American Bee Journal • October 2019 Vol. 159 No. 10 • News and Events

DENISE ATTAWAY, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND LIFE SCIENCES; PUBLIC SERVICE AND AGRICULTURE

CHARLESTON – A Clemson University graduate student has found adding a little color to watermelon fields can attract pollinators which can help improve quality and increase yields of one of South Carolina’s most important vegetable crops.

Miriam “Mimi” Jenkins of Tampa, Florida, has found growing strips of wildflowers near watermelon fields can help attract pollinators, such as native insects and honey bees. Watermelons need pollination to produce melons. A diversity of pollinators is desired to ensure plant success. Jenkins included her findings in the final chapter of her dissertation, Enhancing native pollinators of watermelon agroecosystems in South Carolina, which she wrote as an Extension publication. She graduated from Clemson with a doctorate in wildlife and fisheries biology in May.

“Pollinators are declining at alarming rates due to a combination of habitat loss and a lack of food resources, increased pests, parasites and pesticide use,” Jenkins said. “More than 75 percent of the world’s leading food crops rely on animal pollination for maximum quality and yield. In addition, many crops produce more fruit or better-quality fruit when a more diverse community of pollinators contribute to pollinating the crop. Wild pollinators also pollinate about two-thirds of wild flowering plants in natural ecosystems. These plants provide food for other wildlife from birds to bears.

“Protecting these keystone species is critical for the future of the food supply and functioning ecosystems alike.”

Honey bee hives were placed near all fields so that honey bees could pollinate the watermelon crops. During her study, Jenkins found most of the watermelon plant pollinators were native bees, despite the nearby hives. Honey bees are not native to the United States. Most honey bees are native to south and southeast Asia. The western, or European, honey bee is native to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Native wild bees are more efficient pollinators of watermelons, as well as improve seed set, quality, shelf-life and commercial value of many crops. But native bees need flowers and nesting sites. Jenkins’ study found native bees or more precisely, tiny sweat bees, were pollinators that most often visited fields that included wildflower strips or hedgerows – wild shrubs and trees.

“Wildflowers and hedgerows can provide food and nesting resources for bees and other pollinators,” Jenkins said. “They also can provide food and nesting resources for predatory and parasitic insects, which can help provide species diversity and abundance of beneficial insects.”

To attract different pollinators, Jenkins planted the wildflowers in strips containing four native plant species – Zinnia elegans, also known as common zinnias; Gaillardia pulchella or Indian blanket; Coreopsis tinctoria or Golden Tickseed and Cosmos sulphureus, commonly called “cosmos.”

“These plants were chosen for their drought-tolerance, fast germination rates, hardiness, difference in flowering period, length of flowering period and attractiveness to a variety of pollinating insects,” Jenkins said. “A resilient and stable pollinator community includes a diverse suite of pollinators with a range of nesting habits, foraging behaviors and activity periods.”

Pollinator communities have different behaviors and traits that complement each other and can buffer against year-to-year fluctuations or environmental changes that affect pollinator species differently. In fields with wildflowers, researchers observed or collected a wide range of pollinators and insects that do not pollinate watermelon but pollinated other nearby flowers.

“South Carolina growers should consider implementing on-farm efforts, such as planting wildflower strips, to conserve diverse pollinator communities for the future of watermelon crops and other pollinator-dependent crops,” Jenkins said. “Adding natural habitat areas on farms has been found to increase crop yields because these areas attract more pollinators, including beneficial insects.”

To support pollinator diversity and support native pollinators, Jenkins advises growers to:

• increase floral resources by planting wildflower strips of native flower species in or along the edges of fields,

• increase nesting sites by maintaining semi-natural areas on farms and reducing soil-level disturbances and

Jenkins’ study was conducted on several farms throughout South Carolina. Rosebank Farms on Johns Island was one. Owner and Clemson alumnus Sidi Limehouse uses bees to pollinate his watermelon crop.

“Bees are very intelligent,” said Limehouse, who is the 2019 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo South Carolina Farmer of the Year. “Once they become acclimated to an area, they get to work pollinating and crops are better for it. We protect native pollinators, thereby reducing our overall insecticide use and increasing our yields.”

Other locations used for the study include watermelon fields in central and coastal South Carolina, including Freeman Farm in Greer, Dixie Farms in Chesterfield, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, as well as other USDA fields, and in fields at the Clemson Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston.

