Printable edition

President's Message

• President’s Message, June 2024

  In exactly two months, Maryland will play host to one of the great beekeeping events each year, the Eastern Apiculture Society’s (EAS) annual conference. I always feel like it’s beekeeping Disneyland – one week with so many things to see and take in, opportunities to learn and chances to have fun. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes you can get around in. You are going to be busy! Speakers are world class, research is cutting edge, and solid practical information solves problems for you.

  And the best part is that you are surrounded by hundreds of beekeepers! You know how the eyes of all your friends and family glaze over after a polite interval when you start to talk about bees? That doesn’t happen at EAS! Instead, people listen, and people share (no matter what their level of beekeeping). Your conversation might be a commiseration with someone having the same trouble you have been having, or a major bee lab researcher with an idea on the issue, or a vendor with a solution. You can learn as much from the networking as the formal presentations and start some lifelong beekeeping friendships.

  It’s not ALL work and no play though. There are casual social opportunities with events like the Picnic evening, which will be a feast at Larriland Farm this year, and a BBQ night the next evening. The Bee Olympics are a hoot. Join in and test your skills. Previous years have included drone spitting, frame assembly and smoker lighting. The Live Auction is also a lot of fun, and a great way to snag some hotly contested fun items. It’s also the place to receive your Honey Show winnings, because you know you have some quality items to enter. The final night features a banquet with entertainment, and the announcement of our new EAS Master Beekeepers. The hard working, hard studying Maryland Master Beekeeper candidates have had a strong showing for the past few years, and we are expecting great things from them again this year.

  Next year, EAS will be in Detroit. This year is the closest it will be for a while, and the perfect opportunity to see what all the excitement is about. Come for the week, or just for the two-day short course, or the three day conference. Volunteer to get a little bit of your registration fee back. Or dive in to the whole wonderful weeklong experience. See you there!

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Notes from the Apiary Inspector

• Notes from the Apiary Inspector, June 2024

  

  

  Happy Summer!

  Our weather has been SUPER unpredictable: with fluctuating temps and weekly precipitation, it has been quite challenging. What a crazy Spring! 

  On the first sunny day after several days of rain, we received many swarm calls.Both primary swarms and residual swarms seem to be a very common theme this year, along with "I think I am queenless."  We could ask ourselves, "Did they get a mating flight or were they poorly mated?"???????????"

  Apiary Inspectors and inspections are in FULL swing. We had a large number of nuc inspection requests this year.   This year's overwintering numbers seem better than this year: my thought on this is that beekeepers managed better varroa control.  

  New Product Approvals

  

  Two new varroa control products have been approved for use here in Maryland.  Both are different forms of Oxalic acid.  

  • VarroxSan: an extended release Oxalic acid strip
  • Ez-OX: oxalic acid premeasured tablets.  

  Both of these products have the same active ingredient, but have a different mode of action.

  Get Your Free Mite Test Kits!

  MDA has received a grant to purchase Mite-check-kits, and my office is now filled with cases of them. We will be trying to get out to each local beekeeping club at some point this season to give away free Mite-check kits to every registered beekeeper.  

  It's Survey Season!

  

  Maryland Apiary Inspectors will again participate in the National Honeybee Survey. We are looking for beekeepers with 8 or more beehives in the same location who would be willing and wanting to participate.  Survey participation is free of charge: an inspector will take 1/3 cup samples of bees from each colony, and beeswax for the double sampling. Tests are run on the samples and the beekeeper will later get a print out and run down of hive issues and virus presence and prevalence. Anyone wishing to participate should contact me. Cybil.preston@maryland.gov.

  Invasive Surveillance

  MDA has placed swarm traps and baited invasive traps out at several locations at both the Port of Baltimore and at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. The swarm lures and sugar bait are refreshed bi-weekly! We are looking for any invasives, mostly of the asian hornet variety.  

