Vermont Beekeepers Association

Apiology

Apiology – (from Latin apis, "bee"; and Ancient Greek -λογία, -logia) is the scientific study of honey bees.

Queen cells acceptance rate and royal jelly production in worker honey bees of two Apis mellifera races

Royal jelly (RJ) is an acidic yellowish-white secretion of worker honey bee glands, used as food material of worker bee larvae for the first three days and queen bee larvae for the entire life. It is commercially used in cosmetics and medicinal industry in various parts of the world.

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Making honey without bees and milk without cows

It's not unusual for vegans to miss certain foods. What is unusual, though, is Mr Mandich's solution: to create a type of honey, identical to the natural kind in every molecule, but produced without involving any bees at all.

More: VeganHoney

Early-life experience affects honey bee aggression and resilience to immune challenge

arly-life social experiences cause lasting changes in behavior and health for a variety of animals including humans, but it is not well understood how social information ‘‘gets under the skin’’ resulting in these effects.

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Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expression

Gene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the activity of neural circuitry associated with behavioral expression.

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A model of infection in honeybee colonies with social immunity

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) play a significant role in the pollination of various food crops and plants. In the past decades, honeybee management has been challenged with increased pathogen and environmental pressure associating with increased beekeeping costs, having a marked economic impact on the beekeeping industry.

More: Infection

Testing the effect of pollen exine rupture on metabarcoding with Illumina sequencing

Pollen metabarcoding has received much attention recently for its potential to increase taxonomic resolution of the identifications of pollen grains necessary for various public health, ecological and environmental inquiry.

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A Look into the Cell: Honey Storage in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera

Honey bees, Apis species, obtain carbohydrates from nectar and honeydew. These resources are ripened into honey in wax cells that are capped for long-term storage. These stores are used to overcome dearth periods when foraging is not possible.

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Beekeeping in Vermont

Should You Keep Bees?

Bill Mares and Brooke Decker pass along this recent article from Michigan State University's College of Natural Science and the Michigan Pollinator Initiative. It poses an interesting question as it discusses how keeping bees may not be the best way to help bees. Should you keep bees?

Details: Last Updated: 03 April 2021 03 April 2021

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept new and modified
CFAP 2 applications beginning April 5.

Has your operation been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? USDA is implementing updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program for producers of agricultural commodities marketed in 2020 who faced market disruptions due to COVID-19. This is part of a larger initiative to improve USDA pandemic assistance to producers.

Details: Last Updated: 25 March 2021 25 March 2021

Help Wanted - Seasonal Apiary Inspector

Brooke Decker, the Pollinator Health Specialist/ State Apiculturist with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) passes along the following temporary employment opportunity:

"The VAAFM Apiary Program is seeking a qualified candidate to assist with the duties of the Apiary Inspection Program. Primary duties include inspecting bee hives for regulated diseases, pests and parasites and light office work. Depending on experience and skill, the candidate may also be asked to provide educational opportunities for Vermont beekeepers. We have a strong preference for candidates with prior beekeeping experience & education."

Learn more and apply for the position online.

Details: Last Updated: 18 March 2021 18 March 2021

2020 VBA Beekeeper Census/Survey

The Vermont Beekeepers Association (VBA) has prepared a beekeeper census/survey in collaboration with the Vermont Bee Lab and the State Apiculturist/Pollinator Health Specialist. The purpose of this census/survey is to better understand beekeeping management actions and how those actions affect colony survival related to geographic locations in Vermont. It will also help us obtain a general understanding of honey yields and some miscellaneous but pertinent topics statewide.

Details: Last Updated: 28 March 2021 28 March 2021

New Beekeeper? - A Reminder

Actually, a reminder for all as spring approaches...

Please become familiar with the laws applicable to beekeeping in Vermont. The Vermont Apiary Program website includes useful information and necessary registration forms.

"As required by Vermont Statute, Title 6, Chapter 172,

"§ 3022 & 3023. A person who is the owner of any bees, apiary, colony, or hive in the State shall register with the Secretary in writing on a form provided by the Secretary...and shall pay a $10.00 annual registration fee for each apiary location.

"Registration for new Apiaries is due upon ownership of bees. Renewal period is open from June 1st through June 30th each year."

Apiary Registration Form

Importing Honey Bees and used beekeeping equipment into Vermont

"Beekeepers bringing honey bees and/ or used beekeeping equipment into Vermont from out-of-state are required to first fill out the Hive Import Form, a minimum of 14 days prior to intended import into Vermont. Beekeepers will be provided with an Import Permit, after the application has been reviewed and a valid Health certificate from the state of origin is provided."

Details: Last Updated: 13 March 2021 13 March 2021

What Does the New Ruling on Oxalic Acid in Honey Mean?

On February 23, 2021 the FDA finalized a ruling that establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of oxalic acid in honey and honeycomb. This post on the Bee Informed website from Meghan Milbrath helps clarify some of the confusion.

Details: Last Updated: 11 March 2021 11 March 2021