- Hide menu

Blog

Columbia Gorge Beekeeping Resource List 2014

Hives and Equipment

For group orders: Melissabees.com

Local Retail Store: Grow Organic

Portland: Ruhl Bee Supply

Bees

Nucs, Shakes, Kona Queens: John Kraus  kraus@gorge.net 509.493.3632

Ol Sol Apiary Nucs via Grow Organic

Packages, Nucs, Queens (Italian & Carniolan): Ruhl Bee Supply

Treatment-free hive nucs, with or without raised queens: Melissabees.com

Swarms and Swarm Capture

Melissabees.com

Bee Groups

White Salmon Bee Club: : wsbeeclub@googlegroups.com

Hood River Bee Club: Contact Grow Organic

A Few Fun Videos & Pages for Your Enjoyment!

Hiving Package Bees for Langstroth:


Zen and the Art of Package Bees

http://www.thebeeyard.org/?p=389

Package Hiving for Top Bar (Family Style):

‘Thwomp!’ Top Bar Hiving Technique:

‘Skirt’ Top Bar Hiving Technique:

Representative Reardon Accepts Melissa Bee Good Award

Melissa Bee Good Award Reardon Accepts Melissa Bee Good Award ReardonRep. Reardon (D-OR) accepts the Melissa Bee Good Award for ‘Making Life Sweeter for Bees’ by proposing legislation, HB 4139, to restrict non-licensed use of neonicotinoid pesticides in Portland. The bill was amended and passed the Senate 27-2 yesterday and will create a work group to find solutions for pollinator health. 

Melissa gave a talk about the importance of healthy landscape practices to the Oregon league of Conservation Voters ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ event and presented Rep. Reardon with his award of a jar of  honey from treatment-free hives kept in pesticide free gardens at the Waypost Bar in Portland, Oregon.

Way to go Rep. Reardon! You’re an inspiring example for representatives across the nation and globe.

Show your support, post a thank you to Rep. Reardon on his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/reardonfororegon

Or write to him here:https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/reardon

Get involved with the Oregon League of Conservation Voters: http://www.olcv.org/

Join the Xerces Society today: http://www.xerces.org/

A Message of Hope From Colombia

Hi everybody my name is Daniel Felipe, I’m from Colombia and i am a farmer , I produce tomatoes and different kind of vegetables, but my principal concern is to transfer knowledge to the future of our planet: children.
I work in a school of my town, and I have the opportunity of being near of children’s from 2 years until sixteen years old.
Well, the first point is what kind of knowledge?
I really believe that bees have our life in them sweetie and beauty hives, because they give to us life example; her life is synonym of hard, work, and cooperation, and they get a big responsibility pollinizing plants for our food, and seeds.
That’s the principal idea that children’s of world need to get; life can be really sweet but we need to work for it.
Secondly but not less important is that we need to keep safe some space for the life of these beauty bees, how? Planting different plants that bees really love to live. in our country we have a lot species (big biodiversity) and we can plant along the year so it’s really nice see flower, bees and smiling faces of innocence’s kids.
The third thing is teach them that food grow from they are setting or sitting, and the most important is to respect that form of life, and show them how importance had the land in our life.
Basically is really easy, they are unruly happy and curious, and the seed in Colombia have been planted; we all for bees !
I <<Heart>>Apis.
Thanks a lot!

1375652_10201547031051093_706271489_n 1374788_10201547028411027_1963038726_n

Bee Friendly Landscapes

ExtraordinaryGardensTestConsultation, Design/Build and Maintenance. Serving the Portland/Vancouver Metro area and Columbia River Gorge  503-313-0378  Email here.

Melissa Bees at Gorge Food Forum: ‘Landscaping for Bee Health’ Oct. 12th, Skamania, WA

Screen Shot 2013-10-03 at 1.16.19 PMVisit www.gorgegrown.com for a list of speakers, events and location!

Melissa Bees at ‘UnBeelievable Bees’ at the World Forestry Center in Portland Sept. 8th

Melissa Elliott of Melissa Bees presents ‘Hive Medicine: How the Bees Keep Us and How We Can Better Keep Them’.  Honeybees are tiny agents of civilization, whose work underlies human agriculture and medicine.  Our very existence on the planet is tied to the presence of honeybees and we have a sacred responsibility to keep them well.  The bees are ailing from unhealthy landscape practices.  Learn how you- as a homeowner, renter, businessperson or caretaker, can participate in keeping bees healthy- whether you have a hive or not!

Screen Shot 2013-08-08 at 10.48.43 AM

Melissa Bees Welcomes Cascade Mountain School -Farm to Table Bike Camp- to the Garden for Hive Medicine July 12th!