  Maryland State Fair

  

  I would like to encourage the local Beekeeping associations and ALL beekeepers to enter Club displays and educational exhibits in The Maryland State Fair. The Maryland State Fair exhibits will be accepted Sunday, August 18, 2024, from 3PM to 8PM, and Monday, August 19 2024, from 9AM to 7PM. Honey judging will be on Tuesday 8/20/2024. 

  The Maryland State Fair will open 3 weekends, AUGUST 22 - 25 | AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 2 | SEPTEMBER 5 - 8 opening on Thursday 8/22/2024 and remaining open until 9/8/2024.  Consider taking some time this summer to prepare your entries for the EAS honey show, then for The State Fair!  

  AFB Dogs

  

  The honeybee disease detector dogs are now on VACATION. Mack has worked 9 winters for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. He will officially retire June 30th, and will be enjoying the pool and lounging on his temperpedic dog bed to reflect on his 63 dog years of hard work. Mack will be getting the best care that I have to offer since he gave me his best for those nine seasons.      

  Cybil Preston
  Chief Apiary Inspector
  State Apiarist
  EAS Certified Master Beekeeper
  Certified Maryland Honey Judge
  Maryland Department of Agriculture
  50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
  Annapolis, Maryland 21401
  cybil.preston@maryland.gov
  (410) 841-5920(O)
  (410) 562-3464 (M)
  Website 

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

June 8 Meeting

• 2024 June 08 MEETING

  DAY: Saturday, June 8, 2024
  TIME: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
  WHERE: BOTH In-Person and via ZOOM. (HYBRID)
  In-Person Location: University of Maryland, College Park, Plant Sciences Building, Room PLS 1140. Parking garage across the street is open and FREE!
  LEARN - TONS!
  SPEAKERS - David Peck, Rogan Tokach, Cybil Preston, & MORE

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  Note: BOTH Speakers will be present in-person!

  You are not logged in. Please login TO VIEW THE RECORDING. Thanks!

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

  

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  TOPICS

  The Infamous Tropilaelaps mites by Rogan Tokach
  Understanding the biology, monitoring, and management of the mite garnering increased attention.

  Tropilaelaps mercedesae is a parasitic mite on western honey bees causing increased concern as it continues its global expansion being discovered in new geographic areas. This talk goes into detail about the mite’s biology and life cycle, how it causes harm to honey bee colonies, and addresses current monitoring efforts being undertaken here in the US to determine rapid detection. The talk finishes up describing the different management practices that can be utilized to assist in control of this parasitic mite threat.

  Beekeeping in Thailand vs the US Rogan Tokach
  Come hear about how beekeeping in Thailand differs from in the United States. This talk focuses on Thai mite management, dealing with wasps feeding on colonies, and also covers the interesting dynamics of working with different honey bee species.

  The Changing Legal Status of Oxalic Acid (Including Extended-release OA Pads for Varroa Control) by David Peck, PhD
  We'll discuss the current labeling for oxalic acid as a honey bee miticide, and explore new research on dosage and administration methods expand the use of OA in beekeeping at both commercial scales and smaller scales.  Some discussion of the EPA's labelling laws, and how they affect beekeepers, will be included, as well as a discussion of new and upcoming products that use oxalic acid to fight varroa mites. 

  Understanding Honey Bee Nutrition by Studying Digestion by David Peck, PhD
  What should my bees be eating?  What shouldn't they eat?  How does the honey bee digestive tract process and absorb nutrients from what the bees consume?  What are the dietary needs of different bees at different times in their lives?  What stressors, like pesticides or pathogens, can affect our bees' digestion?  By exploring how a honey bee's body absorbs what it eats, perhaps we can gain insights into what nutritional aids our bees may want or need from us. 

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  SPEAKER BIOs

  David Peck, PhD

  Dr. Peck is the Director of Research and Education at Betterbee in Greenwich, NY, where he assists in product development and research, and also teaches classes and develops scientifically-sound educational materials. His doctoral work in Cornell University's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior was supervised by Professor Tom Seeley. His dissertation research focused on the transmission of mites between bee colonies, as well as the mite-resistance traits of the untreated honey bees living in Cornell's Arnot Forest.