The study was supported in part by the Margaret H. Lloyd Endowment at Clemson University. Lloyd Endowment chair Robert Baldwin said it is important to keep areas of natural habitat near farm fields, because these areas are where many pollinators live.

“Biodiversity, including bees, provides free services for our economy but we need to understand where these bees go outside of their fields so those areas can be conserved,” Baldwin said.

Watermelon belongs to the cucurbit, or gourd, family and is considered a vegetable. It is produced in all 46 South Carolina counties. About 80 percent of watermelons produced in South Carolina are seedless. According to the USDA, 4,500 acres of watermelons were planted in South Carolina in 2018. Nathan Smith, Clemson Extension economist, said the total economic contribution of watermelon production on the South Carolina economy is estimated to range between $33 million to $35 million.

Watermelons are sold at supermarkets, farmers markets, roadside markets and other places where produce is sold. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has listings for community-based farmers markets and state farmers markets available on its website http://www.agriculture. sc.gov/?s=farmers markets.

DAVIS--The late Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, and a global authority on bees, worked tirelessly to try to include Franklin’s bumble bee (Bombus franklini) as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

In fact, he and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on June 23, 2010 to include the bumble bee on the proposed list.

Today (Aug. 14) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that it be listed as an endangered species. If approved, Franklin’s bumble bee would be the first bee in the western United States to be officially recognized under the ESA.

Its range, a 13,300-square-mile area confined to Siskiyou and Trinity counties in California; and Jackson, Douglas and Josephine counties in Oregon, is thought to be the smallest range of any other bumble bee in the world.

Thorp, who died at age 85 on June 7 at his home in Davis, had monitored the population closely since 1998, but last saw the bumble bee in August 2006. It was he who sounded the alarm.

Thorp’s surveys clearly show the declining population. Sightings decreased from 94 in 1998 to 20 in 1999 to 9 in 2000 to one in 2001. Sightings increased slightly to 20 in 2002, but dropped to three in 2003. Thorp saw none in 2004 and 2005; one in 2006; and none since.

He refused to believe that it may be extinct. “I am still hopeful that Franklin’s bumble bee is still out there somewhere,” he said late last year.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network, named Franklin’s bumble bee “Species of the Day” on Oct. 21, 2010. IUCN placed it on the “Red List of Threatened Species” and classified it as “critically endangered” and in “imminent danger of extinction.”

Franklin’s bumble bee, mostly black, has distinctive yellow markings on the front of its thorax and top of its head. It has a solid black abdomen with just a touch of white at the tip, and an inverted U-shaped design between its wing bases.

“This bumble bee is partly at risk because of its very small range of distribution,” Thorp related recently. “Adverse effects within this narrow range can have a much greater effect on it than on more widespread bumble bees.”

If it’s given protective status, this could “stimulate research into the probable causes of its decline,” said Thorp, an active member of the Xerces Society. “This may not only lead to its recovery, but also help us better understand environmental threats to pollinators and how to prevent them in future. This petition also serves as a wake-up call to the importance of pollinators and the need to provide protections from the various threats to the health of their populations.”

Thorp hypothesized that the decline of the subgenus Bombus (including B. franklini and its closely related B. occidentalis, and two eastern species B. affinis and B. terricola) is linked to an exotic disease (or diseases) associated with the trafficking of commercially produced bumble bees for pollination of greenhouse tomatoes. Other threats may include pesticides, climate change and competition with nonnative bees.

Named in 1921 for Henry J. Franklin, who monographed the bumble bees of North and South America in 1912-13, Franklin’s bumble bee frequents California poppies, lupines, vetch, wild roses, blackberries, clover, sweet peas, horsemint and mountain penny royal during its flight season, from mid-May through September. It collects pollen primarily from lupines and poppies and gathers nectar mainly from mints. According to a Xerces Society press release, bumble bees are declining throughout the world.

“The decline in bumble bees like Franklin’s bumble bee should serve as an alarm that we are losing important pollinators,” said Xerces Society Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black in a press release. “We hope that the story of the Franklin’s bumble bee will compel us to prevent pollinators across the U.S. from sliding toward extinction.”

Thorp, a member of the UC Davis entomology faculty for 30 years, from 1964-1994, achieved emeritus status in 1994 but continued to engage in research, teaching and public service until a few weeks before his death. A tireless advocate of pollinator species protection and conservation, he was known for his expertise, dedication and passion in protecting native pollinators, especially bumble bees, and for his teaching, research and public service. He was an authority on pollination ecology, ecology and systematics of honey bees, bumble bees, vernal pool bees, conservation of bees, native bees and crop pollination, and bees of urban gardens and agricultural landscapes.

