Highlights: May 2006 Show

Honey Bee Keeping
Guest: Brian Gallagher
Central Virginia Beekeepers Association
PO Box 43
Earlysville, VA 22936

Honey bees typically only sting when defending their home.

Plants that produce a heavy or sticky pollen are best pollinated by insects such as honey bees.

Poor pollination can result in small or mis-shappen fruit. Fruit may also be slow to ripen and of poor quality.

It is recommended that a minimum of one honey bee colony per acre be established for use as pollinators in fruit and vegetable crops.

The honey bee population is threatened by misuse of insecticides and herbicides as well as overgrazing and over-mowing of pasture land. It is estimated that the honey bee population has declined one percent annually over the last twenty years.

Habitat at Home Program
Guests: Carol Heiser
Habitat Educations Coordinator
Va. Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
(804) 367.6989
www.dgif.virginia.gov

Habitat at Home is a program of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that promotes the development of habitat around your residence to encourage the natural wildlife in your area.

Some of the features recommended include: minimizing the amount of grass in your landscape, using landscape plants that produce seeds or berries to provide a natural source of food.

Try to include a water feature, if possible. Water can provide habitat for frogs and small fish as well as a type of bird bath for birds.

Consider a bird bath placed at ground level. This also provides a source of water for squirrels, rabbits, and other ground animals.

Design your landscape to include layers, such as; tall trees for birds and squirrels, medium size trees for nesting and feeding, and low plants to provide cover near the ground.

To apply for a certificate of recognition for your Habitat at Home or for more information on establishing your habitat, contact Carol Heiser.