Dances With Bees Apiary Application

Application Date:

City: Cornelia, GA

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to have your apiary be part of the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program.
We use organic practices, but can not be organically certified based on acre and distance factors.

Is the land on which your apiary sits currently certified (by CNG or another organization)? No

Is the land on which your apiary sits currently certified (by CNG or another organization)?

Which agency is the certifier (for example CCOF, PCO, NOFA, Demeter)? What type of certification (Organic, Biodynamic, etc.) does the land have?

Has the land on which your apiary sits ever been certified in the past? No

Who was the certifying agency (CCOF, PCO, NOFA, Demeter, etc.) and what type of certification did they provide (Organic, Biodynamic)?

When was the land certified, and why is it no longer certified?

You may use this space to specify where customers can purchase your honey (this will be displayed on your profile to help customers find you). We sell at various weekend shows, by word of mouth and from our website - http://www.danceswithbees.com/

How many hives are in your apiary (or apiaries)? 23

For how long have you been keeping bees? How long have you been marketing your products? What has prepared you to do this successfully according to CNG standards?

Can you name one or two potential inspectors who you could ask to conduct your inspection?

Apiary Location Full Address Norcross, GA and Cornelia, GA

Briefly describe the landscape where this apiary is located. What surrounds the apiary? What are the nectar sources? Habersham has woodland based nectar sources that are primarily Poplar and Sourwood. The Norcross apiary has a mixed suburb-ornamental, wildflower, and woodland base for nectar.

2nd Apiary Full Address

Other additional locations?

3rd Apiary Full Address

Any other locations?

How many total apiary locations do you have?

Do you own or manage the land on which your apiary is located?

Do you agree not to use on this land any synthetic materials that are not allowed under the CNG produce or honey programs?

Use this space to describe any land management practices you use to support the honey bee population.

Within each apiary for which you seek certification, do you manage any hives "conventionally" (using practices or substances that are not allowed under the CNG apiary standards)? No

Do your hives have any paint or chemical treatment on the interior surface of the hive? No

Do you have, or will you develop, a labeling system and schedule to ensure removal of at least 20% of brood frame per year, such that there is never brood comb present that is more than 5 years old? Yes

Describe your brood comb labeling and removal practices to date, and your plans for the coming seasons. I have a 3 year old numbering system in progress that identifies the age of each frame. Frames are periodically removed and replaced in less than 5 years. I plan to keep up the rotation of frames so that frames are closer to a 3 year age exit limit in rotation.

Does your apiary contain brood comb that A) is from another beekeeper (including from purchased nuc), or B) has been exposed to Tylan, or C) has been exposed to three or more treatments of fluvalinate (Apistan, Mavrik) or amitraz (Miticur, Taktic, or Mitak)? No

Will you ensure that, through brood comb replacement or operation expansion, no more than 40% of the exposed comb will be present in the apiaries to be certified, AND that the exposed comb that remains will be marked and removed from your apiary within two years? Your apiary will have transitional status until all exposed comb is replaced.

Please indicate the month and year when you expect you will have replaced all marked brood comb (the comb that was purchased from another beekeeper, treated with Tylan, and/or exposed to three or more more treatments of fluvalinate or amitraz)?

Has any wax or comb in your apiary ever been exposed to coumaphos (CheckMite+) or fenpyroximate (Hivastan), or more than six indirect exposures of coumaphos (CheckMite+), hydramethylnon or fipronil (Max Force Gel roach bait) as closed trapping for SHBs? No

Describe how you maintain your bee population from one season to the next. Do you rely on survivor colonies, incorporate feral colonies, purchase new bees every year, or some combination of these and/or other practices? I maintain hives through natural supercedure as well as induced; requeen from my own raised queens; make splits; collect swarms; and keep feral colonies that I remove from structures.

Do you sometimes feed the bees when honey supers are on the hive, or within two weeks before honey super addition? No

If and when your bees require supplemental feeding, what do you feed them? Please be specific and include all ingredients. Supplimental feeding consists of cane sugar syrup with a bee tea added. The bee tea is all organic herbal based.

Describe what measures you take to suppress the Varroa mite population in your hives. I use imposed breaks in the brood cycle, sugar dusting, drone-comb capture, and Api-Life var wafers as necessary.

How do you monitor mite population levels? When and how often? I use screen bottom boards with a removable sticking board. This is done once in the Spring, start and end of Summer, and again in the Fall.

Before treating any hive for Varroa mites, will you monitor the Varroa mite infestation level to determine whether it exceeds the treatment threshold set by your local network? (If you run a survivor colony, and you never treat, please answer Yes). Yes

If you choose to treat colonies infested with Varroa mites, will you keep records of treatment methods, along with pre- and post-treatment monitoring results?

How do you prevent and treat American Foulbrood (AFB) and European Foulbrood (EFB)? (Even if you have not encountered these diseases before, you must have a prevention plan). I trust that my methods are very good, as I have not experienced this. If I did I would have to dispose of the infected hardware. I would not use "treatments".

How do you prevent and treat Nosema? (Even if you have not encountered this disease before, you must have a prevention plan). I rely on using the bee-tea additions to sugar syrup supplimental feeding.

What has been your experience with other diseases (such as chalkbrood, viral diseases, etc.)? How have you dealt with them? How will you deal with them if they recur? I dispatch any wax moths or beetles that I see. I occasionally use AJBeetleEater oil traps for the beetles.

What has been your experience with pests such as wax moths and small hive beetle? How have you dealt with them? How will you deal with them if they recur? I employ an electric fence for the apiary in Cornelia, GA. I don't have in place a preventive for the other creatures.

What measures do you take, if any, to protect the hives against pests such as mice, skunks, possums, raccoons, and bears?

Please describe any other practices you follow to help strengthen the bee population under your care. I use clean and soundly built hive boxes and hardware which are maintained well and replaced when needed. I place my hives in bee-suitable locations, as well as in places not to become a "conspicuous nuisance".

Are your colonies engaged in pollination by contract? No

Are any crops on the land contracted for pollination managed with the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides during time of pollination or for the three months prior?

Do you agree to obtain a signed contract with the crop producer specifying that for the entire time the land is occupied by the bee colonies and for the three months prior, no prohibited pesticides herbicides or fungicides will be used?

Are any of your colonies moved more than three times per calendar year for purposes of pollination?

Are you a part of a local network of beekeepers using natural methods? This could be a formal network like a county beekeepers association, or it could be an informal network of beekeepers in your area with a commitment to using natural methods. Yes

If this is a formal network please indicate the name of the network below.

If this is an informal network, please indicate below the names of at least two other beekeepers who participate.

Please provide the name and contact information for at least one person in your local network who will vouch for your participation in that network.

I will only use the Certified Naturally Grown name and label on apiary products (honey, pollen, propolis) that are in fact from the CNG apiaries described in this application. Yes, absolutely

I understand that CNG Apiary Certification applies to honey and sometimes pollen, but it does not apply CNG status to beeswax. Understood

I understand that I have to complete at least one Certification Inspection of another apiary in my area each year and will abide by the trading and repeat rules within the CNG Inspection Guidelines. Yes, definitely

I have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown Apiary Standards, understand them, and will abide by them. I understand that if I have any questions I may contact CNG for clarification. Yes, no problem

You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your apiary: Seems like everything has been covered. Thanks!