The Rural Voice, 2001-05, Page 58MTI SATELLITE
RECEPTION INC.
STAWJCHOICE-
, TS YOUR TELEVISION
1 888 554 -STAR www.stercholce.com
Canadian Satellite
Systems available
519-793-3251
1-800-265-8316
Hwy. #6 at Ferndale
RENT IT
SKIDSTEER LOADERS
Various models - equipment
options include:
• backhoe
• hydraulic breaker
• 12" & 24" posthole digger
• 9" wood chippers
Hourly or Daily Rates
Full line of construction
equipment for sale or rent
Dealer for
STIHL Saws
SAUGEEN RENTALS
Durham 369-3082
A.C. SCHENK RENTAL
Mt. Forest 323-3591
54 THE RURAL VOICE
AgriTech
Beekeeping sites fun, educational
By Janice Becker
Farmers have only been in the
fields a few days preparing for this
year's crops and orchards haven't yet
begun to blossom.
However. have you ever stopped to
think what it takes to produce a boun-
tiful crop of canola, clover, apples.
pears, strawberries or vegetables'?
A tiny insect, often given little
more consideration than a summer-
time pest — the honey bee — is crit-
ical in helping provide bumper crops
for producers.
While the three prairie provinces
produce 75 per cent of Canada's
honey crop (30,500 tonnes in 1998),
Ontario accounts for 5,000 tonnes
annually.
Upon realizing the significance of
this industry, I decided to find out
just what kind of information was
available on-line about bees and bee-
keeping.
Though a search through Yahoo of
Canadian websites resulted in only
one find, a site which itself was of lit-
tle use, it did offer links to more than
500 other beekeeping sites around the
world which proved much more
interesting.
By connecting into The
Beekeeper's Homepages at our-
world.compuserve.com/homepages
/Beekeeping/, then clicking on Great
Places to Bee on the Web, a bevy of
sites is listed.
In skimming the Canadian links,
Alberta -centered organizations were
the most prevalent due to the intensi-
ty of the industry in the province.
Skipping to the Ontario
Beekeepers' Association site at ontar-
iobee.com, I found it to be well laid
out, easy to use and informative.
A listing to the left allows visitors
to quickly access the information
required whether it be directors of the
association, suppliers and business
owners or kids' stuff.
The index of apiaries and suppliers
not only provides information about
the business, products sold and ser-
vices offered, but physical locations
as well as internet sites.
For fruit, vegetable and crop pro-
ducers looking for facts on rental fees.
for bee hives, the site also provides
guidelines for just how many hives
would be needed for the crop grown.
While many crops, such as apples
and canola may require just one hive
per acre, blueberries may need as
many as three. .
The Kid's Stuff section is good for
preteens with basic material and a
few games.
The Canadian Honey Council in
Alberta, www.honeycouncil.ca/, is
good for the more serious beekeeper
looking for research data, disease
control or pesticide usage.
One report which might be worth
printing is "Sustainable Pollination+
Services for Ontario Crops" by Dr. P.
Kevan of the University of Guelph. It
addresses a key concern for some
beekeepers as hive numbers drop and
suitable habitats diminish in the
province.
The Honey Council provides con-
siderable information for those mak-
ing use of hives so that optimum
results are achieved. Contract guide-
lines are also detailed.
There are basic facts on how to get
started in beekeeping and material on
how to work with the bees, honey and
wax including regulations for the
industry, pasteurization of the prod-
uct and recipes for the consumer.
With more than 500 links, The
Beekeeper's Homepages has connec-
tions to personal beekeepers' pages,
supply companies, legal statutes for
bees and beekeeping, medicine,
recipes and other byproducts of bee-
keeping such as candles and crafts.
The kids' stuff section offers sites
both for fun and education. There is
science homework help at www.
usmo.com/-mldy/science.htm, a
teacher's resource tool at ag.arizona.
edu/pubs/insects/ahb/ and a Canadian
kids' page at www.canadiankids.net.
So whether it be scientific
research, industry updates or enter-
taining education, there are plenty of
sites to visit.
If you have suggestions about inter-
esting technologies impacting the
agricultural community or to offer
feedback, contact me at jlbecker@
wightman.ca or through the Rural
Voice office.0
Janice Becker is a computer enthusi-
ast and journalist living near Walton,
ON.