Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is the environment.

Lately, several strong influences have converged on my life to get me thinking a bit more "greenly" about things. Briefly:

1. The strongest influence is my 18 month old daughter, Ava. A couple of weeks ago, if you asked her what color the sky was, she'd reply, "Green"; if you asked her what color her purple shirt was, "Green", if you asked her what color mommy's hair was (blond with a little help), that too was "green."

These days she is seeing things in different colors, but not before she helped her mom see the green in things.

2. Thinking about a quick trip to the grocery store today? Maybe need to pick up some milk or a loaf of bread? Before you do, consider this tidbit from National Geographic that I stumbled on during Ava's gaga over green phase:

Somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. Of those, millions end up in the litter stream outside of landfills—estimates range from less than one to three percent of the bags.

And like candy wrappers, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and thousands of other pieces of junk, millions of the plastic bags end up as litter. Once in the environment, it takes months to hundreds of years for plastic bags to breakdown. As they decompose, tiny toxic bits seep into soils, lakes, rivers, and the oceans.

Anyone who's ever made a trip to the landfill will tell you that they are teeming with plastic bags--and containment doesn't make them break down any faster or keep them out of our land, soil, even water supply. That's why this morning, I ordered my first set of reusable grocery bags. They come in really savvy and chic designs these days so you can be fashionable and forward thinking. Check them out:

They offer them in black and white designs too at www.delight.com




3. It always comes back to my daughter. I should have cared about the ways in which I was contributing to the environment's health and its demise long before I had a child, but we're not looking back, right? Anyway, perspectives shift or come into focus a million times a day with a child--and my perspective right now is focused exclusively on her health, happiness, and well-being. Long after she's left this nest, I want to be sure the one she moves into will take good care of her too.

For more ideas on the little contributions we can make, check out this article and if you have any ideas of your own, send them along!
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Here is a short video that traces the far-future of the Earth: The future of our world

This is pretty neat and provides a nice perspective. The picture below is an artist's conception of the Earth a few billion years from now (yes, billion with a B), when not only the oceans have boiled away but our Galaxy, the Milky Way, has merged with our neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy. (image credit: David A Aguilar)


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With temperatures finally normal for fall, leaves crunching under feet, and Christmas trees on display at Lowes (!?) we've dusted off the sweaters, put away the sandals, and restocked the spice rack for some fall-time cooking.

Right now, everything is "punkin" around here. When Ava spots a jack-o-lantern, she raises an eyebrow, cocks her head to the side, giggles, and says, "punkin (pause) nohse." (The "h" is added because it's more of an "ohhh" sound than an "o.")

The color orange, to Ava, is no longer orange. It's punkin.

And last week her "Mena" short/somehow/invented for "grandma" made her punkin cookies, which receive a 15-times-a-day mention. Which I can totally see why: they are delicious! I think they're in competition with brussel sprouts for Ava's favorite food (I'm serious).

Anyway, I thought I'd share the recipe in the event you could use a little "punkin" in your life:

Pumpkin Cookies:

16 oz. pure pumpkin
4 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. light brown sugar
1 C. butter, softened
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. Add all ingredients in listed order to a mixing bowl and beat low speed till well blended and then high for the last minute.

Use 2 Tb of batter for each cookie on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes.

Powered sugar sprinkled on top is a great; but you can also try this:

Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.
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"Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" will be aired on November 13th on PBS. This should be good. Here is the description from the Nova website:

One of the latest battles in the war over evolution took place in a tiny town in eastern Pennsylvania called Dover. In 2004, the local school board ordered science teachers to read a statement to their high school biology students. The statement suggested that there is an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution called intelligent design, the idea that life is too complex to have evolved naturally and therefore had to have been designed by an intelligent agent. The science teachers refused to comply with the order, and parents opposed to intelligent design filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the school board of violating the separation of church and state. Suddenly, the small town of Dover was torn apart by controversy, pitting neighbor against neighbor. NOVA captures the emotional conflict in interviews with the townspeople, scientists, and lawyers who participated in the historic six-week trial, Kitzmiller, et. al. v. Dover School District, et. al., which was closely watched by the world's media. With recreations based on court transcripts, NOVA presents the arguments by lawyers and expert witnesses in riveting detail and provides an eye-opening crash course on questions such as "What is evolution?" and "Does intelligent design qualify as science?" For years to come, the lessons from Dover will continue to have a profound impact on how science is viewed in our society and how to teach it in the classroom.

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I pay attention to words like guys pay attention to...cars.

There are some that trip my gag reflex like a raw egg. Among them:

Blog. Like most of the words that gag me, it's the way they sound rather than what they mean. Blog just sounds so clunky. Take the "g" away and you have blah.

Kiosk. This isn't an often-spoken word among the general population, I don't think. I mean, how often do you need to mention a kiosk? The thing is, when it does come up, it does so with way too much ease. I can't decide if I don't like it because, again, of the way it sounds or because we sound so comfortable using such an uncomfortable word. "Oh, where did you get your 'I'm with stupid' shirt?'" "At the kiosk in front of Bubble Tea."

Waines Coating. My sister brought this one to my attention and fortunately, it's not one that comes up in conversation often. Okay, ever. I'm not even completely sure what Waines Coating is, but I am completely sure that nothing should be called Waines Coating.

Pustule. Here's a word that grosses me out because of how it sounds AND what it implies. Give me pimple any day.

Your turn. What words give you hives?
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I've hyperventilated three times in my life. The first time I was seven and had just witnessed Ivan Drago's fatal blow to Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. I stood outside the movie theater for the duration (which, you may recall, would've been the entire movie) breathing into a brown paper bag. Contrary to urban legend, the eternally 100-year old woman who ran the place was flesh and blood and did not have fangs sprouting out her chin.

The second time was yesterday when I stumbled upon the knowledge that my husband informed "a few" people that I had a blog. The third time was four hours later when he confessed to sending an email to almost everyone in his address book (which means that only our utility companies and free overnight shipping sneaker store were spared). It was bad enough when I thought "a few" meant four (since when did it turn into 84!?) because I wasn't serious about this! I was just exploring, testing it out, exercising my imagination.

Which, I discovered, can take you all kinds of places when your audience of one (your husband) turns into x 100.

My horrification (I invent words, by the way) stems exclusively from the belief that people have way more important things to do with their time than read about how I am (or am not) spending mine.

As I said, Pete (my husband) was the only one that even knew I had a blog. I liked it that way--it was intentional. I could get subtle messages across (aren't spontaneous overnight trips to remote locations where you can eat bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner FUN?) under HIS illusion that I was writing to the world (but really just to him). It was going to be the next breakthrough "couples' communication strategy": not only was I NOT accusing, but suggesting ideas that he could brandish as his own! We both win! Besides, men have left Mars and were women ever in Venus to begin with?