  After earning his degree, he has continued to research varroa/bee interactions, including fieldwork in Newfoundland, Canada (where varroa still have not arrived) and Anosy Madagascar (where varroa arrived only in 2010 or 2011). He has served as a teaching postdoctoral fellow in Cornell's Department of Entomology, and is still affiliated with Cornell through the Honey Bee Health program in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Peck has kept bees for more than a decade, though his home apiary is often full of mite-riddled research colonies so he doesn't usually produce much honey. 

  

  

  Rogan Tokach

  Rogan Tokach is a PhD student at Auburn University under Dr. Geoff Williams. His research focuses on developing sustainable parasitic mite management strategies for beekeepers. His work in Auburn involves finding alternative treatment options for amitraz resistant Varroa mites. He has also had the opportunity to travel to Thailand to conduct research dedicated to filling knowledge gaps concerning Tropilaelaps mite management and dispersal. Rogan completed his master’s degree at University of Nebraska-Lincoln under Dr. Autumn Smart and Dr. Judy Wu-Smart where he studied the impacts a pesticide contaminated environment had on honey bee colony functions. Rogan has 14 years of beekeeping experience as a hobbyist, and researcher.

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  REGISTRATION is OPEN for the 2024 EAS Conference. This is a Not-To-Be-Missed event. It hasn't been in Maryland for 20 years. Check out this video to see what is in store!

  EAS CONFERENCE IS COMING TO MD! AUG 5-9

  ZOOM DETAILS

  Join Zoom Meeting 
  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3634766759?pwd=Vm9SSWFnS0ZKRWlKdWc0YnVrQi83Zz09&omn=84614802043

  Meeting ID: 363 476 6759 
  Passcode: 119523 

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  One tap mobile 
  +13017158592,,3634766759#,,,,*119523# US (Washington DC) 
  +13092053325,,3634766759#,,,,*119523# US 

  Meeting ID: 363 476 6759 
  Passcode: 119523 

  Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdEiSulivW

EAS 2024 In Ellicott City, August 5-9

• EAS 2024 in Ellicott City, Maryland August 5-9 – Registration is closed.

  Watch this 4 minute video preview of EAS 2024 in Maryland!

  (crank up the volume!)

  

  Have you registered for the EAS 2024 Short Course and Conference? In less than two months Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City will be swarming with beekeepers from hither and yon, from Canada to California, and even overseas.

  Registration closes on July 1. You must be a member to register.

  EAS is recognized for its three missions: education, research, and Master Beekeepers. The two-day Short Course (Aug 5-6) provides 16 hours of excellent classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. But wait, there’s more! The microscopy lab leads you through a detailed examination of honey bee anatomy, including dissecting queens. The queen rearing class takes you through advanced queen rearing. Our apiary, right out the back door, provides hands on demos and time to ask practical questions of wizened experts.

  

  We are introducing the “Deep Dive” class this year. Think of these as in-depth seminars on specific topics: honey show judging, honey bee biology, increases with splits and nucs, and varroa and legal treatments. What is different, and we believe special, is the thorough coverage. For example, instead learning about Varroa from lectures and classes at different meetings throughout the year, as is par for the course, you will gain a thorough and comprehensive understanding in one class. We’re Maryland beekeepers; we’re bold; we’re willing to try new approaches and the Deep Dive is our bold new attempt to provide a better lesson.

  The three-day Conference (Aug 7-9) is equally jam-packed with potential to improve your bee and beekeeping knowledge as well as beekeeping and bee crafting skills. There will be more energy and activity than bees in a swarm!  Mornings begin with internationally known keynote speakers and afternoons offer a broad and diverse set of workshops and classes.

  Did you know EAS has budgeted $20,000 in 2024 for honey bee research grants? This is seed money for researchers to show larger grant organizations that the largest non-commercial beekeepers’ organization has reviewed and vetted the proposal and put their money where their mouth is. EAS also provides additional money for scholarships, recognition for excellent student research, as well as recognizing excellence in apicultural education and public outreach. All of this is supported by donations and profits from the Conference.

