Page 15 - North Haven Magazine Issue 9 Summer 2019

Tom Anderson

organic. Because the mites are attracted to drones, he also uses a excellent ability to smell, and they can smell fear, so it is important
drone frame to draw the mites onto that frame where they can then to be confident, and to work patiently and quietly with them.
be removed.
Tom enjoys helping the bees, especially because they face sever-
As we know, bears love honey about as much as we do. And Con- al threats in recent years. The mites are not the only problem for
necticut residents are seeing more and more bear activity. Ray re- them. Loss of foraging land and death caused by inappropriate use
ports that a bear destroyed five of his hives in Bethany this past of pesticides are additional issues that threaten their survival. They
winter. This is a significant loss because a hive can cost $600 to es- are important pollinators and bee keepers recognize the value in
tablish. It is very difficult to keep bears away from the hives. Some assisting these beneficial little workers. Next time you are in the
beekeepers use electric fences as a deterrent. garden, take a few minutes to carefully observe how busy these lit-
tle bees are as they go about collecting nectar and gathering pollen!
Beekeepers are often asked about getting stung by their bees. Both
Ray and Tom are often stung and this is a least favorite part of keep- If you have not enjoyed fresh local honey used in recipes, we are
ing bees. Stings can occur even in spite of using a smoker to help planning a Farm to Table Dinner sometime soon. More details
keep the bees calm. Yet, Ray is not afraid of bees. In fact when asked will be available in the near future. Watch North Haven Magazine
what his favorite thing is about bee keeping, Ray replies, just work- Facebook for updates.
ing with the bees, relaxing, and watching their activity. Bees have

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