Screen Shot 2013-06-26 at 6.03.52 PMSee the Garden for Hive Medicine Here

images

 

 

Talk to Your Neighbor About Pesticides and Herbicides

women-talking-at-fenceOne of my earliest memories is of my mother talking with Helen, our next door neighbor, over the chain link fence that ran between our houses. They were quite fond of one another and enjoyed a quasi mother-daughter relationship; Helen was usually coiffed in a near-beehive of white hair and flowered dress and my mom in a bikini when they met at the fence. ‘Plink…plink…plink’ went the fence as my mother plucked at the morning glory entwining it, matching the staccato rhythms of their point-making over various subjects such as child rearing and the state of education.  In a crescendo of agreement, the plinking of the fence would grow louder and more fervent.  I could tell when mom was talking with Helen, from inside the house even, whenever I heard that fence going.

As a landscape designer and contractor for 22 years, I’ve had many conversations with neighbors over my client’s fences, whether its concerning the location of a property line, what to do with an overgrown hedge, tree, or failing wall or fence between properties.  Sadly, what I witness most are neighbors who are afraid to talk with one other.  Sometimes it appears that I know the neighbors better than the neighbors do!  I encourage conversation between them and I have my mom to thank for setting the example.

Lots of people ask me what to do about the neighbors spraying pesticides and herbicides next door.  They’re concerned for their health and for their bees. I ask myself that too, what’s the best approach? I say the best approach is to say SOMETHING, anything that comes to you.  With bee losses on the rise (click this link or listen to the interview with a 3rd generation beekeeper who is getting out of the biz because of pesticides, below) we can’t afford to not talk with our neighbors when we see them or a landscape company spraying.  The worst thing to do is to remain silent. Here are some ideas.

Download this pamphlet: The Xerces society put together this excellent brochure describing the effects of neonicitonoid pesticides on bees and which home and garden products are injurious to bees.

Offer a gift of honey:  Like the worker bees, you’re only welcome to a hive if you’re bearing gifts.Screen Shot 2013-06-29 at 3.11.25 PM

For starters you can ask and educate: ‘I’m concerned for your health and my own. Can you tell me what it is you’re spraying?’  ‘Commercial beekeepers are getting out of the biz in droves, they’re losing too many hives.’  ‘Here’s some info about products that are harmful to bees.’ Education takes a long time, especially in the age of misinformation.  At least a seed will be planted.

Offer Alternatives: ‘I know of some techniques/products that don’t involve chemicals that I’m happy to show you.’

You can try positive reinforcement.  Whenever I see a person or a landscape company weeding or mulching I stop and get out to shake their hands and say “Great work!  Thanks for taking the time to do that and not spraying.  I did that with a landscape company down the block from me recently and it made the guys happy.

Pick up the phone and call.  One of my beekeeping students lives next to an orchard that is sprayed aerially.  She calls every time she hears a plane in the distance because the orchardist refuses to send a text to her of when he’s spraying so she can close up her hives.

Write a letter. A client of mine, a hospice nurse, wrote this wonderful letter to her HOA, when we nearly gagged on the herbicide fumes coming from the other side of the fence where blackberries had been sprayed by a development company.  I’m really proud of her, because the HOA and development company responded positively and are making changes, thanks to her speaking up:

Thank you (name removed),

 

I really do not want chemicals around my home as I am very sensitive but more

important, it kills bees and harms all critters and the earth.  The landscape company can weed-whack it just as easy as spray them.   I have seen the effects of pesticides on my hospice patients. Bees are the canaries of this toxic world and we need to pay attention to them.

 

Toxic chemicals are not the answer and in this day and age.  I’m surprised they’re still being used and especially here in a community like ours where

the actions of one person affect the rest.  It is important to be conscientious and aware of the environment and there are other great ways to deal with the weeds etc. and feel good about it.  Would it be possible for my gardener/landscaper, Melissa Elliott to meet with the board to discuss this?  She is an incredible

resource.  Or, should I talk to the landscape company that does the spraying directly?

 

This can be a really wonderful opportunity for this community to transition

to a higher level of awareness and health for all.

 

I do hope you will give this some serious thought,

Thank you so much!

I hope this helps you to get started talking with your neighbors about your concern with pesticides and herbicides!  I thank you, and the bees certainly thank you.

3rd Generation Commercial Beekeeper Calls it Quits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Q- Royal Jelly in Honey from Chemical and Treatment Free Hives

The Q+label

Hive Medicine

Melissa Bees