Regardless, Mars, Venus, the moon...wherever we're from, many would argue we're in cyberspace now and need to figure out a way to get along (which, I was working on!). Or in my case, "get to know" because Pete doesn't appear to know me very well, or at least disregarded what he did!

It's all come back to him now, though. I made sure of it :)
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Do baboons think and what can we learn from understanding their thought process? There is an excellent article by Nicholas Wade in today's New York Times: How Baboons think (Yes, Think).

Reading a baboon’s mind affords an excellent grasp of the dynamics of baboon society. But more than that, it bears on the evolution of the human mind and the nature of human existence. As Darwin jotted down in a notebook of 1838, “He who understands baboon would do more towards metaphysics than Locke.”

The article mainly talks about research conducted by Dorothy Cheney & Robert Seyfarth. Here is an example of their experiment and what we can learn from it:

In some of their playback experiments, Dr. Cheney and Dr. Seyfarth have tested baboons’ knowledge of where everyone stands in the hierarchy. In a typical interaction, a dominant baboon gives a threat grunt, and its inferior screams. From their library of recorded baboon sounds, the researchers can fabricate a sequence in which an inferior baboon’s threat grunt is followed by a superior’s scream.

Baboons pay little attention when a normal interaction is played to them but show surprise when they hear the fabricated sequence implying their social world has been turned upside down.

This simple reaction says a lot about what is going in the baboon’s mind. That the animal can construe “A dominates B,” and distinguish it from “B dominates A,” means it must be able to break a stream of sounds down into separate elements, recognize the meaning of each, and combine the meanings into a sentence-like thought.

“That’s what we do when we parse a sentence,” Dr. Seyfarth said. Human language seems unique because no other species is capable of anything like speech. But when it comes to perceiving and deconstructing sounds, as opposed to making them, baboons’ ability seems much more language-like.

Assuming that early humans inherited the same ability from their joint ancestor with baboons, then when humans first started to combine sounds in the beginning of spoken language, “their listeners were all ready to perceive them,” Dr. Seyfarth said.

Baboons may be good at perceiving and thinking in a combinative way, but their vocal output consists of single sounds that are never combined, like greeting grunts, the females’ sexual whoop and the males’ competitive “wahoo!” cry. Why did language, expressed in combinations of sounds, evolve in humans but not in baboons?

And a possible answer to this may also have consequences for theories of origin of religion (more on it below):

A possible key to the puzzle lies in what animal psychologists call theory of mind, the ability to infer what another animal does or does not know. Baboons seem to have a very feeble theory of mind. When they cross from one island to another, ever fearful of crocodiles, the adults will often go first, leaving the juveniles fretting at the water’s edge. However much the young baboons call, their mothers never come back to help, as if unable to divine their children’s predicament.

But people have a very strong ability to recognize the mental states of others, and this could have prompted a desire to communicate that drove the evolution of language. “If I know you don’t know something, I am highly motivated to communicate it,” Dr. Seyfarth said.

It is far from clear why humans acquired a strong theory of mind faculty and baboons did not. Another difference between the two species is brain size. Some biologists have suggested that the demands of social living were the evolutionary pressure that enhanced the size of the brain. But the largest brains occur in chimpanzees and humans, who live in smaller groups than baboons.

This theory of mind may also be responsible for our thoughts regarding the supernatural and beginning of religion. A few months back New York Times Magazine had a fantastic article on the science of religion, tiled Darwin's God. Here is a brief discussion on theory of mind in relation to religion from that article:

It’s an odd phrase for something so automatic, since the word “theory” suggests formality and self-consciousness. Other terms have been used for the same concept, like intentional stance and social cognition. One good alternative is the term Atran uses: folkpsychology.

Folkpsychology, as Atran and his colleagues see it, is essential to getting along in the contemporary world, just as it has been since prehistoric times. It allows us to anticipate the actions of others and to lead others to believe what we want them to believe; it is at the heart of everything from marriage to office politics to poker. People without this trait, like those with severe autism, are impaired, unable to imagine themselves in other people’s heads.

The process begins with positing the existence of minds, our own and others’, that we cannot see or feel. This leaves us open, almost instinctively, to belief in the separation of the body (the visible) and the mind (the invisible). If you can posit minds in other people that you cannot verify empirically, suggests Paul Bloom, a psychologist and the author of “Descartes’ Baby,” published in 2004, it is a short step to positing minds that do not have to be anchored to a body. And from there, he said, it is another short step to positing an immaterial soul and a transcendent God.

More on this on another post. In the mean time, read the Baboon article here (also check out the video on the article website of baboons crossing a ford), and read Darwin's God here.
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Okay, I've edited my first and only entry about eight times in the nine days since I posted it. Is that legal? And can I still count it as a first?

Here's why I haven't posted a second: I can't find a focus. Now, the title of my blog, Splashes and Splurges, was strategic because it was supposed to leave the door wide open for me to write about anything. (ANYTHING!) But, in typical Maureen fashion, I agonize over the detail, the focus (or lack thereof) and the implications that writing about anything creates for everything and everyone in my life. I invent internal rules that make exploration impossible and spend precious time searching for external permission to break them.

It's sounds heavy, but it's really just a convoluted way of saying I cop out.

I told a friend recently that I crave clarity. Clarity is what I crave.

A method for achieving it is what I lack.

Until yesterday.

I watched a DVR'ed episode of Oprah on which she had Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat. Pray. Love. I'm still in the first third of the book, the Eat part, which I'm thoroughly enjoying and the fact that I'm running a marathon this weekend gives me complete freedom to eat pasta and pizza and everything Italian in between--(see, there is that external permission!) but I digress.

I like the book. A lot (and for a lot of reasons). But I also like (and find very important) her emphasis on the understanding that it reflects HER experience and not one that we/others/I/you should attempt to create. Initially, I had "recreate"--but not even Elizabeth "created" her experience. She left herself open to the possibility of God's will for her and His intervention that is Divine and guiding. Others/my/your/our journey will lead somewhere else. If you listen carefully to her words--both written and oral--and how they come together to tell her story, you too will understand this. We want easy--and retracing someone else's path is easy. But what we want and what we need often compete. Easy is the short term win that doubles as a long term loss.

However, there is one thing of hers that we can create--and this is from her mouth: to write down everyday what it is you really really really want.

Oprah's question was my rule, "Want when? Now, tomorrow, when?" Elizabeth's reply was my permission, "Whatever. It will come. Just write down everyday what you really really really want."

