Beeline November 2022 – Printable edition – MARYLAND STATE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

Printable edition

President's Letter

President’s Message, November 2022
MSBA President Fred Smith at F&D Apiaries

Hello Maryland Beekeepers!

Fall is definitely here; the weather cooled and fall color is all around in Maryland, though lately warm temperatures are trying to fool the bees. I hope everyone has gotten your bees ready for a cold Winter. Make sure they are full of food and put those mouse stops or entrance reducers on your hives and of course get rid of those varroa mites!

I hope everyone had a good honey production year and that you are preparing some of your best honey for our 2022 Honey Show at our November 12th meeting in Annapolis. This is always one of our largest meetings and its always great to get to talk to fellow beekeepers to see how their year was. The meeting will also be offered online with help from King AV and the UMD Bee Squad.

We have some great speakers for our meeting, and we will also be doing our Annual Elections. The November meeting is also the General Membership meeting, where voting and the two major awards, the George Imirie Beekeeper Education and Free State Beekeepers Citizenship recognitions, are given. We always need a lot of volunteers. Anyone who is interested in helping with our club please let myself or any board member know. I really appreciate everyone that helps keep the club going.

Maryland again had a great turnout this year at EAS in New York. We now have several new Master Beekeepers! Most of you have heard we are hosting EAS in 2024 right here in Maryland. Learn more about this at our November meeting. I want to personally thank David Morris for taking charge of this huge task.

I can say that I myself am very proud to be part of MSBA. We are known though out the Eastern United States as a great club.I had the privilege of being at the Spring conference in Tennessee when I was approached by someone who found out I was from Maryland. She wanted to know when we were having another Honey Show Judging Class. She heard it was the best around and wanted to sign up for the next one. We do have some of the best Instructors and dedicated beekeepers in the country. I was quite proud to have heard this and you should be just as proud!

See you in Annapolis!

Fred Smith
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

Special Letter from the Apiary Inspector

Special Notes from the Apiary Inspector
Tukka the Apiary Inspection Dog Injured, Our Community Answered!
More challenges likely ahead!
Many of you may know that Tukka, Maryland's sixth (and youngest) American Foulbrood (AFB) detection dog, suffered a major injury for which he required substantial specialized medical support. Working through the Montgomery County Beekeepers, the Maryland beekeeping community–including pledges from clubs and individuals–has provided financial support totaling over $14,000 for Tukka's surgery, physical therapy, and continued recovery. MSBA provided $3,000 to defray Tukka's medical expenses, and fund raising has ceased...at least for now.
Maryland beekeepers may not be aware that Mac, our fifth AFB dog, was scheduled to retire this year. Tukka's injury will keep Mac in service for now, but we need to look ahead to identifying and training another dog to ensure that our apiaries and our beekeeping community receive the unparalleled protection only these amazing dogs provide! Even when back to sniffing out AFB, Tukka's career may be somewhat shorter, so MSBA may again reach out in future to support the training of additional AFB dogs.
Cybil Preston fills us in: "Tukka had an accident on the farm, and fell 8 feet: fracturing his right front leg in 2 places. His humorous fractured in the shape of a Y just above/at the elbow joint. This serious fracture required 6.5 hours of orthopedic surgery. He came through like a champ and we started the long road of healing and rehabilitation."
"Tukka is healing well and is now 5 weeks past surgery. After his 2 week post-op checkup, we were cleared to start physical therapy. We attend weekly PT visits. We also have stretches and exercises to complete daily at home. He gets massage therapy, thermal laser therapy, water treadmill therapy and stretching.  He is typically exhausted afterward and sleeps for the 2-hour ride home."
"He is now putting his foot down 25% of the time. He limps and sometimes drags his foot and the rest of the time he holds it up. Every day he is gaining strength and I can see increased ability. I will update with a photo and caption as time goes on."
"The cost of the surgery was around $8,000.00: the Maryland Department of Agriculture allocated $5,000.00 towards the total. The remainder of the surgery and 12+ weeks of physical therapy came out of my [Cybil's] pocket. The ongoing physical therapy averages about $200.00 a week, and we anticipate that it will take a whole year for him to get back to full strength."
"Tukka and I truly appreciate the support that the Maryland Beekeeping community is showing us. I am humbled and grateful to call you all friends."
Cybil Preston and Tukka
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

November 12 Meeting and Elections

2022 November 12 MEETING

WHERE: RECORDING AVAILABLE!

