the hive from getting covered with chemicals.
2.) In the MORNING AFTER THE SPRAY: Open the hive back up by removing the cloth and screen. This prevents your hive from overheating.
3.) GORGE YOUR HIVES with artificial feed (sugar syrup and pollen supplement) before and for several days AFTER the spray. This minimizes (but does not eliminate) the number of bees actively foraging and being exposed to residual pesticides.

Good luck, kiddos!