Bees Necessary Insects

    No one likes being stung by a bee.  Many people are afraid of bees.  Perhaps having been stung as a child, some people develop a fear, phobia or even a dislike for bees.
    Quite often, beneficial bees catch the blame for yellow jackets, wasps, hornets and their more aggressive nature.  True bees and more specifically, the honey bee, are necessary for the pollination of  many horticultural crops.  Most bees, with the exception of the Africanized "Killer" bee, which does not live in Alabama, are fairly slow to attack.
    Unfortunately, the wild honey bee hives in old hollow trees everywhere have pretty much disappeared.  Thanks to two pests, the varrora mite and tracheal mite, wild hives are a thing of the past.  Modern day beekeepers have techniques to manage these parasites and are now our only real, dependable source of honeybees.
    Beekeepers from all over the state of Alabama will buzz into town on Saturday, February 7 for the 9th annual Auburn University Beekeeping Symposium.  Time is between 8:00a.m. and 3:30p.m. at the Chemistry Building on Duggar Drive on Auburn University's Campus.  Pre-registration by February 2nd is $15.00 per person and includes lunch.  Call 749-3353 for a registration form.

    There are many factors which determine whether or not your fruit trees will be successful this summer.  Some things like the weather, we cannot control.  Insects and diseases can be controlled, but require regularly preventative sprays.
    Pruning fruit trees should be done this time of year for several reasons.  One is to shape the tree.  Peaches and plums are usually pruned to form an open vase center.  Apples and pears are usually trained to a more central leader form with whorls of branches every 18-24 inches.  Not pruning trees at all may result in excessive growth, excessive fruit set and limb breakage.
    Another reason to prune is to remove unwanted growth.  Apples and pears will send shoots straight up into the center of the tree, resulting in multi, non fruiting trunks.  Apples and pears fruit best on horizontal branches.  Peaches and plums need only 10 to 12 inches of last year's growth to produce a full crop.
    The Lee County Extension Office has detailed publications on pruning and care of fruit trees.  For your free copy, please call 749-3353 or email cbrowne@aces.edu.   These are also available on our website at www.aces.edu.  Click on Publications, then ANR(Agriculture Natural Resources), then click on Horticulture.

    Pruning fruit trees and vines are a must for success.  Ornamental pruning must also be done from time to time.  What about vegetable gardens and lawns?
    Several groups have joined together to offer a Landscape Maintenance Workshop on Saturday, February 21, at 1 Welcome Lane in Opelika, just off of Waverly Parkway.  The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. and last until 11:30a.m.
    The Lee County Extension Office, Tallapoosa County Extension Office, Macon County Extension Office, Lee County Farmers Federation, Piedmont Fertilizer Company, Wire Road Tractor and Lawn Center, and Auburn University Horticulture Department have all come together to present a complete landscape maintenance workshop.
    Equipment demonstration and displays for the homeowner, as well as practical advice for planting, planting, fertilizing, and selection of plants for the lawn, landscape, fruit orchard and vegetable garden will be presented on Saturday, February 21.
    There is no cost to the public, door prizes will be drawn and a whole host of people from county agents, agent assistants, Master Gardeners, university professors and landscape industry professionals will be on hand to answer your horticultural questions.