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WATCH OUR MEETING - LEARN SOMETHING NEW!

CAMERON JACK will present two talks:
+ Principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Specific examples of Varroa and Small Hive Beetle (SHB) management
- How IPM fits your honey bee management regimen
- How IPM can be PROFITABLE for you

+ Cameron's Own Research To Fight Varroa
- How Cameron screens new chemicals against Varroa
- Why finding treatments is so difficult
- What doe the future hold for research

DAVID BURNS will present two talks:

+ Honey Bee Nutrition Through The Seasons
- Feeding specifically to obtain specific behaviors
- How to avoid the dangers of protein deprivation
- The critical season to feed bees

+ Preparing For Spring Management
- Feeding in late winter and early spring
- Swarm prevention
- Making Splits

BIO for Cameron Jack:

Cameron Jack grew up in a small rural farm town called Logandale, NV, just outside of the lights and glitter of Las Vegas. His Grandpa was a high school principal, but supplemented his income through beekeeping, managing about 150 hives for honey production and pollination. Cameron grew up around honey bees and beekeeping, often helping his grandfather with hive inspections and honey extraction. He obtained his B.S. degree in biology from Southern Utah University in 2012 and completed his Master’s degree at Oregon State University under the mentorship of Dr. Ramesh Sagili in 2015. There he conducted research on the honey bee gut pathogen Nosema ceranae. He then traveled across the country to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Florida under the mentorship of Dr. Jamie Ellis where he began investigating methods to control the devastating pest Varroa destructor.

In 2018, Cameron was hired on as a teaching faculty at the University of Florida’s Entomology and Nematology Department. In the past three years, he has been obsessed with creating a premier educational program that prepares students for the many challenges associated with beekeeping and to train those interested in entering the beekeeping workforce. Cameron currently teaches seven honey bee-related courses and is now creating an online beekeeping certificate program. In the summer of 2021, transitioned into an Assistant Professor position focusing on Honey Bee Toxicology.

Most recently his projects have involved studying the efficacies of different chemical treatments to Varroa in field trials. Notably, his work on oxalic acid vaporization has been of interest to beekeepers around the world. He is also involved in a large-scale collaborative project screening a wide variety of untested chemicals for their toxicity towards Varroa and their effect on honey bees. As often as possible, Cameron tries to support undergraduate and graduate students with their research questions and helps them conduct meaningful studies that contribute to the overall scientific body of knowledge.

BIO for David Burns:

David Burns began beekeeping in 1994 after hiving a swarm from a fallen tree. After moving those hives from Ohio to Illinois, the hives were lost due to mites, and the yard had to be started all over again. In the beginning the Burns family just sold honey, but as time went on and the yard became bigger, the Burns family began building their own hives and selling them to other beekeepers. Knowing that the success of beekeepers was all dependent upon education, David began blogging and uploading videos to YouTube. In order to make sure beekeepers had the best and latest of scientific information on bees and beekeeping, David took several years to become a Certified Master Beekeeper. A graduate of Lincoln Christian University, and now a Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society since 2010, workshops on beekeeping are taught all year at the Training Center in Fairmount, IL. He also has a mentorship program, talks throughout the country at beekeeping association meetings, and heard frequently on radio shows and podcasts. He is also a competitive sportsman and competes throughout the US.