So, I'm going to use this blog as my permission. Not to write down what I really really really want, though sometimes I'm sure that will weave its way in and out of my words, but a method to achieve the clarity I crave. Permission to just to write down, period. Firsts, lasts, laughs, loves, everything, anything, nothing at all. You know, splashes and splurges.
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New York Times has a story (Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church) that some churches are using Halo 3 video game as a recruitment tool. One tiny problem is that Halo 3 is violent and is rated M for Mature audiences - oh well...but its all for a good cause:

Those buying it must be 17 years old, given it is rated M for mature audiences. But that has not prevented leaders at churches and youth centers across Protestant denominations, including evangelical churches that have cautioned against violent entertainment, from holding heavily attended Halo nights and stocking their centers with multiple game consoles so dozens of teenagers can flock around big-screen televisions and shoot it out.

As expected, this activity is coming under criticism. But here is a line of defense:

Far from being defensive, church leaders who support Halo — despite its “thou shalt kill” credo — celebrate it as a modern and sometimes singularly effective tool. It is crucial, they say, to reach the elusive audience of boys and young men.

Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado Community Church in the Englewood area of Denver, where Tim Foster, 12, and Chris Graham, 14, sat in front of three TVs, locked in violent virtual combat as they navigated on-screen characters through lethal gun bursts. Tim explained the game’s allure: “It’s just fun blowing people up.”

Once they come for the games, Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of the church said, they will stay for his Christian message. “We want to make it hard for teenagers to go to hell,” Mr. Barbour wrote in a letter to parents at the church.

"Its just fun blowing people up"... and I guess it becomes even more fun when it is interpreted in a religious tone:

At Sweetwater Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., Austin Brown, 16, said, “We play Halo, take a break and have something to eat, and have a lesson,” explaining that the pastor tried to draw parallels “between God and the devil.”

Players of Halo 3 control the fate of Master Chief, a tough marine armed to the teeth who battles opponents with missiles, lasers, guns that fire spikes, energy blasters and other fantastical weapons. They can also play in teams, something the churches say allows communication and fellowship opportunities.

Complicating the debate over the appropriateness of the game as a church recruiting tool are the plot’s apocalyptic and religious overtones. The hero’s chief antagonists belong to the Covenant, a fervent religious group that welcomes the destruction of Earth as the path to their ascension.

hmm...what happened to Pac-Man? We can talk about ghosts and afterlife in a lot less violent way - though we don't really know what happens after the ghosts inevitably capture Pac-Man.

Read the full New York Times article about Church-Halo connection here.

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While its quite clear that Creationism in the US grew out of the (Christian) Fundamentalist movement of the early 20th century, its adoption in other countries is taking other forms. Here is a news story about rising Creationism in UK:

The teaching of evolution is becoming increasingly difficult in UK schools because of the rise of creationism, a leading scientist is warning.

Head of science at London's Institute of Education Professor Michael Reiss says some teachers, fearful of entering the debate, avoid the subject totally.

But is it due to the rising population of Muslims in UK?

Prof Reiss says the rise of creationism is partly down to the large increase in Muslim pupils in UK schools.

He said: "The number of Muslim students has grown considerably in the last 10 to 20 years and a higher proportion of Muslim families do not accept evolutionary theory compared with Christian families.

"That's one reason why it's more of an issue in schools."

This is an interesting assertion and possibly true. However, are there any statistics available to support these claims? The number of Muslims has also increased in the US. But this increase is not usually implicated as a reason for the rising popularity of Creationism or ID in the US. Why make such a claim for UK? Perhaps population increase with respect to population is higher in UK - but then again, just that by in itself does not demonstrate a causal connection. I'm sure there are studies out there that are analyzing attitudes of Muslims in Europe and I hope a question about evolution is included in these surveys. If anyone is familiar with such a study, let me know.

Read the full BBC story here.
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Having your own beehive is a blast. You'll find yourself being entertained as the bees fly in and out for nectar. But what's even more amazing is to look inside and observe the bees in their own home. Your hive should be inspected approximately every two weeks. This allows proper timing to monitor the ongoing health of your queen. If she should die or become unproductive, then a two week interval inspection will give you enough time to order or raise a new queen. (The hives in the photo are in pollination field, and I had to place them in the shade to keep them out of the fields)

Let's talk about making an inspection and what to look for once inside the hive.

First, let's pick the right day to do the inspection. We are looking for a nice, sunny day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We choose this time so that during our inspection, a large amount of the foragers will be out gathering water, pollen and nector, thus reducing the amount of bees in the hive. Level to rising barometric pressure seems to help the bees have a less aggressive temperament. NEVER work bees on cloudy days, and especially if there is an approaching storm. And never work bees when it is cold outside. Wait for temperatures well into the 60s before working your hives.

Bees cannot hear, but they can sense vibrations extremely well. And they can smell extremely well too, so be sure you don't stink, but don't over perfume yourelf either. Always wear bright colored clothing, preferably white. Bees become more aggressive toward dark clothing, but will rarely land on white. Never eat bananas prior to working your hives. Some suggest the odor of a banana can mimic the smell of another queen and cause the hive to become alarmed.

You'll want to approach the hive with your appropriate gear which includes your hive tool, your lit smoker, your hat and veil and any other protective clothing which you feel necessary. As you approach your hive, remember never to stand directly in front of the hive. This is their flight zone. I've watched beekeepers work their hive from the front, never being taught otherwise and I am amazed that they do not see the thousands of bees that want to land, but are blocked and are gathered behind the beekeeper's back wondering what to do. Always work your hives from behind the hive.

Consideration must be given when placing you hive so that you can have enough room to stand and work behind your hives. STAY OUT OF THEIR FLIGHT PATH! Here's a video of the entrance during a heavy nectar flow...

SMOKE YOUR HIVE

Blow two or three gentle puffs of smoke into the front of the hive. This smoke will cover the guards at the door and allow the smoke to drift up into the hive thus calming the bees as they begin to eat honey. Wait 2-3 minutes so that the smoke can become effective within the hive.

Next, begin to remove the top cover. As soon as you pry it up just a little, smoke inside the top cover and set it back down and wait a minute or so. Then, remove the top cover and blow a couple of gentle puffs of smoke across the inner cover. Sometimes bees like to hang out between the inner cover and outer cover in crowded hives.

Next, gently pry up your inner cover using your hive tool and blow a few puffs of smoke inside the hive.

Set it back down for a minute then lift it off, gently puffing smoke once or twice as you remove the inner cover. Now, you are in the hive! And in our next lesson, we'll begin to get familiar with identifying the inside of the hive.

*Special Hint* Be sure and secure all your beekeeping equipment during the winter, so that you'll have all you need in the Spring!!

We are swamped from Jan.-Jul. trying to send hives out to desperate beekeepers that need it yesterday. ORDER EARLY!!!

See you next time! Please encourage others to join these lessons!

