2024 February 10 MEETING – MARYLAND STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

DAY: Saturday, Febuary 10, 2024
TIME: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
WHERE: BOTH In-Person and via ZOOM. (HYBRID)
In-Person Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB), 1000 Hilltop Cir, Baltimore, MD 21250
LEARN - TONS! Insulating Hives, Pollen, Breeding, Drones, Yellow Legged Hornets & More
SPEAKERS - Bill Hesbach, Garett Slater, Cybil Preston, & MORE

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2024 February 10 Meeting SCHEDULE

WHEN	WHAT	WHO
8:30 AM	Refreshments, Coffee, Donuts, etc.
9:00 AM	Opening and Welcome	Mary Laura Fitzgerald, President
9:15 AM	Why Vaccinate Your Bees for AFB?	Nathan Reid of Dalan Animal Health, EAS Master Beekeeper
9:30 AM	Genomic Breeding	Dr. Garett Slater, USDA and University of Minnesota VIA ZOOM
10:30AM	Pollen	Bill Hesbach, of Wing Dance Apiaries, EAS Master Beekeeper
11:30 AM	Yellow Legged Hornets: The Georgia Experience	Christopher Adams of the Georgia Department of Agriculture VIA ZOOM
12 Noon	EAS 2024 in Maryland: Updates and Announcements	David Morris, former MSBA President, EAS Master Beekeeper, President EAS 2024
12:15 PM	Lunch	Bring your own or visit UMBC Commons (next door)
1:00 PM	Maryland Apiary Inspector's Report	Cybil Preston, MD State Inspector
1:30 PM	Thermoregulation and Ventilation	Bill Hesbach, of Wing Dance Apiaries, EAS Master Beekeeper
2:30 PM	My Drone Research	Dr. Garett Slater, USDA and University of Minnesota VIA ZOOM
3:30 PM	Adjourn	Mary Laura Fitzgerald, President

DOOR PRIZE!
A copy of "Hive Tour:
The Insider's Guide to Honey Bees"
will be awarded in the morning!

Bill Hesbach's Two Talks

Thermoregulation and Ventilation

The talk starts with how bees control the internal hive temperature during winter using thermoregulation and what effect that has on the colony. Then, we discuss convection flows inside a colony as a precursor to understanding ventilation. In the final segment, I introduce the concept of a condensing colony versus the more common practice of adding winter ventilation. Participants will better understand the roles that thermoregulation and ventilation play in a natural hive environment.

Pollen

Pollen, the miraculous germ cell of plants and the primary protein nutrient for bees, is the fertility key to every flowering plant and tree in the world. In this talk, we discuss how bees transfer pollen during pollination and how it’s digested as a protein source. Illustrated by striking photos, it’s a visual journey that will inform participants in ways that increase the joy of observing pollen on native plants, on the hind legs of bees, and stored as bee bread in cells.

Bill's Bio

Bill Hesbach is a Connecticut native with a background in engineering.
He's an Eastern Apicultural Society Certified Master Beekeeper, a graduate of the University of Montana's master beekeeping program, and the President of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association.

Bill also operates a sideline bee business called Wing Dance Apiary in Cheshire, CT., producing artisanal raw honey and other natural hive products.

Bill teaches bee biology and various beekeeping methods at meetings hosted by regional beekeeping clubs. Bill is an active member of the Eastern Apicultural Society, where he is part of the Master Beekeeper Certification program. Bill is a regular guest speaker at national beekeeping seminars and was presented with the Distinguished Speaker Award at the 2019 EAS conference.

His special interests in beekeeping include bee biology, flight, and the connection between local flora and bee behavior. He's a published author, and his articles on beekeeping appear in The American Bee Journal and Bee Culture magazines.

Bill's book "Splits and Varroa" is available from Northern Bee Books HERE

Garett Slater's Two Talks

Genomic Breeding

The field of genomics has experienced groundbreaking advancements in livestock breeding, revolutionizing trait selection and enhancement for various animal species. In sectors like cattle, pigs, and poultry, genomics has accelerated breeding programs by precisely identifying genetic markers linked to desirable traits. This knowledge enables breeders to make well-informed decisions, resulting in more focused and efficient strategies. These advancements have significantly improved livestock productivity, disease resistance, and other crucial characteristics. However, while genomics has shown great success in other agricultural contexts, its integration into honey bee breeding programs remains somewhat limited. Despite honey bees' critical role in pollination and ecosystem health, there is potential for expanding and developing genomics-driven breeding strategies. In this talk, I discuss strategies to implement genomics into breeding.

My Drone Research

Among the largest threats to colony health is queen failure. Shockingly, as many as 50% of commercial queens fail within 6 months. Beekeeper production relies on high quality queens, so queen failure is of deep importance to beekeepers and researchers alike. While much energy has focused on queen aspects of failure, we are increasingly discovering that drones play a more important role in queen quality than originally expected. Of drones which are sexually mature, as few as one in ten may be able to produce enough sperm to successfully inseminate a queen. If drones are not producing healthy sperm, their mates will not produce healthy colonies. Despite this, we have very little understanding of precisely why drone reproductive quality is low. In this talk, I will discuss drone biology, causes of poor drones, and what beekeepers can do to mitigate poor drone quality

Garett's Bio

Garett Slater is a Postdoctoral Fellow for the USDA. He obtained his PhD from Purdue University in 2022, with a thesis focused on applying modern genetic tools to honey bee breeding. Previously, he completed a MS in Nutrition and Queen Quality at North Dakota State University. Garett’s current research focuses on developing genomic tools for beekeeping, including selecting for natural defenses towards Varroa, pathogens, and other diseases. He has worked as a scientist and technician with the Bee Informed Partnership at the University of Minnesota for two years, directly supporting 30 commercial beekeepers in North Dakota. Garett has 12 years of beekeeping experience, including 8 years working for a large commercial beekeeper in North Dakota.

YELLOW LEGGED HORNET

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will give MSBA a private update on Vespa velutina - the Yellow-Legged Hornet (Formerly call the "Asian Hornet")
The first confirmed detection of a live Yellow-Legged Hornet was August 2023 Savannah, Georgia. The yellow-legged hornet poses a threat to honey bees and other pollinators.
Join our meeting to learn the latest. And if YOU spot one, HERE is where to report it.