AGENDA

9:00 AM	Welcome	Fred Smith, MSBA President
9:15 AM	Apiary Inspectors Report	Cybil Preston, Chief MD Apiary Inspector
9:30 AM	Preparing for Spring Management	David Burns, EAS Master Beekeeper honeybeesonline.com
10:30 AM	Break
11:00 AM	A Comprehensive Overview of IPM	Cameron Jack, University of Florida
12 Noon	Lunch
1:00 PM	Screening New Chemicals for Varroa Control	Cameron Jack, University of Florida
2:00 PM 2:20 PM	UMD Bee Squad Update Sentinel Hive Program Update	Mark Dykes, University of Maryland Nathalie Steinhauer, UMD vanEngelsdorp Lab
2:50 PM	Break
3:05 PM	Honey bee Nutrition Through the Seasons	David Burns, EAS Master Beekeeper honeybeesonline.com
4:00 PM	Closing Questions and Answers	Fred Smith, MSBA President

Join the Maryland State Beekeepers Association for a fascinating day packed with insights on honey bees & useful tips to keep them.

Elections!
Expert Speakers!
HONEY SHOW!
AWARDS! Free State and George Imirie

EVENT: MSBA will convene its 114th Annual Fall Meeting, Elections and 85th Honey Show, and Awards!
LOCATION: ZOOM and Maryland Dept. of Agriculture
ADDRESS: If attending in person: 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis MD

ZOOM
When it is time, CLICK HERE to join via zoom.
Additional ZOOM info is at the bottom of this page.

HONEY SHOW

CLICK HERE for
* INFO
* ENTRY FORM
* TIPS.

AGENDA

8:30 am	Refreshments, Coffee, Donuts, etc.
9:00 am	Opening and Welcome	Fred Smith, President
9:15 am	Apiary Inspector's Report	Cybil Preston, Md. State Inspector
9:30 am	Bee Squad Update	Mark Dykes, UMD Bee Squad
10:00 am	Advances in Varroa Management	Dr. Geoff Williams, Asst. Professor of Entomology Auburn University
11:00 am	Eastern Apiculture Conference 2024 in Maryland	David Morris, President, EAS 2024
11:15 am	Understanding and Helping Bees Draw Foundation into Comb	John Benham, Eastern Apiculture Society Certified Master Beekeeper, Past President Heartland Apicultural Society
12:15 pm	Lunch
1:15 pm	Business Meeting: Treasurer’s report, Annual Elections Free State Beekeeper Citizenship, Imirie Education, and Honey Show Awards	Toni Burnham, Secretary Stefanie Ottenstein, Treasurer Jim Fraser, EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, Past President/MSBA
1:30 pm	Hon's Honey of Baltimore: giving dignity and purpose to women survivors of trauma	Nina Romeo, Marketing Manager, Hon’s Honey
2:00 pm	A Bee’s Eye View of Nucs and How they Adapt	John Benham
3:00 pm	Varroa Integrated Pest Management	Dr. Geoff Williams
4:00 pm	Adjourn

SPEAKERS

Geoff Williams, PhD

I’m a Canadian transplant living and working in Alabama. I grew up in Alberta, went to grad school training in Nova Scotia, and have worked with honey bees throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Before joining Auburn University, I worked for the Swiss government. Now at Auburn University, I’m delivering a program that seeks to better understand and promote bee health. To achieve these massive goals (as you can imagine), the AU-BEES lab is working on various topics – from studying the effects of neonicotinoids on queens, to working on the latest Integrated Pest Management tool against varroa, to performing the Bee Informed Partnership’s National Colony Loss and Management Survey, to investigating bee attractiveness to native wildflowers.
Apart from assisting my students with their studies, another aspect of my work that I really enjoy is discussing with beekeepers – hearing why you keep bees and love beekeeping, and what are some of your major challenges. Despite geographic and cultural differences, bees bring many different people together – I love this! I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!