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Here is an interesting issue involving farming and religious law:

Yet this year Mr Amar, himself a kippa-wearing religious Jew, faces the loss of 40 per cent of his business – worth some £1m – because for all his painstaking efforts his produce is not regarded as kosher enough to satisfy the hardest-line sectors of Israel's burgeoning ultra-Orthodox market. For the Jewish year which started at Rosh Hashana last week is the shmita, the biblical seventh year in which farmers are required in strict religious law not to work their land.

It is totally fascinating how this law is circumvented:

Many of his wholesale plants are mounted on trays 120cm (4ft) above the ground and so far from growing in the earth of Israel are bedded in artificial compounds imported from the US and Finland as Biolan and Verniculite to ensure that when vegetables start to sprout, no one can say they were grown on Israeli land.

This is totally amazing (and I think very cool!). But he wisely took some more precaution:

More importantly, Mr Amar thought he had acted in accordance with the letter of religious law, by arranging – through the Chief Rabbinate of Israel – for the nominal "sale" of his land for the year for something like 50p an acre to an Arab, i.e., a non-Jew, and employing 200 non-Jews (Thai and Bedouin Arabs) to work it to ensure there is no Jewish hand in the growing and picking. This may sound like literal-minded sophistry. But in fact it has a long and honourable tradition behind it – so much so that Mr Amar, like most Israeli farmers, has his own certificate to prove it from the Chief Rabbinate itself.

This confirms unambiguously that "the lands of Moshe Amar from Sharsheret were sold to a goy [gentile] from the day of Rosh Hashana. Because of that the products the above person grows will be without fears of breaking the shmita." And that certificate is in line with a policy adopted by the Jewish religious authorities here since well before the foundation of the state of Israel.

Unfortunately for farmers, there is another ruling now that local chief Rabbis of individual cities can ignore the certificates and issue their own rulings. The case is now being decided in Israeli courts.

Read the full story here.
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As you prepare to keep bees, several tools will make it much easier. Of course, you could do without the tools and probably get by, but these tools have become the best friend to the beekeeper.

Let me start by sharing what I feel is ABSOLUTELY essential, and then I'll talk about extras that just make the job easier.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

1) Hive Tool
2) Smoker
3) Hat & Veil

THE HIVE TOOL

When I first started keeping bees I really didn't understand what the big deal was regarding the hive tool. Beekeepers talked about it like a carpenter talks about a hammer or tape measure. Now, nearly a decade and a half later, my hive tool is my best friend in the apiary.

By the way, APIARY is a fancy word for where you keep your bees. It is pronounced like: a-pea-airy. Our actual business is called Long Lane Apiary, but since many people aren't familiar with what an apiary is, we go by Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Back to the hive tool.

A hive tool is between 9-10 inches long. I prefer the 9" hive tool. The 10" tool just seems too long and clumsy for me. It looks at first like a small carpenter's pry bar. But, it is a hive tool. You will not find them at the local hardware store or at the local home supply center. You may think you don't need one or that another shop tool will work, but take my advice, get a hive tool! One of my workers preferred to use a screw driver until I realized he was tearing up the hives. You'd better get two or three hive tools if you are like me, and lose them so quickly.

Here's what the hive tool looks like:


The shinny end is mostly used for separating the hive bodies and supers. Bees gather propolis and use it as glue to keep their boxes tightly together. When inspecting your hive, you will need to use this hive tool to separate stuck-together pieces.

The hooked end of the hive tool is used mostly for scraping off the propolis. It is important to scrap off as much excess propolis as you can to prevent build up and to keep a cleaner hive.
Notice the small hole in the hive tool. This is for pulling out nails if needed. Of course, you'll find many more helpful uses for your hive tool, but these are everyday uses.

Next, THE SMOKER


I would not want to keep bees without a smoker. Some brag that they don't smoke their bees, but, to me, this is not practical. Okay, first, why blow smoke in a hive? We do it to calm the bees. The idea is that smoke causes the bees to gorge themselves on honey, which makes them less likely and almost unable to sting. For one, they are busy eating, and they become so full, they are unable to bend and sting. It really does work! Trust me, this is not a tool you'll want to be without.

We'll cover how to enter a hive in a future lesson, but for now, let me give a brief explanation on how to smoke your hive. Use pine needles, burlap or corn cobs as fuel for your smoker. Of course, you can use other items such as wood pellets, large saw dust, dried grass or mulch too. Make sure that whatever you burn has not been treated with chemicals as this could kill your bees. When approaching your hive to open it, blow a couple of puffs of smoke into the front opening and wait at least 3 minutes. Then, remove the top cover and gently blow a few puffs of smoke into the entrance hole on the inner cover. As you begin removing the inner cover, blow a few puffs of smoke under the inner cover and between the frames as you lift off the inner cover. It is a good idea to wait a few minutes after blowing smoke into the hive as this gives the bees time to eat and relax.

Smokers are hot! They are metal, and lots of beekeepers have a perfect impression of a smoker bottom melted into their truck bed liners. I have one! I use an army ammo can now to put my smoker in when I am finished using it. It prevents fires, and prevents me from burning up something like my truck.

When lighting your smoker, do not pack it full, then try to light it. Load it lightly, and add fuel as it starts burning good. Be careful that the flame coming out of the opened smoker does not burn your hand or burn a nice size hole in your protective gear (experience speaking here)!!

Also, do not squeeze the smoker billow hard when smoking your hive. Gentle!! If you squeeze too hard, you may send fire into your hive. This is not good for the bees, and could set your entire hive on fire. Smoke only please!

Smoke does not hurt the bees. And you'll get good enough to know how much to use after a few tries. The smoker is good too, in case you get stung, you should blow smoke around the area of the sting. Bees are attracted to the scent of a stinger as a target, so by smoking the sting area, you neutralize this scent. Don't waste your money on expensive smokers! You're only blowing smoke!! A $30 smoker is all you need and works well.

HAT & VEIL
Okay, I admit, I have worked my bees without a hat or veil. And I also admit I have been stung on the face too. That's one place I don't like to get stung. And you could lose your sight if stung in the eye ball. And, if you get stung on the lip, you will look like Donald Duck for 2 days! Wear a hat and veil at all times.

Hats are usually plastic and are modeled after the popular pith hat. I like real pith hats from Vietnam, so I use real ones. They are a few bucks more than a cheap plastic one, but it is just my preference. Here at LONG LANE HONEY BEE FARMS we offer both plastic and real pith hats. Here's a picture of what we sell in our start up kits.





I wear my pith hat all day. When I'm not working bees, I remove the veil. The pith hat is a great sun blocker. Here I am after working my hives, cooling off in the front swing with my pith hat on.

Both the plastic and real pith hats provide total protection from the bees, not to mention they keep ticks out of your hair if your hives are beneath some trees. (Hives should be placed in direct sunlight at all times!)