  The EAS Master Beekeeper program not only tests applicants at the Conference, but many MBs teach classes during the Short Course and the Conference. Up your beekeeping game and see what it means to be an EAS Master Beekeeper.

  Our vendor hall will let you see real equipment first-hand. Some suppliers even will let you order online for free delivery at EAS! Have something big in mind?? Here’s your chance! 

  And, finally, beekeepers will have fun! There are social events, planned and unplanned every evening. Make new friends, learn new tricks, share ideas over dinner and a few drinks.

  Check the EAS schedule on the MSBA or EAS web pages. 

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Catholic University Solar Farm Includes Bees

• Catholic University Solar Array Includes Apiary

  

  In 2021, the Catholic University of America (CUA) committed to creating the largest solar array in Washington DC, a plan that today includes an apiary managed by Baltimore beekeeper Rob Yochem and his partner, DC beekeeper Emily Locke! Both are MSBA and DCBA members.

  This location is an urban paradise for both bees and beekeepers. The site hosts acres of native pollinator plantings and a tree canopy restoration project managed by Casey Trees, as well as natural streams and an existing forest area. The array was dedicated June 3, and serves as a model of sustainability in the District and the region.

  

  Rob and Emily moved three colonies of their own onsite in mid-May and will work with CUA to set up more of the university's own colonies in 2025.

  As solar arrays are established across our region, the successful development of beekeeper participation at CUA may provide a model, or a point of comparison, for other beekeeping opportunities in the future.

  Catholic University had several pre-existing ties to the local beekeeping community. The engineering department had previously worked with MSBA member and EAS Master Beekeeper Frank Linton on a student bee monitoring project, and the lead professor, Gregory Behrmann, ended up becoming a beekeeper himself. CUA hosted an intermediate case study class for the DC Beekeepers several years ago, and CUA students often volunteer at the nearby Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild Farm where DCBA has a major apiary.

  These established institutional relationships were critical in navigating the many steps to assure both the host and the onsite beekeepers that the apiary could function in a healthy, sustainable way, and to yield benefits for all parties. DCBA had been able to establish large offsite apiaries with public utilities, embassies, office buildings, cemeteries, and other locations in the city, and had contract examples (and lessons learned) on hand to help guide project development. The university was also more comfortable working through an incorporated 501(c)3 nonprofit, with issues like insurance, training, regulatory requirements, and access to subject matter experts covered. Maryland clubs that are aware of nearby solar farm development projects can be critical allies in expanding access to these areas for their members.

  After Catholic University's Office of Sustainability reached out seeking help from DCBA to establish an apiary, several rounds of discussion and preparation took place. DCBA asked CUA to recruit interested staff and students to take the annual beginners course in Winter 2023-4, and three students completed all requirements.

  

  Before construction took place, Rob, Emily, and Greg Osband, a landscape architect with the Office of Sustainability, walked the site. So many questions affecting the long term maintainability of an out apiary only become clear by feet on the ground, and several key needs and preparations came to light right away. It was important to put the colonies where they would not interfere with site function or mechanicals, where they would have access to water and sun,  to stay away from nearby public sidewalks or walkways, and to not be obviously visible to pedestrians outside the property. Because the project was in early days, it was also possible to request both water and power near the proposed apiary site, as well as vehicle access.

  DCBA tagged along, and offered insights on how to build ownership of the project within the CUA community, as well as potential student-led future projects that would effectively care for the bees and produce resources for the school. For example, engaging the students from the beginning in fundraising, deciding on equipment and stocks of bees, and fundraising to achieve their goals are often better for the bees and the longevity of the project than providing all of the start up resources in advance. Before that, giving CUA community members a chance to engage with the beekeeper-owned colonies onsite is incredibly valuable hands-on experience: something that is very much in demand by newbies, but often hard to provide.