John Benham Master Beekeeper

John Benham has been a full-time beekeeper for over 20 years, operating 40+ colonies in three apiaries and a breeder of quality local queens and bees from local survivor stock for 17 years. He is an Eastern Apiculture Society Certified Master Beekeeper, Life Member of EAS, 2019 President of HAS, President of the Mammoth Cave Area Beekeepers 2017 to present, a current member of the Nashville Area Beekeepers Association, and monthly columnist for the NABA newsletter as well as a past member, President/officer of state and local associations since 2004.

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Three New Maryland Master Beekeepers!

Maryland’s New Master Beekeepers!
MSBA is proud to congratulate three new EAS-Certified Master Beekeepers who passed their final exams in Ithaca in August: David Schultz, Russell Sprangel, and Valerie Wampler! Maryland is now able to claim 25 of 201 active master beekeepers on the rolls!
Maryland's consistency success in developing master beekeepers is a testament to the practice of beekeeping in the Free State, as well as the motivation of indivuals and study groups to undertake this demanding series of exams.
The purpose of the Master Beekeeper certification program is to identify and certify people who have an in-depth knowledge of honey bee biology, expertise in the proper practices of beekeeping, and who can present this information to the beekeeping and non-beekeeping public in a detailed, accurate, clear and authoritative manner. The goal of this program is to certify teachers – that those who are awarded the title of Master Beekeeper are competent at a college level in the four areas in which they are tested, and are able to pass that knowledge on to others.
The certification testing takes place during the annual EAS Conference and consists of written, laboratory, field, and oral examinations. It is administered and coordinated by Master Beekeeper volunteers who are designated by the Master Beekeeper Certification Committee and the organization’s Academic Advisor. Questions regarding the program should be directed to the Certification Committee Chairperson at mbcertification@easternapiculture.org.
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

EAS 2024 in Maryland!

Eastern Apicultural Society Conference 2024: Back in Maryland!
The rumors are true! EAS has accepted MSBA’s bid to host EAS 2024; we last hosted EAS at Salisbury University in 2000. We are targeting the last week of July (Jul 28 – Aug 3) or the first week of August (Aug 4-10) for the Conference, but site selection is still in progress.
Did you know that the first official EAS Conference was held in 1955 at the University of Maryland in College Park?
MSBA nominated me to lead the Conference planning and I am now the EAS Vice-President and will be the EAS President in 2024.
If you have never attended an EAS Conference before, then you are in for a treat. Think about five days with over 500 crazy bee-loving beekeepers like yourself. That’s 2,500 beekeeper days packed into one week! Here’s what you can expect.
The Conference begins Monday morning with a two-and-a-half day Beekeeping Short Course with multiple tracks, levels of instruction; everything from totally a newbie who’s never lifted a frame, to advanced classes in queen rearing, comb honey, electronics and more.
Starting Wednesday morning we have the Conference itself. Each morning you can expect national speakers on a variety of topics, major researchers with the latest scientific news, large-scale beekeepers with practical advice and writers you’ve always wanted to meet and ask questions. The afternoon will continue with multiple presentations and workshops.
But wait, there’s more! We will have 30-40 vendors with all kinds of equipment to tempt your wallet and whet your appetite to expand your sideline business or your larger scale hobby.
It isn’t all books and lectures. There will be socials in the evening, an auction and banquet on Thursday and an Awards Banquet and closing Friday evening. There will also be tours to Maryland highlights for our visitors, and locals as well. (Maybe a meadery, maybe a ball game? We’ll see.)
To get an idea of what a typical EAS Program is like, go to their web site at https://easternapiculture.org/, click on the “Membership” drop down menu and select “Journal”; or just click HERE. Check out the 2018 Summer and 2019 Spring Journals to see what’s possible. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Conference was cancelled and the 2021 Conference did not have a Short Course.
We are just getting started with planning this Conference and we need your help! We are still looking for committee leaderships to plan significant parts of the Conference. As we close in on the Big Week, we will need an army of volunteers to help greet guests, pick up speakers at airports, staff the registration and information desks, and help everything go smoothly.
At the MSBA November meeting I will outline the staffing areas where we need help and the current leaders you can talk to. In the meantime, you can email me at davidm033@gmail.com with your offers to volunteer, or just questions about EAS 2024.
We are planning an exciting EAS Conference in 2024 and we hope you will be there with us!
David Morris
EAS Vice-President (2023)
davidm033@gmail.com or vicepresident@easternapiculture.org
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

MSBA Honey Show '22 is on! Cash and Kudos!