An occasional stray bee can sneak in beneath your veil. I wear my veil without tying it off, so I do find a bee inside with me maybe twice a year. What do you do then? First, you do not panic. She is not in there to kill you. She wandered in by accident. I advise those who help me to never take off their veil in the field. The first instinct is to rip off the hat and veil to get the bee out. However, that sudden movement with a now exposed face and head in the middle of an apiary is not a good combination. Here's what I do. I face the sun, tilt my head back. She will move toward the sun on my inside veil, and I simply squeeze her between my fingers. The veil is flexible enough that I usually squeeze from the outside, but you can always slip your hand under your veil inside and squeeze her.

OTHER NONE ESSENTIAL TOOLS

Spray bottle, frame puller, frame holders, gloves, boots, etc. I don't like to wear gloves. I get stung more with gloves than without, because a bee will innocently climb up into my glove and I'll not know it and pinch her enough to get stung. Without gloves, I can better feel the bee and know where they are so as not to pinch one. If I do wear gloves, I use a very thin leather glove. I prefer pig skin gloves. A stinger can get through, but it does provide a lot of protection.

Again, the plan is to work your bees in such a way as to never get stung. I'll cover that in a future lesson too.

Please tell your friends about these online FREE beekeeping lessons. They can easily subscribe and have these emailed to their inbox. Also, if you do subscribe, be sure and allow the pictures
to download in your mail program. Some security is set to disable picture downloads in Email. However, in Microsoft Outlook, you can simply RIGHT CLICK on where a picture is NOT showing, and tell it to allow the pictures to show.
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The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome is currently hosting a conference on Formation & Evolution of Galaxy Disks. This is a normal astronomy conference on a really cool topic (yes, I work in this area). In fact, I attended their previous conference in 2000 and it was fantastic. There was no discussion of religion or any thing close to that during the conference. It was just focused on disk galaxies. We did learn some funny Papal anecdotes from Father Coyne, who is an astronomer, and at the time, he was the head of the Vatican Observatory. So it was interesting to see the BBC coverage of the conference: Papal stargazers reach for heaven. Despite the title, the article does mention that conference has speakers for all over the world:

More than 200 scientists from 26 countries including the United States, Britain, Italy, Germany, Russia, and Japan have gathered in Rome for a five-day meeting on disc galaxies.

At the Papal University in Rome, normally frequented by Catholic theologians studying the Bible, the scientists, including Jesuit priests who work at the Vatican's own astronomical observatory, will be grappling with abstruse formulae and mathematical simulations about the physical origins of the universe, involving concepts such as cold dark matter and black holes.

And here is a loaded question:

Why does the Vatican fund astronomical research after centuries of public dispute over the relative roles of science and religion?

Hmm...well may be from the fact that many scientists in the past have also been very religious, and that many (not all) didn't see a necessary conflict.

Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, a member of Father Funes's team and curator of one of the world's most important collections of meteorites, kept at Castelgandolfo (the Pope's summer residence), explains.

"They want the world to know that the Church isn't afraid of science," he said.

"This is our way of seeing how God created the universe and they want to make as strong a statement as possible that truth doesn't contradict truth; that if you have faith, then you're never going to be afraid of what science is going to come up with.

And then the article goes into the issue of Galileo. And no Galileo case is not a clear-cut science v religion issue. Galileo himself was very religious, and there were many within the Church that supported him. Here is an article that clears up some of the misconceptions: Truth in Science: Proof, Persuasion, and the Galileo Affair (pdf file) by Owen Gingerich.

If the BBC coverage of the conference was a bit odd, check out this blog heading: Science and religion collide for galactic conference

Really?? Has this person even looked at the conference program? Yes, there is dispute about the rates of star formation, or conditions required to sustain star formation in outer-parts of galaxy disks, or the formation of bulges and their relation to disks. But a collision between science & religion?? I have no problem in highlighting the clash between science & religion - and there are many places where that is the case. But this is just plain ridiculous.

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Here at Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, we are committed to help you be a successful beekeeper. David is a certified master beekeeper. You may consider joining us for one of David's beekeeping classes. Click here to see our upcoming classes.

We are a family business, a turn key beekeeping operation. We manufacture the hives ourselves, hand built for you, and we provide you with the bees and all the equipment you need. We appreciate your business and you'll find we won't treat you like a customer, but like a friend. And when you purchase your equipment from us, we're here for you. You can call us with your questions. We won't leave you hanging wondering what to do. Click here to see our complete online beekeeping store. Contact us today, and get started in beekeeping: 217-427-2678

After you obtain your new hive equipment, you will want to order your bees (we will ship bees only if a hive is also purchased; otherwise, we sell packages for pick-up). A common type and amount of bees to order is a 3 pound package with an Italian queen. For a few dollars extra, you can have your queen marked. It is a good idea to have your queen marked. This makes it easier to find your queen when you do hive inspections and allows you to keep track if your queen has been replaced (superseded) by the hive. The superseding queen will not have a mark.

Your bees will be sent to you by UPS. That's right, they arrive in a screened box. This box is equipped with a sugar water or hard candy dispenser and a cage to keep the queen separate from the bees. For faster service packages can be shipped via UPS.

To prepare for the arrival of your bees, you will want to purchase a new spray bottle and mix sugar water, one part water to one part sugar. Do not use old spray bottles that have been used with other chemicals as this could make the bees sick or kill them.

The box is made with a wood frame and screen. Spray an ample supply of sugar water through the screen. Use the mist setting, not the stream. You CANNOT over spray your bees. They have been traveling for several days, and no doubt have been hot and not able to eat much, so the sugar water will really replenish their energy.

If you are traveling elsewhere with your bees, or after you pick them up from us, try to keep the package in a shaded or dark place in the car or truck. If you use a truck, try to avoid excessive wind damage that may occur if you place your bees in the bed of your truck. If you have to travel a long distance at interstate speed, and the bees are in the bed of your truck, place something around them, protecting them from the wind, while also providing sufficient air flow. Bees must have air to breathe just like us!

Sometimes, the weather might be too wet or cold to install your bees the same day they arrive. In this case, simply keep them in a cool basement or dark room and spray them with sugar water 3-4 times a day. They will usually be fine for a few days if you have to wait. Some dead bees on the bottom of their package is common. An inch or two of dead bees might be a problem, indicating they did not withstand the trip well. Call your supplier and report the findings.

If you see a few bees on the outside of your package, do not panic. It does not usually mean there is a leak. It usually means that a few bees have been clinging to the outside of the package for thousands of miles. But do check to make sure the box is sealed well.