In his retirement, Thorp co-authored two books Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide and California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists.

Born Aug. 26, 1933 in Benton Harbor, Mich., Robbin received his bachelor of science degree in zoology (1955) and his master’s degree in zoology (1957) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He earned his doctorate in entomology in 1964 from UC Berkeley, the same year he joined the UC Davis entomology faculty. He taught courses from 1970 to 2006 on insect classification, general entomology, natural history of insects, field entomology, California insect diversity, and pollination ecology.

Every summer from 2002 to 2018, Thorp volunteered his time and expertise to teach at The Bee Course, an annual workshop sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History and held at the Southwestern Research Station, Portal, Ariz. The intensive 9-day workshop, considered the world’s premiere native bee biology and taxonomic course, is geared for conservation biologists, pollination ecologists and other biologists.

“Robbin’s scientific achievements during his retirement rival the typical career productivity of many other academic scientists,” said Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, in the obituary on the department’s website. “His contributions in support of understanding bee biodiversity and systematics are a true scientific legacy.”

MADISON, WISCONSIN, August 20, 2019—Bees only feast on nectar and pollen, right?

Wrong. Turns out, Nature’s famously busy insect isn’t strictly vegan, after all.

Reporting online in this month’s American Naturalist, a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has shown that bee larvae (brood) have a taste for “microbial meat.”

ARS entomologist Shawn Steffan and his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, Cornell University, and Hokkaido University in Japan coined the term to describe an important ingredient in the brood’s pollen provisions— namely, the protein of beneficial bacteria and fungi.

The microbes are naturally occurring in the pollen and feed and multiply within it. In the process, they increase the pollen’s nutritional value to brood by enrichening it with amino acids—the building blocks of protein—that flowering plants alone may not always provide.

“Bees actually require the non-plant proteins of these pollen-borne symbionts to complete their growth and development— which makes them omnivores,” explained Steffan, with the ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin.

In fact, the team observed an appetite for microbial meat among brood that spanned 14 species distributed across all major families of social and solitary bees—Melittidae, Apidae and Megachilidae among them.

The microbes don’t just serve themselves up as critical sources of amino acids, though. They also secrete enzymes that help break down and age raw pollen into a more nutritious and digestible form known as “beebread.” Nurse bees may recognize this benefit and encourage the microbes’ growth in pollen fed to brood, note the researchers in their paper. This microbial mix-mash may also check the growth of harmful bacteria or fungi that can ruin beebread or sicken the hive.

For their study, the researchers used isotope- and gas chromatography-based methods to calculate the ratio of nitrogen in two types of amino acids (glutamic acid and phenylalanine) in the tissues of adult bees and in beebread. The team chose the method because of its accuracy in determining an organism’s trophic position—where it stands on the proverbial food web of life based on the flow of nutrients and energy from producers to consumers of these resources.

In this case, the team’s isotope analysis showed that bee brood’s consumption of both plant and microbial proteins warranted raising the insect’s trophic status from that of a strict herbivore to an omnivore.

More broadly, Steffan said, the findings underscore the need to examine what effects fungicide use on flowering crops can have on the microbial make up of pollen fed to brood and, in turn, their development.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

PLAN: Track Nosema occurrence seasonally, geographically and by possible stress factors.

Our private lab, directed by retired veterinarian Don Coats, is offering beekeepers an opportunity to explore together what Randy Oliver calls “The Enigma of Nosema.“ Participation in the project is unique in that data reports will be shared online, like a “crowd source” dialogue, learning and discussing interpretations and conclusions.

We ask participants to submit 25 bees from each of two hives once per month for 12 months, no management restrictions required. Post mortem data needed if the hive dies. The project will track the occurrence and intensity patterns of nosema spores through the seasons, compare north to south latitude, hive conditions/size, feeding, etc. that might companion high spore counts. All of this is to gain a perspective of when, or if, nosemosis is a significant health issue to worry about or seek treatment for. Note, nosemosis tends to clear spontaneously as suggested by data from the Bee Informed Partnership.

Hive scale data from participants is invited and will be coordinated by a collaborator with this lab.