MSBA Honey Show ’22: Don’t Miss This Chance for Cash Prizes (and bragging rights)!
MSBA offers an official, professionally judged honey show each November along with its Fall General Membership Meeting and Elections. This is possible with the generous support of the Maryland Ag Fair Board, whose grant supports the over $900 in prizes available that day!
This is your chance to learn a lot, stretch your wings, and bring home some cash! Remember, honey shows are an opportunity to both hone your skills in the preparation and presentation of the marvelous products created by the bees, and to engage members of the non-beekeeping public in better understanding the wonder of bees and beekeeping.
Please fill out an entry form, and bring it to the November 12, 2022 meeting at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis. Entries will be accepted at the honey show table staffed by volunteers from the Anne Arundel Beekeepers from 8 AM to 9 AM.
You can learn more about the honey show and its rules here, but first, MSBA President Fred Smith wants to encourage your participation and offer some tips for success!
TIPS for preparing a Honey Show entry:
- Put your entry through a fine filter to reduce particulate.
- Pour your bottles a week early so the air bubbles can rise.
- Watch those fill lines! That ridge below the screw threads up top is the "Fair Fill Line."
- Bring an extra cap, and replace the one your entry traveled in before handing it over.
- Bring a microfiber cloth along, and carefully wipe away any fingerprints, dust or smears that might have come with travel.
- If your honey has started to crystallize now that the weather is cooling, you have time to gently warm it: consider a register through which your home's heat is rising, or placing your entry in a cardboard box in a low-temp oven (with the heat OFF) for a few hours.
- EAS has a full page of dos and don'ts, as well!
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

MSBA T-Shirts are In Stock! Long and Short Sleeves!

MSBA Long- and Short-Sleeved T-Shirts Are Back in Stock!
For the first time since 2019, MSBA has restocked its 100% cotton "I'm a A Maryland Beekeeper" t-shirts in both long- and short-sleeves, and in a range of 7 sizes from small to 4X-large! If you purchase up at an MSBA meeting or class, you do not have to pay shipping!
LONG sleeved shirts = $21 including tax + $4 shipping per shirt.
SHORT sleeved shirts = $16 including tax + $4 shipping per shirt.
You have two delivery options: for normal shipping, there is an additional cost of $4 per shirt, with bulk shipping discounts available for those ordering 3 or more shirts.
Please visit the order page at http://www.mdbeekeepers.org/tshirts/ if you would like a new t-shirt. If you plan to pick your shirt up, keep an eye out for the sales table at each MSBA meeting or class. Exact change is welcome, as are checks. Credit card payments via PayPal are also accepted.
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

