Vermont Beekeepers Association

Apiology

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

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.

More:Pollen Rupture

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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Altering social cue perception impacts honey bee aggression with minimal impacts on aggression-related brain gene expressionGene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the acti

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. In honey bees, social cues broadly modulate aggressive behavior and brain gene expression.

More:Bee Social Cue Perception

A pan-European epidemiological study reveals honey bee colony survival depends on beekeeper education and disease control

Reports of honey bee population decline have spurred many national efforts to understand the extent of the problem and to identify causative or associated factors. However, our collective understanding of the factors has been hampered by a lack of joined-up trans-national effort.

More: Colony Survival

Etruscans Transported Bees by Boat to Reach the Best Flowers!

The discovery of an ancient Etruscan honey harvesting workshop at Focello in Italy, and the analysis of charred remains unearthed at the site, has let archaeologists to propose a remarkable hypothesis. Of all the Etruscan techniques, skills, and social norms discovered to date, Etruscan bee boats are a unique beekeeping and honey manufacturing system and a testament to humanity’s obsession with honey.

More:Bee Boats

Control of the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae in honey bees (Apis mellifera) using nutraceutical and immuno-stimulatory compounds

nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite that causes nosemosis in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). As alternatives to the antibiotic fumagillin, ten nutraceuticals (oregano oil, thymol, carvacrol, trans-cinnmaldehyde, tetrahydrocurcumin, sulforaphane, naringenin, embelin, allyl sulfide, hydroxytyrosol) and two immuno-stimulatory compounds (chitosan, poly I:C) were examined for controlling N. ceranae infections.

More: Nosema

Beekeeping in Vermont

Reversing Workshop Available Online

If you missed our Zoom workshop on May 20, 2020, Andrew Munkres, VBA Vice-President presented on reversing and other mid-Spring related beekeeping topics. Scott Wilson,VBA Membership Secretary moderated.

To view the presentation recording, look on the VBA website under the Become a Beekeeper menu, then Education, Classes & Workshops for our recorded webinars. (Or, to make things easier simply go to www.vermontbeekeepers.org/webinars - login required.) VBA's first webinar, Post-Winter Colony Deadout Diagnosis and Spring Actions - Bill Mares Presenter, is also available for view.

Details: Last Updated: 21 May 2020 21 May 2020

VBA Summer Meeting Postponed Due to COVID-19 Concerns

Greetings fellow VBA members,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to adhere to current state mandated guidelines The Vermont Beekeepers Association (VBA) Summer meeting is postponed from July 11, 2020 to October 17, 2020. The Board of Directors realizes the meeting is still 2 months away and that social conditions as well as State guidelines may change. But, the Board of Directors feels it prudent to make this decision now based on the current state thus allowing members to plan accordingly.

The VBA business meeting that typically occurs during the Summer meeting will be conducted during the October meeting. If COVID-19 State guidelines continue into October the VBA intends to host an online beekeeping related informational meeting coupled with the business meeting.

The location remains at the Brandon Town Hall.

Sincerely,

Scott Wilson

VBA Membership Secretary

Details: Last Updated: 30 April 2020 30 April 2020

Winter Deadout Diagnosis Guide

Bill Mares at tonight's online presentation on the subject of Winter Deadouts, which included a variety of questions from attendees statewide. bmares2020 04 23

The document used in the April 23rd Online Workshop - Winter Deadout Diagnosis Guide - is available for download.

VBA will continue to provide online workshops in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Details: Last Updated: 24 April 2020 24 April 2020

A Message From the Vermont Bee Lab

Hello Beekeepers, The Vermont Bee Lab is postponing its diagnostic services at this time. We are hopeful we will be up and running later this summer or fall- so hang on to those sample containers! We will keep VBA members posted as the University's work and travel guidelines evolve. Please continue to monitor our website for future updates.

Thank you all for your support and bee well!

🐝 http://vermontbeelab.com/

Details: Last Updated: 22 April 2020 22 April 2020

Minding My Own Beeswax

by Jeanne Davis

I’ve been thinking about the quality of beeswax for quite a while and I’d like to share some of my developing ideas here. I keep 10-15 colonies of bees in two bee yards in southwest Vermont. My colonies consist of 3 medium hive bodies and shallow honey supers. In 2008 I started thinking a lot about the nature of beeswax to act as a sponge, holding environmental and intentional (beekeeper applied) chemicals. I had already been rotating out older combs but now proceeded to do it more regularly. I marked each frame with the year it was first employed and this helped me see which ones to cycle out first. Over time I’ve pulled out old frames so that I am on a 4=5 year cycle of replacement.

Details: Last Updated: 26 March 2020 26 March 2020

Vermont Beekeepers & COVID-19

The Vermont Beekeepers Association is watching the COVID-19 situation and will provide updates on this page.

At this time, all North & South Yard Beekeeping Workshops have been cancelled until further notice.

If you are ill and are unable to care for your colonies for any reason, you should reach out via the VBA web page forum (login required) to seek help in caring for them. The State bee inspector, Brooke Decker, encourages beekeepers to seek assistance and to be certain that colonies are cared for even if the owner become incapacitated.

Details: Last Updated: 29 September 2020 29 September 2020