Links We Like
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Chatham County Beekeepers Association. Friendly folks and timely advice for beekeepers in central NC. Our group has close ties to researchers at N.C. State University and we generally have a N.C. bee inspector in attendance at our meetings. We have been members of several beekeeping groups over the years and we feel that these folks are by far the best! But don’t take our word for it, come see for yourself. Meetings are at 7:00. third Thursdays of the month, at the Chatham County Agricultural Building just off the Courthouse Square in Pittsboro, NC.
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While we’re thinking of our home in NC, the Chatham County Extension Office has the best online resource for sustainable agriculture we’ve ever seen. Credit Debbie Roos (and friends) for an incredible effort.
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The best of the forums? We go to beekeepingforums.com for good information. Is that because our mentor Iddee is usually in attendance? We’ll never tell, but if an unvarnished opinion is what you’re after, Iddee is just the one to unvarnish any and all misconceptions, wrong-headed ideas, and derailed logical conclusions. Just don’t get him going about top bars. Please.
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Another good place to engage in the beekeeping conversation, Beemaster.com‘s international beekeeping forum is a wonderful source of information about bees and related (and some unrelated – check out The Darkside of the Moon for some head-slapping conspiracy theories!) topics. There are forums for Australians and Europeans, experimental design, requeening and raising new queens, natural or organic beekeeping, pests and problems, really almost too many to list. Any contentious topic is thoroughly discussed from just about any point of view imaginable. Don’t miss the forum discussing top bars, Warre hives and other alternative designs. Great fun.
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From our favourite magazine Bee Culture here is a link to beekeeping organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Bee Culture’s Kim Flottum also writes a column for The Daily Green called The Beekeeper. We read it every month and so should you.
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Are you an organic gardener? ARBICO Organics has the most extensive line of high quality supplies for the serious organic grower. They also have, ahem, exquisite taste in bee hives.
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Live in the Southwestern US or other arid climate? Avant gardening is a wonderful resource for organic and sustainable gardeners.
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The Permaculture Institute is the home church, if you will, of the sustainability movement. This page concerns top bar beekeeping, but one can find what amounts to a university degree in permaculture in this website.
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Bees for Development is a British charity devoted to spreading top bar beekeeping as a means of enabling third world people to earn cash and thus participate in the global economy. Organizations such as this were key to the development of the modern top bar hive in the 1960′s.
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Bush Bees is a favorite source for information on sustainable beekeeping. All types of hives are discussed, and the discussion of bee genetics may spark your interest in participating in the development of hygienic and disease resistant queens. Top bar hives are discussed on this page.
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GRAB BAG
More links, not sorted out…
Producing Varroa resistant bees from locally adapted stock – a recipe
Seasonal cycles of activity in honeybee colonies
NY Times: Saving bees – What we know now
Basic bee biology for beekeepers
Huge links list from badbeekeeping.com
Crunchy attitude at Anarchy Apiaries
Natural beekeeping for our Spanish speaking friends
US state honey and beekeeping associations
Global links to all accredited bee labs
Library of Congress – Bees, Pollination, and climate change
Creating computerized beekeeping records