Will the bees in the package sting you? Honeybees can always sting. However, you will find that by spraying them with sugar water, they are very calm. And, since they do not have any brood or honey to protect, they are not trying to defend their hive. Technically they don't have a queen either. Their morale is low, so they are not nearly as aggressive. When I install packages, I do not wear gloves or hat and veil. I would not recommend it to you, because you don't want a bad experience on your first installation, but you will find the bees to be very gentle. Work with confidence!

Now, here's how you can effectively install your bees in your new hive. Choose a good time of the day, when it is sunny, warm and not too windy. Mid to late afternoon works well. Be sure and take all your equipment to where you will install your package. You will need the following items:

1) Spray bottle with sugar water (1:1 ratio, one part water, one part sugar)

2) Hive tool

3) A wood screw (for removing queen cage cork)

4) A comfortable amount of protective clothing

Be sure your new hive equipment is where you want your hive to be. At this point, you will only need your bottom board, 1 deep hive body, 10 frames and foundation, inner and top cover. Remove 4 of the center frames from the new hive body. This is where you will shake your bees into. Spray all 10 frames, both sides, with the 1:1 sugar water mixture. This will attract the bees to the foundation and give them a warm welcome to their new home. Bees love sugar!

Also, before you install your package, you'll want to insert your entrance feeder and entrance reducer. Bees need fed when first installed because they are not an operational hive just yet. They have no incoming food. So feed them for a couple of weeks the same mixture of 1:1 sugar water. It is easier to place the entrance feeder in the front of the hive when there are no bees inside.

If you purchased your hive equipment from us, then your hive came with an entrance reducer which you will want to insert before installing your bees. This will keep the bees snug in their new home, and alleviate any tendency for the new bees to fly away. Yet, it does leave enough space for them to fly in and out as they become acquainted with their new home.

Position your entrance reducer cleat in the front of your hive as shown in the picture. Notice part of it is hanging off the edge. This configuration provides restriction, yet allows a sufficient opening. After 3-4 days, you can remove it entirely until fall. This step is important because occasionally packages can fly away (Abscond) after you install them. This restriction will help tremendously. While the chance of your new hive flying away is VERY RARE, but the possibility does exists. The reducer will help. They will stay put better than you would think. Do not fear that they are flying away because you see lots of bees flying around. This is normal. They need to stretch and go to the bathroom after traveling so far. Bees do not defecate inside their hive. They are very clean.

Now, spray the package thoroughly on both sides of the screen, front and back. This will calm the bees, keep them well nourished and keep them from flying about so much during the installation process. Remember, you cannot over spray. Be prepared for sticky hands and fingers.

Now, you will want to begin opening your package. Do not be afraid. Millions of bees are not going to rush out at you. Work with confidence and enjoy the activity.

To open the package, first remove the top panel. It is stapled on to the box. Staples are sharp, so don't cut yourself on the staples once the panel is removed. Use your hive tool to pry open the panel. But, be careful with your hive tool. The end is very sharp too, and if the tool should slip, it can poke or cut you.

Once you remove the top panel, NO bees will come out yet. This panel simply holds the feeding container in place as well as the white strap that has the queen cage on the opposite end, inside the package.

The bees may become noisy which is normal. Spray them again if you need to calm them. They are becoming loud not because you are making them mad, but simply because of the the sunlight and air. They are ready to do what bees do. Make a hive and gather nectar. Stay calm and confident!

Now you see the top of the tin can of sugar as well as the white queen cage strap. The queen cage strap is also stapled to the top of the box. Free this strap, but do not let it fall into the package of bees.

Gently tip the package of bees over the new hive, positioning it over the center where the 4 frames have been removed. Slide the sugar tin can out a little so you can get an easier grip on it. Sometimes the can comes out easily, and sometimes it is very tight and has to be wiggled out with considerable effort. It will come out.

Once you are ready, pull the can all the way out. At this point, the bees will have access to the great outdoors, specifically, their new hive. They will be attracted to the beeswax and sugar coated foundation awaiting them. Set the can of sugar water aside, holes facing up so it doesn't leak.

You will need to pull out the queen cage now, prior to shaking the bees or else it will fall into the hive. If it does, no problem. The queen is okay, just remove the cage and place it on top of the hive off to the side from where you'll be pouring your bees.

Now begin shaking your bees out of the package and into the new hive. Shake as hard as you want and you'll start seeing them pour into the new hive. You may also want to firmly strike the side of the package with the palm of your hand to free bees that are hanging on to the screen. However, be sure not to strike a bee when striking the side of the box or you might smash a bee just enough to get stung. Notice in the picture, I take advantage of the remaining sugar water in the tin can by placing if over the entrance feeder. I usually poke a few more holes with a nail so the bees will consume it more quickly. After it is finished, I replace it with a mason jar with holes in the lid.

Now you must install your queen. Slow release method is the best. These are not her bees, and she is not the queen they are used to YET! So, you must let them get to know her before she can roam freely among her new hive. Here's how. The queen cage has a screen on top and through the screen you can identify a white candy substance at one end. This is the end that you will HAVE TO remove the cork. DO NOT REMOVE THE CORK AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE CANDY. Only remove the cork from the candy end of the cage. A hive tool doesn't work well, but screwing in a small screw then pulling it out works well. Once the cork is out, you will see that the hole is still plugged with the white candy. GOOD! Do not disturb that candy plug. As the bees eat through the candy, they will become familiar with their new queen. Then, once the candy has bee eaten, she will emerge from her cage as queen of the hive and be readily accepted by her new workers. After all, they are ready for a queen themselves!

Once you've removed the cork, you will want to place the cage between the frames in the center of the hives from the top. Notice how I use the pressure of the hive frames to hold the cage between the frames. I hang my queen cage with the candy side down. Some say to hang it with the candy up, in case her attendant bees within her cage die, they do not block her exit. However, bees are good about moving dead bees out of the way, and I want her to exit out onto the foundation.

PLAY CLOSE ATTENTION. YOU MUST REPLACE ALL 10 FRAMES!! If you don't, the bees will quickly make comb in place where your frames should have gone. This will be a mess. And they will attach their comb to your top cover and if you wait long enough, you will not be able to open your hive. SO YOU MUST REPLACE ALL 10 FRAMES before replacing the inner and top cover.

Do not place any other boxes on the hive just yet. You only need the one deep box. Let them draw out the comb, usually 6-8 frames, then you can place your second hive body on top. Once 6-8 frames of your second deep have been drawn out, you can start placing your supers on.

Great Job! You Did It!! Place the package box near the front of the hive because it will still have some bees that you were unable to shake out of it. These will find their way into the hive in a day or two.

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3 Things Your Customers Won’t Tell You ... Unless You Ask. I would probably rephrase the third question, but the general idea is there.
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Here is a thoughtful article from a (moderate) Jewish perspective: The New Atheism: What's a Liberal Spiritual Jew to do?

