President s Message. The Wasatch Beekeepers association is dedicated to the continued education and promotion of

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1 A non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of beekeeping July 2013 The Wasatch Beekeepers association is dedicated to the continued education and promotion of beekeeping. Beekeepers offer a service to the community and nation in a time where bees are dying at a rapid place. We believe that through education, we can help other beekeepers stay current in the areas of medications, equipment, bee diseases, problems, etc. Beekeepers can find support and knowledge from each other and each other experiences. President s Message As we have hit summer full time it is now time to get ready for extracting your honey. You want to make sure that you leave enough honey for your bees to make it through the winter. In Utah you need to make sure they have 2 full deeps or 3 mediums for them to have honey. There are a lot of different ways to extract honey with the crush and strain method and or using an extractor. There are local companies that will extract it for you or you can rent equipment or purchase equipment. If you do it yourself be prepared for a big sticky mess. There is not an easy way to not make a mess. I try and have all my honey off before Labor Day. This year I am going to pull honey a little earlier so that I am not rushed at the very end and can then treat my bees after the honey is off the hives. Bees will start to be very protective of their honey so make sure you have smoke ready and that you are suited up to work your bees. The season has passed where you can work them without protection. They will be defensive and want to protect all the work that they have done. I will also mention that all the hard work that you have done you should not sell your honey too cheap. I have seen people selling honey as low as 2.50 a pound. If you are selling that low you are losing money. You should be starting at least 5.00 a pound and go up from there. Bevan Weed bevanweed@gmail.com 1. 1

2 We re OPEN! The Backyard Pollinator Just $99 for the box, the metal brackets, top and bottom, frames and honey bees, with mated queen. Z Al Chubak-Owner Eco Bee Box NEW! Natural Wood Tree Hive Observation Hive Located at the North American Bee Care Center (801) Eco Bee Box 5051 South Commerce Drive, Murray, Utah Call for store hours Are You Interested In Advertisement in the WBA Newsletter? We will be taking ads from local members of the Wasatch Beekeepers for the monthly newsletters. For information call Denise Hunsaker

3 Selling Honey: Processing Requirements Raw Comb Honey is not regulated - it is considered a raw product until it is extracted from the comb. This means that extraction can be done anywhere, without regulation. Once it is put into a bottle, this needs to be done in a regulated facility - a commercial kitchen or cottage industry kitchen. A food handler's permit is required for either. Commercial Kitchen Cottage Industry $30 application fee per year $30 application fee per year Can be sold anywhere in USA Only saleable in Utah Must meet Federal labeling guidelines: Name Federal labeling guidelines, plus must say of product, Net weight in US and metric units, "Home Product" and label will be submitted Name and address of manufacturer (If just along with application honey then ingredient list and nutrition info are not necessary) No oversight of recipes Recipes must be submitted and approved with Requirements for kitchen are more stringent - an inspection is required, even when renting a kitchen already inspected and licensed for another person/entity Food handler's permit required application No free-roaming pets allowed in home with cottage industry kitchen. An inspection is required. Food handler's permit required A commercial kitchen is the fastest way to get registered, but it still takes weeks. Contact Rebecca Nielsen for more information about Cottage Industry requirements and Commercial Kitchen inspections. Jared B. Erickson, CPA - Erickson & Co CPA1 Any statements regarding tax matters made herein, including any attachments cannot be relied upon by any person to avoid tax penalties and are not intended to be used or referred to in any marketing or promotional material. To the extent this communication contains a tax statement or tax advice, Erickson & Co. does not and will not impose any limitation on disclosure of the tax treatment or tax instruction of any transaction to which such tax statement or tax advice relates. This message, including any attachments, may contain confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it. Any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this message is strictly prohibited. 1. 3

4 Is the Sale of Honey Subjectt to Sales Tax? Utah Tax Commission Pub 45 page 3: The exclusivee sale of seasonal garden or farm crops sold during the harvest season is exempt if sold by: the agricultural producer, an employee of the producer, or a member of the producer s immediate family. If they sell anything other than the producer s qualifying seasonal crops, the producer is operating a retail establishment and must collect sales tax on all sales. Example 10 A farmer produces corn and sells it at a roadside stand during the harvest season. If the farmer is selling only his own seasonal crops through the stand, the farmer does not collect and remit sales tax on the sales. If the farmer sells anythingg other than qualifying seasonal crops at the roadside stand, he must collect sales tax on all retail sales, including sales of his corn. Example 11 A nursery grows annuals for sale to the public. It also sells a full line of nursery products ncluding trees, shrubs, perennials, garden tools, fertilizer, insecticide, and gardeningg books. Although the annuals constitute a seasonal crop grown by the nursery, the nursery is engaged in selling other items at retail. The nursery is a retailer and mustt collect and report saless tax on all of its sales, ncluding sales of annuals. Utah Tax Commission Pub 25 and Grocery items are taxed at a lower rate than other items. Is honey a grocery item? 1. 4

5 1 Pests and parasites 1.1 Varroa mites 1.2 Acarine (Tracheal) mites 1.3 Nosema 1.4 Small hive beetle 1.5 Wax moths List of diseases of the honey bee 2 Bacterial diseases 2.1 American foulbrood 2.2 European foulbrood Varroa Mite 3 Fungal diseases 3.1 Chalkbrood 3.2 Stonebrood 4 Viral diseases 4.1 Cripaviridae Chronic Paralysis Virus [CPV] 4.2 Dicistroviridae Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) or (APV) Israel acute paralysis virus (IAPV) Kashmir bee virus (KBV) Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) 4.3 Cloudy Wing Virus (CWV) 4.4 Sacbrood virus (SBV) 4.5 Iflaviridae Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Kakugo virus (KV) Varroa destructor virus Iridoviridae Invertebrate iridescent virus type 6 5 Dysentery 6 Chilled brood 7 Pesticide losses 8 Colony Collapse DisorderA

6 Support Local Honey Research! Be a part of one of the first studies of honey to be conducted in the state of Utah. This study will compare large apiaries and smaller apiaries, with as little as one backyard hive and the levels of micro organism found within their honey. Participants will donate a minimum of 8 oz. of honey and answer a survey about their bee keeping practices. All beekeepers in the state of Utah will be accepted for this study. Samples will be collected between the beginning of August and the end of September. How will I collect my sample? We can provide containers for collection or you may use your own container. The only true requirement of sample collection is that it be at least 8 oz. No special harvesting or handling requirements. Harvest in the usual manner and use a typical container (or our container) to store it. Who is sponsoring this study? Weber State University s Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Research at Weber State. If you deliver samples for friends please make sure and label them clearly so that we can properly identify them. Anyone who supplies a sample must complete the survey so remember to bring contact info for your friends. What are you testing for? We are testing for contamination levels of a microorganism (Clostridium sp.) in local honey and whether levels vary between large and small apiaries. Why are you performing this study? Very little has been published on Utah s honey. This is just one aspect which could illuminate us on the contents and differences in our local honey production. We also hope it will lead to further study and increased understanding of local bee and microorganism interaction as well as increase the little knowledge we have on this important ecosystem. If you find a microorganism in my honey, what will happen? All samples will be assigned numbers and will be anonymous within the study. If you would like the results of your sample we will make those available on an individual basis for free! Just let us know when you fill out your survey and we will provide them to you at the end of the study. Will anyone else see my results? Your results will published in the study as part of the statistical analysis and will be anonymous. You are the only person who will have your samples specific results. When will you have my results? The study will be completed by April of Your results will be provided for you by that time. contact Laura Tucker at or laurachristensen@weber.edu Sponsored by Weber State University s Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences. 1. 6