Project Summary: Participants should contact doncoats@ verizon.net. Subscription fee is $8 plus $3/sample for a 12 month commitment ($80 for two hives for 12 months). High count colonies will be invited to increase test frequency at no extra charge. A collection kit is provided: Data slips, return bubble envelopes and return mailing labels will be provided to subscribers. We will also determine percent of population affected on higher count colonies.

Background: See Randy Oliver, American Bee Journal, August 2019 pp 919-922. (Randy supports and has critiqued but is not a participant in this project.)

Normally collect bees from inner cover or outer frame. You can “scoop” bees directly into a sample cup or baggie containing 2 teaspoons of 70% alchohol. Collections can be done in winter without hive stress on quiet sunny warm 40 degree days as when feeding. Also during winter, dead bees may be collected from under the entrance. Deadouts and dead bees from packages are a special project interest. For deadouts, you may request a post mortem form for additional diagnostics.

By tracking the natural occurrence of nosema companioned with colony size, age, location, queen age, special conditions, season and survival records, we hope to:

On Saturday, August 17 (National Honey Bee Day), The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, an indoor indie market in Sarasota, Florida, hosted a “National Honey Bee Celebration.”

Local beekeepers Gary and Mary Anne Moss, of Bee Blessed Honey, were the stars of the show. Gary gave a talk to a full house engaged audience about how he turned a hobby into a business and the tools he used. The couple also brought in live bees and a beekeeper outfit.

Throughout the day children were able to make bee themed crafts. At noon, guests were treated to complimentary Bee Knees cocktails supplied by local mixologist Cocktails by Spence of Made Restaurant. He handcrafted the syrup using Bee Blessed Honey. The first 50 guests received free honey sticks and everyone enjoyed honey samples.

For those who knew nothing about beekeeping and love honey, this was a fun and informative day.

Dr. Kim Skyrm is the State Apiarist/Chief Apiary Inspector at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). Kim is a scientist by training and a hobby beekeeper driven by an intense love of bees combined with dedication to using the latest science to inform and provide support for both wild and managed bee populations. Kim’s presentations will include:

David Tarpy is a Professor of Entomology and the Extension Apiculturist at North Carolina State University since 2003. As Extension Apiculturist, he maintains an apiculture web site dedicated to the dissemination of information and understanding of honey bees and their management, spearheads numerous extension projects (such as the 2005 New Beekeeper Cost-sharing program that created hundreds of new beekeepers within the state) and launched the Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (BEES)—an exciting online learning resource for knowledge and understanding of bees and beekeeping. David’s presentations will include:

Lawrence Connor was born in Kalamazoo Michigan and earned his doctorate in honey-bee pollination of crops at Michigan State University. He has worked as Extension Bee Specialist at The Ohio State University, President of Genetic Systems, Inc. (which produced tens of thousands of instrumentally inseminated queens honey bees as well as the Starline and Midnite breeding stock), and now owns and operates Wicwas Press, specializing in publication of quality bee books, including “Increase Essentials,” “Bee Sex Essentials” and “Queen Rearing Essentials.” He recently completed “Keeping Bees Alive.” Larry’s presentations will include:

Save the date for the 2019 Annual CSBA Convention. Taking place the week before Thanksgiving! Join us November 19th - 22nd, 2019 at Pechanga Resort and Casino in beautiful Temecula, California! Learn about the latest bee research, trade ideas with fellow beekeepers, and explore innovative products at the Tradeshow.

We are excited to announce that attendees will get to hear key messages from Katie Lee and Brandon Hopkins on their 2018 research proposals. Both proposals are a part of the $158,399 the CSBA has funded for research.

DAVIS--If you’re a beekeeper or plan to be a beekeeper, you’re aware of “Public Enemy No. 1.”

That would be the varroa mite, Varroa destructor, an eight-legged external parasite that attacks and feeds on honey bees. These virus-spreading mites can decimate a healthy colony.

Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño and her lab are hosting a short course on “Varroa Mite Management Strategies” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, University of California, Davis.

“Current beekeeping challenges call for all beekeepers to have a solid understanding of varroa mite biology and management approaches,” said Niño, in describing the course. “We will dive deeper into understanding varroa biology and will devote majority of the time to discussing pros and cons of various means to monitor, mitigate, and manage this crucial honey bee pest.”

The course, limited to 20 participants, will cover varroa biology, treatment options and chemical-free options. Participants are to bring their bee veil or suit. The $200 registration fee covers the cost of course materials, lunch and refreshments. The last day to register is Monday, Oct. 7.