It’s hard to be a liberal religious Jew these days. Some of us first felt this way back in September 2001, when we felt forced to make statements like, “Al Qaeda is not really Islam” or, “Religion still is good for humankind — just not that kind of religion.” Others started getting uncomfortable when the “clash of civilizations” entered the political mainstream, trying, with difficulty, to chart a “third way” between the religious right’s war of Christianity against Islam and the secular left’s struggle of secularism against religion, fundamentalism and intolerance — all three of which seemed to be synonyms for one another.

But now, with the rise of the “new atheism,” given voice by such writers as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and, most recently, Christopher Hitchens, the battle lines have grown even starker. These days, religion — all of it, not just the bomb-wearing, stone-throwing kind — has been blamed for everything from war to ignorance, racism and sexism, even just plain stupidity. Oy.

But here he makes a valid argument, that religion is more than just bad science:

To begin with, all the leading atheist tracts assume that religion is, first and foremost, a matter of belief. Religion is bad science, basically, which insists that untenable propositions be taken on faith — especially since they can’t be proved, and can often be disproved relatively easily. This may be the religion of most Christians and some Jews, but most of Judaism is, in the familiar formulation, more about deed than creed — more what you do than what you believe. Keep the Sabbath, act justly, pray, obey the dietary laws? You’ve got most of Jewish law covered right there, regardless of what you believe about God and history. Now, of course, it makes sense that neo-atheism targets Christianity and Islam rather than Judaism, since the former are more populous and more important. But a lot of what their leading advocates say has nothing to do with me, or my less “moderate” co-religionists.

Second, and relatedly, the religion conjured by the atheists is altogether too rational. It’s as if people woke up in the morning and selected a belief system as they would a box of cereal off the shelf. For most spiritual liberals, however, religion is what gets you in your guts: It’s the primal archetypes that speak to the heart, the embodied rituals, the symbols pregnant with thousands of years of history. Harris wants us all to meditate and become Buddhists (the last chapter of “The End of Faith” is a straight dharma talk, like those I’ve heard on many a Buddhist retreat), but this prescription ignores the role that myth plays in individual and communal life. As a Buddhist practitioner myself, I do think that the world would be better off if more people would meditate. But most people don’t have the time, aptitude or enthusiasm for such pursuits. They need a system that provides meaning, community, ethics and story; they thirst for symbol and myth. Religion, not meditation, does that — including in the Buddhist world, which, as Harris fails to mention, is just as full of ritual, deities, dogma and myth as the Jewish and Christian ones.

Finally, there is the element of community. Yes, as Hitchens relentlessly points out, most people’s images of God are primitive. But this is the genius, not the failure, of religion. As Maimonides wrote more than 800 years ago, religion works because it speaks on multiple levels. Philosophers can find their truth in biblical text (albeit with some linguistic stretching), and people too busy feeding their families to study philosophy can find ethical guidance and communal myth. Of course, there is always the danger in such a system that some less-philosophical types will over-literalize and fetishize their religious beliefs. In the mystical metaphor, they mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself. But the alternative is a medieval world in which one must be a theologian in order to be religious.

However, he does point to some valid arguments of the New Atheists:

None of this is to deny the trenchancy of many atheist arguments. Certain beliefs are indeed risible. Jews, like just about every other religious group, have long believed that our tribe is better than others, a notion that once ensured our survival but has long outlived its usefulness. Primitive ideas about God — again, that He likes us more than other people, or that He is a He — should evolve, just as our primitive ideas about cosmology, disease and technology have evolved. And we should never confuse religion (why the world is, and what we should do) with science (how the world is, and what we can do). Neither does a good job of impersonating the other.

Harris is also right that we moderates are kidding ourselves if we think we’re not complicit in the far right’s “distortions” of our religious and spiritual ideas. Those of us who style ourselves religious moderates must take responsibility for acts of intolerance and violence committed in our religion’s name — which, to be fair, Jews of all political stripes almost always condemn, even as we argue over the details.

In short, the new atheism is an important, useful auditing of our religious ideas. We should read its arguments and, rather than defensively parry them, consider them with a critical mind. And where appropriate, we should check our religious zealotries with careful reflection, ethical consideration and, yes, quiet meditation before they lead to dangerous consequences.

Read the full article here.
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My daughter is 17 months old. Her day is filled with firsts...first words which are turning into first sentences (yesterday was " wait a minute" which sounded like "wayaminnit") first discoveries (most recent is that it's tough to catch your shadow, but sure is easy to pet it) and first tastes (balsamic-vinaigrette marinated then grilled portobello mushrooms added yet another face to the many faces of Ava Frances).

I don't want to be one of those mom's who lives vicariously through their child. So, I've decided to take on some firsts of my own. (That this day of firsts happens to be the first of October is complete serendipity.)

This morning, I rose my tired body out of cozy bed at insane 4am. Now, that isn't a first for me...I'm usually up and out under the stars for a long, sweaty, run that contribute to knotted up and snappy muscle syndrome, which I have and wear as a scarlet letter P (for pathetic) on my chest in every class I've ever taken that involves any kind of stretching (warm up and cool down count).

This morning, however, I was going to do something different. I loaded myself into the car and headed to the gym for Fitness Pilates. What is that, you ask? Hold on, I'm about to tell you:

I've never taken a Pilates class in my life. Not ever. I did order the Winsor Pilates tapes about seven years ago (yes, this was still VHS era, DVD's were just coming on the scene--at least in my paper and pencil world) when I woke early at my then-boyfriend's/now-husband's apartment and knew if I tried to wake him it would be the last time I ever woke up in his apartment again. So, I plumped myself down on his comfy couch, turned on the tube, and there was Daisy Fuentes, long and lean and so.....pilates. I could do that, I thought, and I want to look like that, I knew, so 1-800-order-me, I did.

The tapes remain in my painted green childhood dresser at my parents home in upstate New York. Unopened, untested.

But that's okay. I'm taking on a don't-look-back approach to this one-shot-at-life we've got. Fitness Pilates, here I come.

I arrived a little early because I wanted a spot in the back, not too early because I wanted to see what everyone else was piling up next to them.

There were three people already there. Each had a mat so I got a mat. I turned to the woman on my left and asked, "is there any other equipment that we'll need?"-- she didn't respond and then I spotted her earphones, which made it very clear that even if she could hear me, she didn't want to hear me. The second woman walked past me to pick up one of those squares that you place under a riser. I asked her the same question but she kept walking. Yup, you guessed it, earphones. (Now, I am guilty of the earphones-are-in-but-no-music-is-on-because-I'm-not-interested-in-eye-contact-or-any-contact approach to exercising. I might have even invented it.)

Semi-embarrassed (remember, there is one other woman in the room who ISN'T wearing earphones but clearly heard my two attempts to talk to the ones who were!) I started stretching (which Ava calls armpits thanks to her dad) because I didn't know what else to do and I needed to rethink my strategy.