  CUA also negotiated with Rob and Emily about issues including shares of harvest and continuing outreach to the university community (both students and staff) such as workshops and talks. It is absolutely critical to look at projects like this as investments in sustainability from which the host community can get both tangible and intangible benefit! Projects like this often start small, with a small number of colonies. Over time, trust and experience can lead to growth and even more creative and productive bee project ideas – a collaboration that is greater than the sum of its parts!

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  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Working a Fair or Camp? Activity Ideas!

• Working a Bee Exhibit This Summer? Here are a Couple of Resources

  by Toni Burnham

  Many of us (I hope!) will be volunteering to work fairs, summer schools, and other outreach opportunities with kids this summer, and sometimes it can seem daunting. So many of us have had more screen time than recess in the past few years!

  Make Your Observation Hive a Scavenger Hunt

  

  Sometimes it helps us to pre-plan some kind of structure for the activities you plan to do with the public: it can help them, too.

  When working with kids, I sometimes print out bunch of the PDF to the right (you can fit two on a 8.5"x11" page) and hand one to those who visit the observation hive. This form is based on a free blank template from Well Beings with Alysia, which you can download and edit to match other interests and activities.

  Recommendation: hand these out as folks approach. It helps to give people direction when they encounter the world of honey bees. Everyone already knows about the queen, but they usually don't know how she differs from other bees, or what those others might be. One of my great articles of faith is "There is always something to see in an observation hive," so I try to include activities that kids can spot. Because I have been doing instruction on the bee family and pollination, I chose larvae over trophyllaxxis, but it was a near thing. If I ever decide to add another row, it will be there, probably with capped brood.

  During classroom work, I often print these out, two to a page, and send a slip home with each kid for observational science later. At a fair or camp, however, this might not be economical (or particularly sustainable). In those cases, it is completely feasible to print out a few and laminate them, handing them to visitors and requesting them back after. You might also consider making it into a poster, and placing that near the observation hive. If you need higher resolution files in order to make a poster, please email your request to beeline@mdbeekeepers.org!

  Burr Comb and Hornet Nests

  

  Another article of faith: kids do not get to mess around with enough real-world materials, objects, phenomena, and smells. For that reason, I love to provide opportunities to paw pollinator-oriented stuff that will not survive the encounter. THE MEMORY WILL, THOUGH.

  One total show stopper at in person events is the opportunity to interact with real hornet nests, and to compare them to wax comb.

  Another truism: the average citizen calls everything a "bee," and does not get why we make such a big deal out of "no, it's not!" Giving them physical experience of major differences can change their world.

  Materials: It helps to have a complete, not-yet-messed with hornet nest on display, and to have bits and pieces of one that you will sacrifice to the event. Bring some of that burr comb or culled frames that you saved, and if you have some magnifying glasses (even super cheap ones) so much the better.

  I place bits of comb and bits of hornet paper on comb on paper plates, with a magnifying glass if possible, and invite kids to compare colors and textures and to crush and sniff and (in the case of the hornets) often look for dead former residents. Once a kid has squished wax and torn paper, they are ready to consider other ways in which these insects differ. PLUS most of these materials are free to us.

  

  Though we are at events to discuss honey bees, there are some details you might be interested in mentioning (or just knowing yourself) if you use a hornet nest dissection and destruction! While honey bees produce the wax with which they build in their bodies, hornets have to find and obtain wood pieces in the environment. Wax comb is used inside a protected space, and it changes color based on how honey bees use it over time. Hornet "paper" is outside, in the elements, and its colors come from the different sources of fiber which the hornets find. They locate dry splinters, peel them one by one, chew them into mush, and then go home and lay down a strip of mush (like paint) next to ones made by their sisters. Every color is another source, often another plant entirely. This is en enormous amount of work, and all those colors mean that the environment is a diverse and amazing place. Maybe they want to guess where each color came from!

  

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Two Summer Gear Go-Tos (and a Confession)

• Two Summer Gear Tips, and A Grudging Admission

  by Toni Burnham

  

  It's summer in the city now, and that means some gear that has been stacked on the shelf is going back in the field. For me, that means every hive will be sporting a moving-style robbing screen, and I will swap in as many ventilated inner covers as I can.