Originating in Asia, the varroa mite is now found throughout most of the world. It arrived in Japan and the Soviet Union in the early 1960s and South America in the 1970s. From the 1970s to 1980s, it spread to South America, Poland, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. The pest was first detected in the United States in 1987, in Canada in 1989, and in 1992 in the United Kingdom. It has since spread to Ireland, New Zealand and Hawaii, but to date, has not been found in Australia.

The female is reddish brown, while the male is white. They measure 1–1.8 mm long and 1.5–2 mm wide.

The course is sponsored by the UC Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program, (CAMBP), directed by Niño. The program uses science-based information to educate stewards and ambassadors for honey bees and beekeeping. To register, access https://registration. ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/580. For more information, contact CAMBP program manager Wendy Mather at wmather@ucdavis.edu.

The Colorado State Beekeepers Association holds its winter meeting Nov. 2, 2019, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, CO.

Featured speakers include Elizabeth Walsh from Texas A&M, on Integrated Pest Management, with a second talk on her research into pesticide residues in beeswax and their impact on honey bee queens. Learn more about the profound effect of miticides on the physiology and behavior of the most important bee in our colonies!

Dr. Amy Franklin, DVM, will discuss phage treatment for American Foulbrood. With the new restrictions on antibiotics for AFB, will phages become the new silver bullet? Don’t miss this cutting-edge talk!

As long as you’re going to be a beekeeper, you might as well become a good one. This is a rare opportunity. Be there. Have some fun. Learn a lot.

Pikes Peak Beekeepers Association will be hosting Dr. Jim Tew at Pikes Peak Library 21C on Thursday October 17th at 6:00 pm.

He will be speaking on “The Exciting World of Aggressive Bee Colonies” Dealing with Aggressive bee colonies: Why is a colony aggressive? Requeen? Move it... to where and how?. More information at http://www. pikespeakbeekeepers.org/

The Meeting Place 1450 Dry Creek Drive, Longmont, CO 80503 Hotel accommodations will be at Courtyard by Marriott

Colorado Professional Beekeeping Association (CPBA) is proud to announce our speakers for the 2019 Fall Meeting. Tim Lawrence and Brandon Hopkins from Washington State University are coming as well as Bill Collins of Fort Lewis College in Durango. Also planned are Colorado Department of Agriculture and several other local speakers. Bill Collins will explain work he has done on propolis and its chemical properties and how this connects to new American Foulbrood and Varroa treatments from propolis. Tim Lawrence is the keynote speaker who has been keeping bees for decades so he has a wealth of information to share with us. He will also speak on the most recent work he has done. Brandon Hopkins has been working on the indoor hive wintering project. He has been advising beekeepers on using this system. Indoor hive wintering is the biggest craze in USA beekeeping right now! Beekeepers who have mastered indoor wintering have been doing this for several years and have kept their winter loss between 4% to 8%. Within the next 10 years we may see 75% of the bees in the USA wintered indoors!

Price for the meeting including lunch is $60. Please register by pre-paying with credit card on our website. For more information visit the link below. Hope to see you there for another great CPBA event!

“Nucs” are small honey bee colonies housed in small hives. Consequently, their importance in beekeeping is often overlooked. Despite this, nucs can become an indispensable tool in one’s beekeeping operation. In this lecture, the benefits of using nucs will be discussed and their importance emphasized.

The purpose of the BYBA is to provide its membership with interesting and practical information about the “how-to’s” of beekeeping. The club also provides the general public with educational programs about honey bees and the benefits of beekeeping in our communities. The BYBA is a not for profit, 501C-3 charitable organization.

Greensboro United Methodist Church 202 W. Broad Street Greensboro, GA 30642 **handicap accessible In the Lake Oconee area of east central Georgia

Early-bee registration: $50. After January 18th, registration is $70. For more information and registration online visit: lbca2020.eventbrite.com

We invite new and experienced beekeepers to the Lake Country Beekeepers Association 8th Annual one-day beekeeping course. Our 2020 speakers include: Bob Binnie of Blue Ridge Honey Company, a commercial beekeeper with over 40 years of beekeeping experience, Rick Coor, a Master Beekeeper and co-creator of the Born & Bred Queen Rearing program in North Carolina also past President of North Carolina State Beekeepers Association and a Micro-breeder, Keith Fielder, the Putnam County/ University of Georgia extension agent and longtime beekeeper who explains the importance of bee biology and botany plus mead making, and Rose Anne Fielder will demonstrate her techniques on making soap, candles, baked goods and other creative items using wax and honey from the hive.