Hon's Honey: Baltimore Bees for healing & second chances

Hon’s Honey: Baltimore Bees Heal Hearts and Lives
Hon's Honey is a social enterprise dedicated to giving dignity and purpose to women survivors of trauma— addiction, trafficking, generational poverty and abuse.
Hon's has many hives around the Baltimore area, training women survivors to tend to and care for the bees, working toward a successful honey harvest every summer. They continue to take beekeeping classes where they learn more about beekeeping and how they can give back to our beautiful Baltimore.
Hon’s Honey is an employment program of a non-profit called The Well. Before being employed at Hon’s Honey, women commit to a holistic healing process through a life development program, free counseling, workshops and building community at The Well.
At Hon's Honey, the production space is called "The Hive" and production specialists lovingly refer to themselves as "Worker Bees". Worker Bees are survivors of trauma— addiction, trafficking, generational poverty and abuse. They are fully invested in the vision of Hon’s Honey and are active in The Well's COR Life Development program where they are being equipped for personal growth, to provide for their families, and lead in their community. Some Worker Bees will remain with Hon's Honey long-term and move into management positions as we grow, and others will use Hon's Honey as a stepping stone to pursue other opportunities they are passionate about.
Hon's Beekeeping Journey
Fall 2019: They suited up in their newly acquired beekeeping gear (sparkling white, but not for long) and entered a bee yard that was literally a-buzz with activity. Previously a place in the garden to avoid, they entered our new world with confidence.
For Hon’s Honey's starting beekeeper, a survivor of traumatic experiences, an environment that should have filled her with anxiety, felt surprisingly peaceful. She moved with grace through the chaos of bees entering and exiting over 20 hives.
This is the first step on the road to equip more women survivors with varied skills and work experience that will enable them to rise to new heights.
- 2020 Harvest: 4 hives, 50lbs of honey and trained 1 new beekeeper
- 2021 Harvest: 10 hives, 220lbs of honey, 120 containers of honey comb and trained 2 new women in beekeeping
- 2022 Harvest: 8 hives and 150lbs of honey. Click here to shop today!
About The Well
The Well was founded in 2013 to holistically empower women and families to identify their life's purpose so that they can live above life’s challenges with meaning and intentionality. The Well serves an estimated 800 women annually.
It is out of The Well’s COR Life Mentorship program that Hon’s Honey was founded to support, empower and equip women of Baltimore.
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]

About MSBA Elections

About MSBA Elections 2024
MSBA Elections: What You Are Voting For
Each year MSBA asks members to vote for officers: do you know what you are voting for?
Your state beekeeping club collects your dues and oversees tens of thousands of dollars in resources in pursuit of this non-profit organization's mission: "to promote scientific and practical bee culture, promote the use of honey and other bee products, and to secure such legislation as is necessary to protect and further the beekeeping industry and to advance the interests of its members."
During every General Meeting of the Maryland State Beekeepers Association, Inc., since its founding in 1908, members have been asked to participate in a series of administrative rituals that usually receive little discussion, despite their importance. Our Treasurer presents a budget to the membership, awards are given to those who have given special service in the past year or years, and you get to select the people who will guide this 116 year old organization with 880+ paid members and about $75,000 in the bank through its next 12 months.
Who are these people? What do they do?
What follows is not a lawyer’s description, but an attempt to make the Board familiar and accessible.