  In beekeeping, YMMV ("your mileage may vary") is not just polite conversation, but the rules of the road, so any tips we give should be considered personal sharing rather than a strong prescription!

  Moving Style Robbing Screen Pluses

  You have probably read that cities (like where I keep bees) are increasingly crowded apicultural clusters, which means that robbing is not just a possibility but a probability. In DC, that can get started as early as late June (when we have early Springs) and last into October. So recommending a robbing screen might make you wonder why you are bothering to read something so obvious!

  

  There is a reason why I am recommending a specific robbing/MOVING style screen, like the one on your right. This screen gives a more complete closure (if you remember to shut any inner cover entrance) with almost no effort, as soon as the behavior begins. Also, that lovely solid barrier on the left side (which kinda blocks odors of hive resources on that side) allows you to open up a tiny, safer entrance sooner: an entrance that the Home Bees can more easily guard... and the robbers are less likely to detect.

  The average home made robbing screen is OK at that job: it makes the colony less vulnerable to attack and easier to guard, and we all know that the secret to addressing robbing is not letting it get started in the first place. But that is all it does.

  In DC, we also move a lot of hives in the summer (I didn't say we were geniuses), and the secret to moving hives is:

  • Completely close/secure all entrances and exits.
  • Check that you really did secure them (remember that inner cover?)
  • Get someone competent to check that you secured all entrances/exits, as well.
  • Strap that stuff together. Staples are good, too.
  • Make sure there is no way it moves around in your vehicle.

  A closed up hive that is well strapped together and secured in a truck bed or (yes) mini van cargo area moves like oiled silk. One leak and we have what one can usually call feces on the ventilator. And that is harder on the bees, too. Moving/robbing screens fit tight, close easily, are securable with a bit of everyone's friend (duct tape), and open with the same facility.

  At locations where special events involving the public or large crowds happen from time to time, being able to close that moving screen beforehand can help everyone out. Once at the Fairmont Hotel, workers who were required to place scaffolding down the side of the building needed us to close up the rooftop colonies there while they worked. They became comfortable enough to open them up again by themselves when they left each day!

  Finally, we have insect spraying in the city, even if we tell our neighbors all about the evils of Mosquito Squad-like applications. If you can get a heads up, you can close them in securely.

  

  Why I Love Ventilated Inner Covers

  Ventilated inner covers are also ACES for moves. When placed correctly, there is no opening for the bees to use as an exit (or to get in), and in hotter weather your bees are in reduced danger of overheating.

  And all the stuff I mentioned above about closing bees up for events or pesticide sprays or construction also applies to screened inner covers. For prolonged periods, it can save bees from death.

  Many of us also have colonies in hot rooftop apiaries, and the extra ventilation may reduce labor for summer workers, or just allow more of them to stay inside working.

  For hives that still need heavy feeding, it is also possible to leave screened inner covers in place and use a hive top feeder below: you can just lift the telescoping cover and pour in without opening. I hesitate to do this unless all or most of the colonies in an apiary are similarly exposed, however.

  

  The Grudging Admission: Queen Excluders

  I am not getting any younger, and August is not getting any cooler, so I have begun to relent on my resistance to using queen excluders. Placing one under the supers AFTER harvest may seem loony, but it helps me to go directly to the brood nest to find out what is really going on. This saves my time and back (especially on large colonies) but also reduces the period when hive resources are exposed to robbing.

  I only use metal queen excluders without wooden frames, so it is truly important that I remember to look for them once October (or whenever robbing ebbs) rolls around. The frames would definitely help me spot them while casually scanning the apiary, so you will get no grief from me if that is your choice!

  Your tips?

  Your tips (and, yes, incredulous feedback) would be welcome! Please email beeline@mdbeekeepers.org to share, and we would also love to see other's ideas!

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Beekeepers' Gallery

• Beekeeper’s Gallery, Spring 2024

  The special perspective of MSBA's able apiculturalists!