Illinois State Beekeepers Association Annual Fall Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM at the Illinois Department of Agriculture Building, State Fair Grounds, 801 E. Sangamon Ave, Springfield, IL

Speakers will include Tim Wilbanks, Gary and Ginger Rueter, and Dr. Adam Dolezal from the University of Illinois. For more information please visit ilsba.com

INSTRUCTORS: Prof. Gene Robinson, Prof. May Berenbaum, Prof. Adam Dolezal, and Members of the University of Illinois Bee Research Facility staff

LOCATION: Bee Research Facility and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology—both new, state-of-theart buildings. The Bee Research Facility has specially designed flight cages that will allow us to do hands-on bee work indoors regardless of the weather, if necessary. Those choosing to participate in the hands-on activities must bring and wear their own protective veils, suits, or gloves. Non-participants can view from outside the flight cages.

REGISTRATION: OPENS JANUARY 13, 2020: Email: lcundiff@illinois.edu; Phone: (217) 265-7614

Payment by credit card is the only means to register for the 2020 course. To pay by credit card, watch Facebook for link information:

French Lick Springs Hotel is a place where history is made. It will host The Beekeepers of Indiana’s Fall Conference and Workshops. Our guest speaker is Randy Oliver, who started keeping bees as a hobbyist around 1966 and now keeps around 1000-1500 hives with his two sons.

On Friday evening Randy will have a one-hour talk followed by a half-hour question and answer session. On Saturday morning, we start with an hour meet-and-greet followed by several break-out sessions. We have hands-on workshops on how to make packages and creamed honey along with Catching Swarms, Bee Anatomy and Being a Good Beekeeping Neighbor.

Walk-in registration begins at 7:30 am with the program ending around 4:30 pm. We have a Honey Show with the rules and categories posted on our website, along with how to reserve rooms, directions to the hotel and the latest agenda: http://indianabeekeeper.com/

The USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory and the Louisiana State Beekeepers Association will hold the 23nd Annual Field Day on Saturday, November 2, 2019. The event will be held at the laboratory, located at 1157 Ben Hur Rd, Baton Rouge LA 70820. This is near the intersection of Nicholson Drive (Hwy 30) and Brightside Dr., which is about two miles south of the LSU football stadium. A rain-out date on Saturday, November 9 has been set for that possibility.

Gates will open at 9:00 a.m. with presentations and activities scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Field Day will include a series of talks in the morning from members of the Louisiana Beekeepers Association and the USDAARS staff about Louisiana beekeeping and research being conducted at USDA-ARS lab. Afternoon sessions and demonstrations on various beekeeping topics will be offered for beginning, intermediate and advanced-level beekeepers.

The Fall Field Day offers beekeepers and attendees a chance to meet established USDA-ARS scientists working at the Baton Rouge Lab as well as well as six new or more recent staff members. These include three scientists and three postdoctoral associates. Kate Ihle is a molecular biologist who is studying the mechanisms of disease and parasite resistance in honey bees. Vincent Ricigliano is an entomologist investigating aspects of honey bee nutrition, especially the efficiencies of food use by different stocks of bees. Arián Avalos is a geneticist using genomic analyses and computational biology to improve bee stocks and bee breeding methods. Hannah Penn is an entomologist who is evaluating honey bee stocks for their response to deformed wing virus. Perot Sealau uses genomics to assess genetic diversity in honey bees and to study host-pathogen interactions. Thomas O’Shea Wheller is a biologist who came from England to study stress factors that lead to colony losses in the commercial pollination industry.

A nonrefundable, pre-registration fee of $35.00 is required for attendees 12 years of age and above. Children 11 and under must stay with their parents at all times. Children and volunteers will be charged $15 for the catered lunch at the event. Pre-registration will be from October 2 through October 16. You may pre-register (and submit payment) at labeekeepers.org with the option to pay by credit card or PayPal. A printable pre-registration form will be located at labeekeepers.org that may be mailed along with a check made payable to Louisiana Beekeepers Association to LBA Treasurer, Beth Derr, 210 Meadowlark Dr, Jefferson, TX 75657 and must be postmarked by October 16. Registration will be available at the door for the increased fee of $40 per person.