The MSBA Board was created by our bylaws, essentially the founding documents of the incorporated 501(c)3 organization that creates this newsletter and holds these meetings. It meets three times a year, usually for 2 hours, and a month in advance of the member meetings in February, June, and November.
Currently a majority of the folks who are on the Board participate on a regular basis! The Board meets when the number of participants meets quorum (a minimum of 8 voting members).
Who’s Who on the Board?
Most of the board is made up of Second Vice Presidents representing 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City, as well as DC. They can attend board meetings by free conference call or in person, and are asked to meet two responsibilities: to keep MSBA apprised of local issues and to inform about and promote MSBA to local beekeepers. 2ndVPs can be nominated by local clubs, but all board members must join the association, and usually those who serve as 2nd VP continue from year to year. It is perfectly OK for there to be more than one candidate, on whom the membership can vote.
The next largest group on the Board is Directors, of which there are three, as well as an EAS Director. Directors can serve up to two 1-year terms in a row, and we try to make those term limits run out on no more than two at once to ensure continuity. Their job is to suggest meeting topics (especially scientific ones), write articles, help initiate legislative activities, and to keep the rest of the Board compliant with the rules.
The EAS Director is different: that job requires making sure that Eastern Apicultural Society knows what we care about, and that we understand EAS’ role and activities. The EAS Director attends their board, and usually the Annual Conference, and reports back to us
about the wider world of beekeeping.
The two immediate Past Presidents (right now that's Jim Fraser and Allen Hayes) also get to vote, but have otherwise already done their share!
The Secretary’s job is pretty self-explanatory: this officer takes notes at all Board and membership meetings, distributes them, and keeps these records. The Secretary also gets copies of all correspondence and documents relevant to how the organization governs itself and works with others.
The next two roles are mainstays of this organization.
The Treasurer does just what it sounds like: manages the money, and all the records around it, while keeping the Board informed of all the above. The Treasurer takes care of the bank accounts, manages your membership, and gets us audited from time to time. Treasurers do the work of making sure that we have met all the financial, regulatory and insurance criteria that apply to non-profits these days.
The First Vice President functions as the Program Chair for MSBA, and finds places and times for all Board and membership meetings, recruits speakers, manages all the vendors and tables, works with the volunteers who provide AV and refreshments. In November, the First VP also recruits judges and volunteers for the Honey Show, and always negotiates all the arrangements the speakers need to get to and from us. Other officers assist the 1st VP in many of these tasks.
The President is also limited to two one-year terms. That job is responsible for calling meetings, compiling reports, appointing committees, and representing the association in places like Annapolis and to outside organizations like the press or the Farm Bureau.
How are officers selected? What if you would like to serve?
The Board term limits are a good idea, because it keeps new people flowing through our team. Before each election, a Nominations Committee is appointed to reach out to existing and potential officers about playing a role on the board. This year, the Nominating Committee is run by Toni Burnham assisted by Mary Laura Fitzgerald and Rob Yochem, and they may recruit helpers. If you are interested, it’s a good idea to get in contact.
For a more formal explanation of Board roles, you can also see our Constitution and Bylaws at http://www.mdbeekeepers.org/downloads/MSBA_Constitution_Revised.pdf
[Return to November 2024 BeeLine newsletter]

