beekeeping

Hummingbirds notoriously have a high wing-beat rate, and it is its fast wing-beat rate that generates the hum for which the hummingbird is named.

High Metabolism Rate

The largest of hummingbirds, the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas), grow to be about 24g and have an average wing-beat rate of 8-10 beats per second. Mid-sized hummingbirds, the Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), grow to weigh about 3g and beat their wings at a rate of 20-25 beats per second. The smallest species of hummingbirds, the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), only grow to approximately 1.8g, and yet they beat their wings at about 70 beats per second.

One might wonder how a hummingbird could generate such an incredibly fast wing-beat rate, but this kind of metabolism is very similar to the energy derived by giving a three-year-old child a can of Mountain Dew to drink. The high sugar-intake taken by the child creates a situation where the child seems to bounce off the walls. Well, the same thing happens with the hummingbird too.

Each day, hummingbirds of all species consume more than the equivalent of their own body weight in nectar, which has an average sugar content of 25%. This high daily sugar-intake results in an extremely high metabolism rate for these tiny birds – the highest in all of the animal kingdom. According to a 2001 book, "The Birds of Ecuador volume 2 - Field Guide", written by Robert S. Ridgely and Paul G. Greenfield, a hummingbirds’ heart beat has been measured as high as 1260 beats per minute!

Interestingly, other organisms that metabolize at a rate equal to the hummingbird typically have a very short-lifespan. But, hummingbirds have lived in captivity for up to 17 years.

Flower Pollination

It has been estimated that the average hummingbird will visit 100 flowers per day, pollinating many flowers as they go. But with most flower species, the hummingbird has to compete directly with bees and wasps for access to the nectar.

Interestingly, bees and hummingbirds tend to avoid flowers that have a sugar-ratio in the range of 15%, which is average for most flowers. Instead, bees and hummingbirds tend to only pollinate flowers that have the higher 25% sugar content in the nectar.

Most of the flowers that hummingbirds pollinate are red, bright pink and orange in color. An interesting twist in this story is that hummingbirds can view wavelengths into the near ultra-violet. Insect-pollinated flowers tend to reflect certain wavelengths, which tip off the insects that those flowers are inviting the insects to visit. But the flower species that hummingbirds typically pollinate do not reflect the same wavelengths as other flower species do, which in effects makes those flowers invisible to passing insects.

Of course, while the hummingbirds need to visit flowers to obtain the sugars they need to properly metabolize energy for flight, nectar does not provide enough nutrients to ensure good health. Hummingbirds meet their dietary needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when they are feeding young.

Range Of The Species

Until recently, it was believed that hummingbirds were strictly an American bird, ranging from Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. But in 2004, Dr. Gerald Mayr, a paleornithologist at the famed Senckenberg museum in Germany, found a 30-million year old hummingbird fossil that had been unearthed in a dig near Heidelberg, Germany.

The majority of the 325-340 species of hummingbirds reside in warm tropical areas of Central and South America. But those species that can be found on the southern tip of South America and those species that take up residence in North America are typically migratory birds.

While hummingbirds are typically at rest, except when feeding, hummingbirds are known to cross great bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico. That is the reason why many hummingbird species can also be found in many Caribbean islands.

Common North American Species

Although 17 hummingbird species have been known to nest in North America, only a few are considered common. Most frequently seen in North America are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the Black-chinned Hummingbird, the Rufous Hummingbird, the Anna's Hummingbird, the Broad-tailed hummingbird, and the Calliope hummingbird. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is most frequently found east of the Mississippi River. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is most often found in the western United States. The Rufous Hummingbird is found most often in the Northwest all the way to Alaska. The Anna's Hummingbird is common from southern California to southern Arizona and north to southwestern British Columbia. The Broad-tailed hummingbird is common in the spring and summer in higher elevations from Arizona north to the Canadian border. And the Calliope hummingbird is found through-out the west except for the Southwest and the Pacific Coast.

Attracting Hummingbirds To Your Garden

In order to attract hummingbirds to your garden you must provide them the nectar producing flowers that they desire. There are quite a variety of blooming plants and you will want ones specific to where you live so do a little research for “hummingbird flowers” in your area and most likely your local nursery will offer them. As a final touch add a couple of pretty hummingbird feeders and you are set.

Interestingly, the combination of people planting winter flower gardens and providing hummingbird feeders has encouraged more hummingbirds to make North America their year-around homes in the temperate areas along the Gulf and Pacific coasts.

You will want to be very selective when picking a hummingbird feeder as many models simply do not do this beautiful bird justice. The fact is that many hummingbird feeders force the hummingbirds to compete with bees, wasps, ants, orioles, woodpeckers, and other animals for access to the sugar water. Bees, wasps and ants can get trapped in some types of feeders and die inside which of course ruins the nectar.

Protecting The Health Of Your Hummingbirds

Studies have shown the best formula for sugar water to be one cup of “white granulated sugar only” to four cups of water, mixed and placed into the feeder. The feeder should be emptied and washed with dish soap and hot water at least once per week, to prevent harmful bacteria build-up or soured sugar water.

For the health of your neighborhood hummingbirds, you should never use any raw sugars, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, or any additives in your sugar water mix. All contain other elements that will be to the detriment of any hummingbirds consuming these products.

Commercial “hummingbird food” products have not been studied at length, but early studies with laboratory animals indicate that preservatives, artificial flavors, and food coloring cause disease and premature mortality, when it is consumed in large amounts. So, it is strongly recommended that you do not add red food coloring to your sugar water mix. Scientists also recommend that you do not need to buy any “hummingbird food” that has “additional nutrients” in it, because hummingbirds get all of the nutrients that they need in the insects that they eat.

