AFB Vaccine Explanation
Honey Bee Suite (Rusty Burlew) has posted an easy-to-understand explanation about the new AFB vaccine that was recently announced.
The vaccine is not 100% effective but Rusty explains that as well as how a honey bee's immune system works in general and how the new vaccine works: How much will the new AFB vaccine help honey bees?
Gund Apis Fund News
UVM's Samantha AlgerDr. Samantha Alger, Director of the Vermont Bee Lab tells us the Gund Apis Fund proposal the Vermont Beekeepers Association helped develop was successful in obtaining funding:
"Big thanks to VBA for your support with this proposal and along the way. The pesticide data we presented in the proposal was made possible by VBA support and served as the basis for our ask to continue this work! The Gund Apis Fund will help to form the Vermont Pollinator Working Group. This group will launch with two initiatives: 1. native pollinator awareness campaign for Vermont farmers and 2. research and advocacy campaign to tackle Vermont's weak policies on nenonics. Included is $10K for more pesticide testing!"
The Vermont Pollinator Working Group is led by UVM bee experts Samantha Alger (who serves on the VBA Advisory Board), Extension's Laura Johnson (who is VBA's Membership Secretary), and Spencer Hardy of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Details on the announcement are available here.
If You Missed the Small Hive Beetle Workshop...
Presented by Atreya Manaswi - a 10th grade student at Orlando Science High School in Orlando, FL. He has been involved in university level laboratory academic research since the age of twelve and has won regional, national, and international awards for his extensive honey bee conservation research.
His presentation: Cost Effective Control of Small Hive Beetles is available online. Simply login to the VBA site and look for Past Workshop & Events Recordings (Login required) under the Calendar menu.
Foulbrood Guide Update
The Honey Bee Health Coalition has released a new edition of its guide, "Identifying and Mitigating Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies and Reducing the Use of Antibiotics: Information for Beekeepers and Veterinarians."
The guide provides information on identifying, testing for, and mitigating American and European foulbrood.
In Memoriam:
Merril Tittemore
The Vermont Beekeepers Association is sad to report the passing of longtime beekeeper Merril Tittemore of St. Albans. He was a master beekeeper, earning the Vermont Beekeepers Association Beekeeper of the Year Award in 2017 and a "mentor to scores of people who had an interest or passion to learn from one of the best." Most recently he was recognized at the VBA Summer Meeting in September 2022 for his work as a mentor.
More information on his life is available here.
Recognizing Beekeepers
At the 2022 Summer meeting, the Vermont Beekeepers Association (VBA) recognized several people for their outstanding efforts supporting beekeeping, beekeepers, or honey bees
Mentor/mentee pair recipients Jeff Battaglini and Charlotte Neeves, left. Recognition Committee members, Fred Putnam and Anne Bowers, right, made the presentations.. The VBA also encourages participation in the Vermont Beekeeper Certification program.
There are two new Vermont Certified Beekeepers – Deb Pasho of Hartland and Eric Duncan of Corinth. Congrats to both of you for completing the steps needed to attain this distinction!
There were three other categories of recognition: Mentor/Mentee pair, Friend of the Bees, and Mission Superhero(s):
Mentor/Mentee Pairs: Jeff Battaglini and Charlotte Neeves and Merril Tittemore and Matt Callahan for their outstanding and successful efforts at teaching, learning, and helping each other. These are examples of great initiative on the part of the mentees and excellent guidance by the mentors.