• The Maryland Department of Agriculture sent out the first registration letter to Maryland beekeepers in December, to over 4,000 recipients.
  • Please send in or email me your signed registration if you have not already done so. The option of scanning or electronic return seems to be popular and convenient! 

• A second mailing will go out on Wednesday 2/14 (yes, Valentine's Day). The second notice is sent to those who did not return the firstt registration: We make our Inspectors lists by the middle of March, reflecting the locations where we know there are registrations, so please get your registration forms in ASAP.
  • Please send in or scan me your updated form. cybil.preston@maryland.gov

• We have had some stretches of harsh weather: I am inspecting more dead outs than last year. The losses that I am seeing are dead clusters with dead mites, varroa frass in the cells, clusters on brood with pierced cappings, dead pupae. This is all evidence of high varroa and virus pressure. Finding smallish clusters, or no bees left behind, leads me to think there was heavy die off on cleansing flights.

• Please remember that, if you are purchasing nucleus colonies from out of state, you will need to have them inspected prior to them entering Maryland. Also, for nuc suppliers: please contact me to get on the inspection request list. If nucs are made in Maryland and sold to an out-of-state beekeeper, they must be inspected before movement across state lines. The beekeeper selling the nucleus colonies is responsible for finding out from the buyer where it is going. Every state has the same laws for movement of bees into the state. Please contact me if you need to schedule a spring inspection. 

• We will be participating in the National Honeybee Survey again this year. I am looking for volunteers who would like to participate. To qualify you must have 8 colonies in your apiary. 

• K-9 inspections: Mack and Tukka were able to inspect the hives leaving for California. 2,500 colonies were inspected in November and December!

• I was able to attend the Apiary Inspectors of America Conference in New Orleans, and brought home good info and knowledge on Yellow legged hornet monitoring and other issues that other state inspection programs are experiencing. 

• Senate Bill 278 is now before the legislature. The bill does not alter any of the current bee laws/regulations in any way. The bill adds a new monetary penalty for noncompliance with the current law, with a thirty day period to comply before any penalty is assessed. 
  

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 

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