Selecting A Good Hummingbird Feeder

There are a number of companies providing hummingbird feeders in the marketplace. But for the benefit of your neighborhood birds, you should try to keep an eye to finding a feeder that has certain features and benefits.

Remember, your local birds are competing with bees, wasps and ants for access to the food in your feeder. So, it is advantageous when you can find a feeder that is designed to restrict these insects from gaining access to the sugar water mix.

Most feeders have some red or orange colorations, because these colors attract hummingbirds. But, make sure that the feeders you buy do not have any yellow parts on the feeder itself, because bees are attracted to the color yellow. Even if you can block the bees from gaining access to the feeder, the yellow will attract the bees to the feeder, and the bees will frequently drive away the hummingbirds.

Make sure that any feeder you own does not leak sugar water onto the ground or the outside of the unit, because once again, you should desire to keep bees, wasps and other pests away from your feeders.

The point of a feeder is to attract the right kind of visitors, not the wrong kinds. If your hummingbird feeder attracts the wrong kind of visitor, the birds will have their feeding experience ruined, and you may be finding yourself wrestling with too many pests in your environment too.

Steve Peek

woodgears.ca Had to deal with a nest of wasps. What better way than to trap them in the wasp sucking machine?

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football team has long been considered the pride of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. From its humble beginnings as an informal football program set up by Georgia Tech students in 1892, it has evolved into a powerhouse college football team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association?s (NCAA) Atlantic Coast Conference. (ACC) The team boasts a rich and established history and colorful tradition in collegiate football. Throughout its history, Georgia Tech has seen many of its students make their mark not only on college football, but also on a professional level as well. The team also takes pride in its coaching staff that steered the team over the years, most notable of them is the legendary John Heisman, for whom the prestigious Heisman Trophy that is being awarded to exemplary college football players is n
4 Virginia Tech @ 19 Georgia Tech 2009

amed after.

The team currently plays at the Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in the Georgia Tech campus. The Yellow Jackets have been playing in this field where the stadium now stands since 1913, making the venue one of the oldest, continuously used on-campus football sites.

Important Moments And Accomplishments

With such a cherished history, it comes as no surprise that the Yellow Jackets would also have a rich history as far as achievements in collegiate football are concerned. To date, the team has appeared in a total of 35 bowl games, their latest appearance being an appearance in 2007?s Humanitarian Bowl. Of these appearances, the team managed to have an impressive record of 22 wins on these appearances, the latest win was during 2004?s Champs Sports Bowl, which contributed to Georgia Tech?s ranking in the 8th position among the teams with the most bowl wins. In addition, the team has also bagged 4 National Championships and 14 conference titles, 2 of which are won under the ACC.

Quarterbacks in the Current Roster

Currently, the team?s quarterbacks are composed of Jim Henry, Doc Coppage, Josh Nesbitt, Jaybo Shaw, Tevin Washington, Bryce Dykes, and Calvin Booker.

Recent News

Paul Johnson became the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team in December 2007. Johnson, who holds a record of 112-40 overall coaching career wins and 4-5 bowl victories, is renowned for his unique spread option offense tactic which he has employed for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team as well. This has spiked renewed interest and speculation among the team?s fans and spectators as to how the team will fare playing under this new tactic. The answer so far seems promising, as the team has made an impressive record of 7-2 wins in the Atlantic Coast Conference. With the football spirit alive once more in Georgia Tech, many are now flocking to see the Yellow Jackets play and bear witness once again whether they can put another feather on the cap of its long, illustrious history. If you are a long Yellow Jackets fan, this is one season that you may not want to miss.

Gen Wright

1. Beekeeping supplies
Companies that have beekeeping stuff deal with all the equipment that is required for this business, like attire for bee keeping which is essential from head to torso, full body suits and just head gear. Along with this equipment they also sell journals and books on beekeeping to help people to understand this field better. Some of the better known beekeeping companies have been in the business for more than a hundred years.

2. Books for providing short courses in beekeeping
Beekeeping families have a lot of subsidiaries to the beekeeping business too. They use the bees wax to make candles and collect honey which is sold locally in the stores. The books have information on candle making and collecting honey too apart from instructions on the main business which is bee keeping. These family businesses are mostly long standing ones and continue from one generation to the other.

3. Businesses have advanced technologically
Stepping into the shoes of their ancestors has not been easy for many of the families. Only those families where the parents thought of the new technologies and got their business mechanized with the latest equipment, and advertised with on the internet with their own websites so that they could bring in more customers and higher profits, was the business profitable and worth running. For others the cost of maintaining an old business was too high and they could not handle the expenses anymore. As most descendants of beekeeping families knew no other business they preferred to stick to it, and if the financial situation was not good, then they became commercially owned businesses

A business that once started as a hobby, with just about enough honey to put on toast and biscuits in place of marmalade, became a big time business with the popularity of the use of honey. Earlier honey was not a very popular edible thing as people used sugar and molasses for sweetening their food, but once they found that honey was much cheaper, beekeeping became popular and was taken up by many as an agricultural business. However, now the only problem is that people worry about the safety of the honey that is collected because of all the pesticides that are used. Now with organic foods being more popular and a movement by organic food growers, there is a lot of honey that is free of pesticides. Now many families owned companies supply bees wax for candle making and cosmetics to other manufacturers of these commodities.

Abhishek Agarwal

For more videos, and information on bees, visit cookingupastory.com In part 2 of this how to series with veteran beekeeper Glen Andresen, we learn about the basic equipment needed for those relatively new to beekeeping, or just starting out.