Vermont Beekeepers Association

Apiology

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

Varroa destructor: A Complex Parasite, Crippling Honey Bees Worldwide

Varroa is also a highly efficient vector of honey bee viruses and drives changes in virus distribution, prevalence, and virulence.

More:Varroa Vector

Effect of Bodily Fluids from Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Larvae on Growth and Genome-Wide Transcriptional Response of the Causal Agent of American Foulbrood Disease (Paenibacillus larvae)

Paenibacillus larvae, the causal agent of American Foulbrood Disease (AFB), affect honey bee health worldwide.

More:AFB

Efficacy in the Varroa Mite, Varroa destructor, within commercial beekeeping operations

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the associated viruses it transmits are responsible for most instances of honey bee colony losses in the United States. As such, beekeepers utilize miticides to control Varroa populations. Widespread resistance has developed to the miticides fluvalinate and coumaphos. However, Varroa has largely maintained susceptibility to amitraz despite a long and extensive use history.

More:Amitraz

Coronavirus stings world's top honey makers with China beekeepers locked down

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beekeepers in China, the world's top honey producer, are bracing for a bleak start to the key spring pollinating season as travel curbs aimed at containing a coronavirus outbreak keep them at home while their bees go without food for weeks.

More: CoronaVirus

Functional Properties of Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly

Honey, propolis, and royal jelly, products originating in the beehive, are attractive ingredients for healthy foods. Honey has been used since ancient times as part of traditional medicine.

More: Propolis

What You Need to Know (And What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD

You may have noticed that cannabidiol (CBD) seems to be available almost everywhere, and marketed as a variety of products including drugs, food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and animal health products.

More:Cannabis

A mathematical model of honey bee colony dynamics to predict the effect of pollen on colony failure

The decline in colony populations of the honey bee, known as the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is a global concern. Numerous studies have reported possible causes, including pesticides, parasites, and nutritional stress.

More: Pollen Model

Beekeeping in Vermont

Beekeeper Basics at CVU

Have you thought about keeping bees? This is the opportunity to learn more about these vital and fascinating creatures providing so much of our food. The instructors have over 50 years of experience among them. The three sessions will enlighten, and maybe inspire, you to start a few hives of your own or learn more about your bee passion. Plenty of question-and-answer time and all the info needed to start your own operation. Visit the CVUHS website and search for Beekeeping!

Instructor: Vermont Beekeepers Association's Bill Mares & Kate Blofson Fee: $45 Limit: 30

Details: Last Updated: 09 January 2019 09 January 2019

2019 VBA Winter Meeting Agenda

Agenda for VBA Winter Meeting

January 29, 2019

Location: Essex Junction Fairgrounds - Blue Ribbon Pavilion
Miller North Conference Rooms A & B

Details: Last Updated: 02 January 2019 02 January 2019

Photos Requested

For our book on Vermont beekeeping history, we are looking for any digital photos of hive damage from Hurricane Irene.

If you have any, please send to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thanks,

Bill Mares and Ross Conrad

Details: Last Updated: 29 December 2018 29 December 2018

VBA Gets a Nod in New Vermont Video

Details: Last Updated: 29 November 2018 29 November 2018

The Secret to Better Berries? Wild Bees

First study to reveal wild bees’ impacts on blueberry size, quality from UVM's Gund Institute for Environment.

Want bigger, faster-growing blueberries? New research shows wild bees are an essential secret ingredient in larger and better blueberry yields – producing plumper, faster-ripening berries.

Details: Last Updated: 01 December 2018 01 December 2018

Summer 2019 Keynote Speaker Announced

Humberto Boncristiani, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Vermont Beekeepers Association Summer 2019 meeting on July 13.

Dr. Boncristiani is the honey bee husbandry applied researcher at the University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab. Boncristiani has a diverse background in honey bee research, having worked in a government institution (USDA), academia (UNCG, UMD), private industry, with the National Research Council, and having come from a beekeeping family. At the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab, Boncristiani conducts honey bee husbandry research that is directly applicable to commercial beekeeper operations in the state of Florida and across the country.

Details: Last Updated: 29 November 2018 29 November 2018

Treatment Free Beekeeping from Ross Conrad

A great finale to the 2018 ACBA season with Ross Conrad presenting his approach to treatment free beekeeping. Forty guests coming from Fairfax, Chelsea, Addison County and even Massachusetts...

Special shout out to the UVM bee club for coming on down to our meeting.#honeybee #vba.

More pictures on our Facebook page.

Details: Last Updated: 25 October 2018 25 October 2018

Support Request for the Vermont Bee Research Team

Dear Vermont Beekeepers,

In December 2016, we appealed to the beekeeping community to make a donation through Experiment.com to support a research project on effects of migratory beekeeping practices on honey bee disease (link). We were fortunate to receive enough support to conduct an experiment in which we compared disease loads in a group of stationary hives with those in a group we sent to California for almond pollination. We have some very interesting results with real-world applications to improve honey bee health, and are excited to report that a manuscript describing this work is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal!

Details: Last Updated: 17 October 2018 17 October 2018