  Photos of all aspects of beekeeping and the world of pollination are welcome here, whether found in Maryland or pursuing your love of apiculture. while traveling.

  All images are copyrighted to each contributor

  Matt Gagle catches awesome images across the world of local pollinators

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Melinda Hudson

  
  

  

  Rob Jenson In Morocco, Spring 2024- Photo credits: Ahmed Abargh of Les Miels de Marrakech

  

  

  Toni Burnham: Second Graders at Maury Elementary finish a year of bee ed with super art!

  

  

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Easy Hot Honey

• Easy Hot Honey from your gardens and hives

  

  Twenty minutes to cook, but all summer to enjoy...on the grill, in tea or cocktails, on corn muffins and biscuits! And this is a product you can make from your own honey and veggies, and give to friends and family for a change from the same-old-sweetness!

  This recipe calls for fresh peppers from the garden, which should soon be available in Maryland. You can use dried or crushed peppers, as well/instead. It is possible to use even hotter peppers than the ones below, but be sure to taste along the way!

  There is also room to experiment. Some folks add salt or lime, some use additional dried seasonings. Remember, honey with anything added is a processed food, and cannot be sold without all sorts of health certifications and licenses. So this is just for those you love!

  Prep: 20 minutes then cooldown

  Ingredients:

  1 cup of honey

  1-10 fresh chili peppers, sliced, depending on size and heat tolerance (eg. 1 jalapeño or 3 Serranos or 10 tiny Thai bird peppers)

  2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

  Instructions:

  Put the honey and your peppers of choice in a medium sauté pan or saucepan. If you include seeds (for either fresh or dried peppers), the result will be spicier.

  Heat over medium heat until the honey very lightly begins to simmer. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine, then remove pan from the heat.

  Let the mixture rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Take a little taste of the mixture: this the time when flavors are infusing the honey, and you have a chance to adjust heat levels by reducing or extending the time that you let the chilis steep.

  Once you like the taste/heat level, strain out the chilis with a fine mesh strainer and put honey into a clean serving container or storage jar. Stir in the apple cider vinegar thoroughly.

  If you don't want to use the hot honey right away, let it cool to room temperature, then seal the container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you use dried peppers (less water content) you can store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Beekeeping News and Notes

• Beekeeping News and Notes: June 2024

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  AFB vaccine may protect from viral disease spread by varroa mites

  

  Though results are still preliminary, a field test of a conditionally approved American Foulbrood (AFB) vaccine that was conducted by Dalan Animal Health at Vidalia Apicultural Services & Bee Co. in Lyons, Georgia failed to prove efficacy against AFB (because it was not detected in either the control or vaccinated groups), PCR tests showed an 83% lower rate of varroa-vectored virus infections in the vaccinated colonies.

  It is not clear why a vaccine designed to target the AFB bacterial infection would have an impact on viral disease: there is no science to explain. When asked to comment, biochemist Andrea Gwyn of the biopharmaceutical company GSK hypothesizes that it may be because bees’ immune systems aren’t as specific as those of humans and other mammals: interventions that increase bees’ immune responses may help them take on more than one immunological challenge. “We’re just trying to think it through: What is really happening?” Swift says, “It’s humbling.… You get these results sometimes that weren’t what you were expecting. This could be somebody’s Ph.D. now to go and tackle this particular topic.”

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  Beekeepers who use multiple types of Varroa treatment found to have higher colony survival rates

  

  Research led by Darcy Gray (Center for Pollinator Research, at Pennsylvania State University) using five years of data from over 3,000 Pennsylvania beekeepers has found that sometimes "more is more" when treating for varroa. For the study, the researchers used data from an annual survey on winter honey bee colony loss and beekeeping management that has been sent to Pennsylvania beekeepers each spring for more than 15 years. To determine key drivers of winter loss, Gray's team simultaneously investigated the effects of weather conditions, landscape factors, and management of parasites, a first!