The Missouri State Beekeepers Association will hold its Fall Conference beginning Friday, October 18, at 8:45 am and continue through Saturday, October 19 on the campus of Moberly Area Community College (MACC). Registration is open at 7:00 am on Friday in the spacious auditorium at MACC. There is seating capacity for 400 so there’s plenty of room for you to enjoy this conference! We encourage attendees to register early before the conference to guarantee you will get the meals offered at the conference.

Keynote speakers include Peter Borst and Dr. Krispn Given. Peter was Senior Apiarist at Cornell’s Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies for seven years, served as an apiary inspector for New York State, and is currently President of the Finger Lakes Bee Club. He is a prolific author and is currently a regular contributor to American Bee Journal and Bee Culture.

Dr. Krispn Given is Apicultural Specialist at Purdue University’s Department of Entomology in West Lafayette, Indiana. Krispn started breeding bees over 25 years ago and gives lectures to beekeepers and researchers at national and international conferences. He was instrumental, along with Dr. Greg Hunt, in developing the “mite-biter” bee strain in helping to control Varroa mites.

Rounding out the General Meeting speakers are Collin Wamsley, Chief Entomologist/Program Administrator for the State of Missouri to talk about what the Missouri inspection program entails to help Missouri beekeepers; Casey Berthoud, Missouri’s Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever state coordinator who oversees 16 biologists and the Missouri for Monarchs coordinator, to talk about forage planting for beekeepers and how the organizations he oversees might help; and Sheldon Brummel, Master Beekeeper Project Coordinator, Department of Entomology for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE to talk about the newly developed Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. Missouri State Beekeepers Association is one of the partnering states in this exciting new program.

There will also be breakout classes each afternoon to highlight topics of specific interest to local beekeepers and clubs. These classes will be announced on our website, along hotel reservation info.

Annual Beekeeping Conference sponsored by the Ashtabula County Beekeepers Association will be held on Saturday, October 19th from 10 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. at Giddings Hall, located at 104 East Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 behind the police station. The speakers for the conference will be Dave Noble, apiarist at Stratford Ecological Center, John Schwartz, commercial beekeeper and OTS Queen Rearing expert and Melanie Seal co-owner of Blue Sky Bee Supply Ltd. Light Lunch Provided.

For more information or to RSVP call Sharon at 440-576- 8818 or e-mail sjriccio@yahoo.com. Cost $20.00 per person. For more information visit: https://www.facebook. com/AshtabulaCountyBeekeepersAssoc/

The Oregon State Beekeepers Association will hold its annual fall conference on October 25, 26 & 27 2019 at the Florence Convention Center in Florence, Oregon.

Speakers include Dr. Priya Chakrabarti, Oregon State University, Dr. Jay Evens, USDA-ARS, Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Washington State University, Melanie Kirby, Washington State University, Dr. Andony Melathopoulos, Oregon State University, Micheal Palmer, French Hill Apiaries, Dr. Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State University Honey Bee lab, and much more.

There will be a large vendors area on Saturday and Sunday. For more information go to www.orsba.org

Join us for a day with the world’s leading bee scientist Dr. Tom Seeley and a full time natural beekeeper Dr. Leo Sharashkin. Your views on bees and beekeeping will never be the same after you hear them present! Discover the science and keys to success in natual beekeeping.

Please join us for an exciting weekend of beekeeping fun! There will be great speakers, hands-on learning opportunities, honey tastings, a Texas honey and mead competition, Texas Master Beekeeper testing, live auctions, and vendors to satisfy all your beekeeping needs and wants! Reserve your spot today and join us for this buzz-worthy event!

Kim Lehman, Tanya Phillips and other knowledgeable academic practical Texas Beekeepers.

The Fall VSBA meeting will be Saturday Nov. 2, 2019 at the Blue Ridge Community College in Weyer’s Cave, VA and feature Dr. Heather Matilla, Dr. Alison McAfee and Jerry Hayes. For more information see: https://www. virginiabeekeepers.org/.

Of all the things about this world I learn I watch I grow Above the clouds, below the sea There’s more than I can know

In between exists a life I hear I sense I see The trivial, mundane pursuits Of the humble honey bee

Around the hive she moves about She lives She breathes She flies Cleaning, collecting, protecting She works until she dies

I don’t think about her often I walk I run I race My life is all consuming My frantic hectic pace

Yet I rely upon her work I eat I drink I live And on through my indulgent life I take but do not give

I need to show compassion I care I save I plea For my life hangs from the wings Of the humble honey bee