A few minutes past conspicuous, I walked over and picked up the square--having no idea, mind you, what a Fitness Pilates class would ever do with a single center-carved-out square.

A few minutes later, the second woman went over and picked up a green medicine ball.

Guess I'll need a green medicine ball.

As I walked over to the ball bin, I was first overwhelmed with all of the colors (each indicating a different weight) and then tormented by the question,"Do I get the green one and risk looking totally novice, or do I take a risk and pick out another color, maybe one that's less weight since I have no idea what they're used for--or maybe a little heavier so that even though I'm going to look pathetic in this stretching-involved class I can prove that I spend time doing other things at the gym.

I picked all three. A green because that is what she got. A yellow because it was a couple of pounds lighter, and a purple because that was a couple of pounds heavier.

As I walked back to my spot, it dawned on me what the squares were for. To hold the ball. A ball. Not three balls. One ball.

Unless I was going to juggle these things the entire class, I had a problem.

Since the yellow ball was a little smaller, I figured I could get away with both the green and the yellow on the square. But that would mean I'd have showcase my unPilatesness and walk the purple one back.

So I did.

Throughout the two minute ordeal that felt more like eternity, about eight other people had filtered in--men and women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Class started and I was surprised at how "advanced" I was at this Fitness Pilates. Mostly because it involved quite a bit of core strength, which I've got some of, in addition to arm and leg strength as well, which I own thanks to this yes-I'm-crazy marathon I'm training for. The instructor said that our "toys" (a body bar and a medicine ball) is what added the "Fitness" to Pilates.

It was a slower pace than I'm used to in most aspects of my life. I liked it.

I did fail the stretch test, but I'm optimistic. I think I'll even give it a second try.

My other first is this blog.

But I'll save that experience for another day.
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Let's follow the growth cycle of the queen, drone and worker bee. Let's begin with the worker bee.

The queen lays an egg in the bottom of a cell within the brood chamber. When first laid, the egg appears like a piece of rice, only much, much smaller. The egg stands up in the bottom of the cell immediately after it is laid, and will hatch, lie on the bottom of the cell after 3 days as it molts into a larva. From day 4 to day 9 it is known as a larvae and feeds upon royal jelly and worker jelly. Around day 9 the top of the cell is capped off and between day 10- 20, the larvae spins a cocoon in the cell and begins to transform into a pupae, finally emerging from the cell on day 21.

Many people believe that once a bee emerges from its cell, it flies out of the hive and begins to gather nectar. However, the new bee will not begin visiting flowers until 22 days after hatching as a new bee. Here's what the worker bee will do first.

After she is born she will clean her cell and other cells and keep the brood warm for the first 2 days of her life. Then, from day 3-5 she is trusted with the task of feeding older larvae. From day 6-11 she is then assigned the task of feeding younger larvae. From day 12-17 she then begins to produce wax, build comb and transport food within the hive. From day 18-21 she is commissioned to guard the hive entrance from unwanted intruders. Finally, from day 22 through day 35 she flies out to gather pollen, nectar, propolis and water for the hive.

The queen determines when she wants to lay an unfertilized egg which becomes a drone. The cycle of the drone is the same as the worker bee except that drones emerge from their cell on day 24, 3 days later than worker bees. The drone has no responsibility in the hive or in gathering nectar. Instead, they simply wait to mate with a virgin queen.

Finally, the queen. The cycle of a queen is the same as the worker and drone bee except she emerges on day 16. The queen is fed royal jelly or queen jelly during the larva stage of her life. It is note worthy that a queen emerges the soonest, on day 16 because if a hive is queenless, they will perish within one month without a queen laying eggs. So she must emerge quickly to save the hive.

Each hive must have only one queen. Without a queen the hive will perish unless they replace her quickly. The hive can raise their own queen by making a queen cell on the side or bottom of the comb. The cell resembles a peanut. To raise their own queen, a hive must have eggs less than three days old. By feeding very large amounts of royal jelly to a young larva within the queen cell, they are able to raise a new queen.

When the queen emerges, she will pursue, fight and destroy any other virgin queen in the hive and immediately begin giving orders to her new hive. Within a few days, she will take her mating flight, mate with several drones, return to her hive and begin laying eggs for the rest of her life.
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This is a really interesting idea for an experiement, as well as an excellent theme for a blog:http://bloggingexperiment.comI learned about it through a link to this article:5 Ways to Attract More Comments
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Well...it worked out wonderfully. We had Eugenie Scott for our Science & Religion lecture today, and New York Times had a front page story about a new Intelligent Design Movie that misrepresents science and scientists and Eugenie is one of the misrepresented scientists:

A few months ago, the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins received an e-mail message from a producer at Rampant Films inviting him to be interviewed for a documentary called “Crossroads.”

The film, with Ben Stein, the actor, economist and freelance columnist, as its host, is described on Rampant’s Web site as an examination of the intersection of science and religion. Dr. Dawkins was an obvious choice. An eminent scientist who teaches at Oxford University in England, he is also an outspoken atheist who has repeatedly likened religious faith to a mental defect.

But now, Dr. Dawkins and other scientists who agreed to be interviewed say they are surprised — and in some cases, angered — to find themselves not in “Crossroads” but in a film with a new name and one that makes the case for intelligent design, an ideological cousin of creationism. The film, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” also has a different producer, Premise Media.

The film is described in its online trailer as “a startling revelation that freedom of thought and freedom of inquiry have been expelled from publicly-funded high schools, universities and research institutions.” According to its Web site, the film asserts that people in academia who see evidence of a supernatural intelligence in biological processes have unfairly lost their jobs, been denied tenure or suffered other penalties as part of a scientific conspiracy to keep God out of the nation’s laboratories and classrooms.

Dawkins wasn't the only one. Here is Eugenie Scott:

Eugenie C. Scott, a physical anthropologist who heads the National Center for Science Education, said she agreed to be filmed after receiving what she described as a deceptive invitation.

“I have certainly been taped by people and appeared in productions where people’s views are different than mine, and that’s fine,” Dr. Scott said, adding that she would have appeared in the film anyway. “I just expect people to be honest with me, and they weren’t.”

This was great publicity for our lecture and we did get a chance to talk about the film with Eugenie today. She is truly worried about its nasty anti-science sentiment portrayed in the film. She mentioned that National Center for Science Education (NCSE) will soon have a website countering some of the propaganda of the film. The problem is that any controversy is good publicity for the ID movement - perhaps after the Dover defeat, these media cheap tricks is the only strategy left for the movement.

In any case, the lecture by Eugenie Scott on "Creationism & Evolution: A Historical Perspective" was great! I will post the video as soon as it is available.
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