  Their "models found weather conditions are strongly associated with survival, but multiple-treatment type colonies had higher survival across a broader range of climate conditions. These findings suggest that the integrated pest management approach of combining treatment types can potentially buffer managed honey bee colonies from adverse weather conditions."

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  They're still here: Invasive yellow-legged hornet queen captured in Georgia

  

  In early April, staffers of the Georgia Department of Agriculture captured a yellow legged hornet queen and destroyed an embryonic nest in Savannah, Georgia. This follows the capture of another queen in nearby South Carolina in March.

  The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Plant Division is advising North Carolinians to be on the lookout for early-stage nests of yellow-legged hornets and to report sightings.

  There have not been any sightings of the invasive hornet species in North Carolina

  The Georgia Department of Agriculture has produced and posted a Yellow Legged Hornet Trapping Guide video.

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  "Standard methods for rearing and selection of Apis mellifera queens 2.0"

  

  A lab led by Brock Harpur recently published an article intended cover a wide range of methods currently in use and recommended in modern queen rearing, selection, and breeding. The recommendations are meant to serve as standards for scientific and practical beekeeping purposes. Because the subject of queen rearing and selection is too large to be covered within this paper, ample references are given to facilitate comprehensive studies.

  “The traditional methods of bee breeding have been around for nearly 100 years,” said Purdue University’s Brock Harpur, assistant professor of entomology. Although breeders have made progress, many of their methods remain unchanged even with the recent availability of affordable gene sequencing. “The honeybee genome was sequenced in 2006. There really hasn’t been a lot of bee breeding in this country that’s been empowered by that resource.”

  The Harpur Lab is focused on bridging the gaps in our understanding of genomics, the evolution of eusocial species, and the adaptive value of their behaviors.

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  Longer, warmer autumns aren't good for bees

  

  An article in the March 2024 Scientific Reports warns that warmer autumns and winters could reduce honey bee overwintering survival with potential risks for pollination services. The effect of climate change on honey bee colony losses has only recently been explored by researchers. While correlations between higher winter temperatures and greater colony losses have been noted, the impacts of warmer autumn and winter temperatures on colony population dynamics and age structure as an underlying cause of reduced colony survival had not been examined.

  Focusing on the Pacific Northwest US, a team from Washington State University led by Kirti Rajagopalan used statistical models for climate change and honeybee population dynamics, finding it likely that warmer autumns will extend honeybee flight times. The simulations support the hypothesis that late-season flight alters the overwintering colony age structure, skews the population towards older bees, and leads to greater risks of colony failure in the spring. 

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  USDA launches online disaster assistance decision tool that includes honey bees

  

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with FarmRaise, launched (May 29, 2024) a new, online Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) Decision Tool. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) tool is designed to assist agricultural producers who have been impacted by natural disasters access available program support. This site is meant to help gather the information and documentation folks who have faced losses will need if applying for assistance.

  FarmRaise is an ag sector startup that builds tools, including an app (FarmRaise Tracks), for farm financial management.

  As North America faces predictions of a historically active Atlantic hurricane season, Free State beekeepers may be curious about this and other resources to help protect their investments and income.

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  What the Bees See: an Apis-eyed view of the world

  

  New from MIT Press, What The Bees See by Craig P. Burrows includes breathtaking pictures of the UV-lit world of honeybees and others. The book includes 70 pages of exquisite macro photos of French lavender, creeping fuchsia, cucumber flower and more — each a sparkly, glowing conversation between plants and the animals they really care about!

  The author, a long term specialist in the method, uses ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence (UVIVF) photography of flowers and nature and offers fascinating research that explores every aspect of our relationship with honeybees. Burrows also discusses the history of beekeeping, current environmental impacts affecting bees, and the rise of bee products in medical and wellness spaces.

  According to the NY Times Book Review, "These hallucinatory images don’t merely simulate a bee’s perspective so much as help us to imagine an alternative reality: that of a creature whose fate is indivisibly bound up with our own.” 

  [Return to June 2024 BeeLine newsletter]