Beekeeping News and Notes

Beekeeping News and Notes: November 2022

More Bumblebee Ball Play

Is this bee having fun?

A team led by Hiruni Samadi Galpayage Dona of Queen Mary University/London has documented ball-rolling activity by Bombus terrestris (a bumblebee species) which appears to meet the biological criteria for "play." They found that ball rolling (1) did not contribute to immediate survival strategies, (2) was intrinsically rewarding, (3) differed from functional behaviour in form, (4) was repeated but not stereotyped, and (5) was initiated under stress-free conditions. Younger bees were more likely than older individuals to engage in the activity. The scientists conclude: "Our results contribute to the question of sentience in insects and lend further support for the existence of positive affective states [Ed note: a.k.a. feelings] in these animals." [More info]

Honey bee venom: Royal jelly proteins and antimicrobial effects
In a discovery that may be particularly interesting in the area of apitherapy, scientists at College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Dong-A University in Korea have discovered two proteins found in royal jelly (AmMRJP 8 and AmMRJP 9) in honey bee venom, and have demonstrated antimicrobial effects from these proteins, including both antibacterial and antifungal activities.
Honeybee venom is a complex mixture of toxic components, including major royal jelly protein (MRJP) 8 and 9. MRJP 8 and MRJP 9 are allergens, and MRJP 8 reduces melittin-induced cell apoptosis (cell death). Until now, their functional roles were poorly understood, and their antimicrobial activities had not been determined. [More info]
Bee Venom Chemotherapy?
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the world’s most risky diseases due to the lack of clear and cost-effective therapeutic targets: a team at Alexandria University in Egypt has found a means of using specially targeted bee venom to destroy cells in such tumors with high efficacy and low toxicity. It appears that cells are more able to take up this venom than other available therapies. In mice who were given this disease, it has anti-cancer properties against tumor tissue. It also improved liver function and architecture without causing any noticeable toxic side effects.
The study concludes, "This cancer-targeted design of bee venom-CSNPs presents a new technique for treating liver cancer in vitro and in vivo with greater efficacy and fewer side effects than native bee venom, implying that targeted bee venom-CSNPs should be studied further as a chemotherapeutic agent for human malignancies." [More info]
The Structure of Honey Bee Swarms and the Future of Building Materials?
A recent study published in Nature by a team led by Olga Shishkov of the University of Colorado/Boulder looks at honeybees for insights on how to build the flexible, viable structures of the future. Imagine a time where building materials–perhaps whole structures–are made up of tiny semi-autonomous, collaborative and adaptive nanobots: structures capable of reacting to earthquakes, hurricanes, and other environmental changes? This is what every honeybee swarm can do, thousands of individual bees at a time.
Bees certainly interact directly with each other, and can react to local changes, but how do swarms form and reform so easily and in such a stable fashion? Orit Peleg, a researcher on the team, says "What we are trying to understand is how do they coordinate, forming a structure that maintains mechanical stability, which usually demands the simultaneous coordination of everybody involved?"
The researchers placed swarms of bees into small CT scanners in order to determine their internal structure. They found that bees can distribute the load throughout the entire swarm instead of solely on the bees closest to the branch. They also found that the bees can easily regroup if a branch is shaken (as any beekeeper can tell you!)
Continuing observation and replication of these behaviors using artificial intelligence may create a new generation of intelligent materials to replace the static bricks and mortar of our lives today.
Honey Bees Show a Taste for Soybean
Ohio University scientists want us to know that honey bees like soybean alot more than we might think they do. “Future research efforts aimed at enhancing mutual interactions between soybeans and honey bees may represent an unexplored pathway for increasing soybean production while supporting honey bees and other pollinators in the surrounding landscape,” the researchers write in a study published in September in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
Honeybees are not often spotted on soybean, though it might just be hard to see them beneath thick greenery, and it appears that different strains produce nectars in different amounts, making some much more attractive than others.
The researchers used pollen analysis and decoding of waggle dances to determine forage behavior, finding soybean pollen in about 55% of samples. They also compared the presence of soybean pollen against other forage plants within the same (or closer) range of the hives. Says Lin, “There is no doubt that the extensive areas of flowering soybeans can supply a substantial nectar flow for bees in mid-summer. Our next big question is, how do we harness the pollination services provided by bees to increase soybean yield? We are currently working with soybean farmers and beekeepers to study management strategies that will benefit both stakeholders and improve sustainability."
Swarms generate more electricity per meter than a storm cloud
Biophysics researcher Dr. Ellard Hunting of the University of Bristol was surprised one day when he and his team detected a surge in the electrical field near their weather tracking station out of a clear blue sky. Turns out that it was not a thunderstorm, but a swarm of bees.
Hunting explained, “When I looked at the data, I was kind of surprised to see that it had a massive effect.” The team eventually determined that swarms of western honeybees can generate an electric charge of 1000 volts per meter, a voltage density greater than thunderstorm clouds and electrified dust storms. Beekeepers know that plumose body hairs on bees generate static and the bees use electrical fields to navigate, but a voltage of this magnitude had never been documented in swarming honeybees before.
What does this mean? According to the study, "Insects can have similar effects on atmospheric electricity as weather events."
Robotic Beekeepers?
Honeybees have been the darlings of engineers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers for years (if not decades), but what of their keepers? Might the age of the AI beekeeper be at hand? Israeli startup Beewise has introduced an autonomous hive called the Beehome capable of housing 48 colonies, constantly monitoring activity within the hive and learning from beekeepers’ actions.
According to Beewise, "The Beehome has cameras inside of it, robotic arms, sensors and other systems, that allow it to execute what a Beekeeper would normally do. The robotic arms within Beehome treat pests, feed, prevent swarming from happening and more, similar to what a Beekeeper would have done. Beekeepers can also remote control the Beehome over the web so they have full flexibility with the upkeep of their colonies."
The Beehome costs $400 per month (for the 24-colony model) with a delivery fee of $2,000. It stands 8 feet X 6.5 feet X 6.5 feet and weighs less than a ton But don't grab your credit card: the company is currently working only with commercial beekeepers managing more than 1,000 colonies.
[Return to November 2022 BeeLine newsletter]