Michiana Beekeepers Association is the association that serves Michiana, a region with parts in both Michigan and Indiana.

The Bee Line

This is a monthly newsletter published by the Michiana Beekeepers Association.

This months issue.

 Past issues of "The Bee Line"

Here are some archive copies of the newsletter through 2005.  We have all the issues beginning with December 2005, however, some were to large to load.  If you're looking for a past copy that is not below, contact us at indiana.beekeeper@yahoo.com. 

April '13           March '13         January '13   

December '12   October '12

September '12  August '12        July '12            June '12

May '12            April '12            March '12         January '12

November '11   October '11       September '11    August '11

July '11            June '11              May '11          April '11    

October '10      August '10           May '10          April '10

March '10         January '10

October '09      September '09      August '09     July '09

June '09           May '09                April '09        March '09

November '08   October '08          July '08         June '08

April '08           March '08

Wandering with an Old Timer

By Henry Harris

     Last year I said that in normal years May is the month that our main honey flows start. And that perhaps that is not exactly right.
     May is the month that most of us have managed to build up our colonies enough to take advantage of honey flows. There are other earlier opportunities to store a surplus of honey for truly strong colonies and beekeepers ready to take advantage of them.
     Many years back Richard Taylor1 and more recently, our
own Tim Ives, told us that it is the strength of the colony that
makes all the difference. Come through the winter with a strong
colony and it can store a surplus of honey from nectar that
weaker colonies must use to build up their populations.

     Strong colonies make more honey than weak ones in the same way that a larger, more muscled person can lift more than a smaller, less muscled person; more mass.
     The queen in a weak colony is only laying 1,000 eggs a day, or less. As those 1,000 eggs change to larvae and on through their cycle they require a certain number of support bees.

For the rest of the article, see 'This months issue' of The Bee Line.

2013 Meeting Schedule

Saturday, April 20, Christo's Banquet Hall in Plymouth.

Saturday, May 18, Lehman farm in Middlebury.

Saturday, June 15, Carol Shaw's in Granger.

Saturday, July 20, Tim Ives' in North Liberty

Saturday, August 17, VanZile's in Union, Michigan.

September to be announced.

Saturday, October 12, Nelson's Port-A-Pit in Wakarusa.

Saturday, November 2, Nappanee Public Library

If you would like to host the September TBA meetings, please call one of our officers, thanks.