Hello fellow beekeepers,

This is not going to be a typical “this is your president” letter. Instead, I would like to share a quick “lessons learned” story with you about how my spring has been going. As many of you may or may not know, I run a few colonies. My numbers are in the range of 400 to 500 depending on the time of year, with Spring typically being on the high end of that range.

My story starts like most springs: I’m making splits, starting to see swarms, and generally being as busy as my growing colonies. Recently though, things took a sharp left turn. I experienced what I would consider to be a massive die off at one of my out yards (I probably have more than 15). As you can imagine, no one ever wants to encounter this, and I was very upset to find it. As part of my livelihood, I depend on having these units for pollination. Seeing mass die offs is never a good thing, and I promptly contacted our state apiarist, Cybil Preston.

I want to be very honest after first speaking with Cybil: my feelings were quite hurt. As I was reporting what I consider to be a massive die off from what I believed to be a pesticide exposure, she began to ask me about the nutrition of my colonies. She further asked me about my mite loads and disease status. Folks, she peppered me with questions, and I was sincerely offended. I’ve been keeping bees my whole life, why is this the conversation we are having? I’ve got piles of dead bees in front of my hives.

Luckily, after a few deep breaths and a few more phone calls, my blood pressure was back in a normal range. And so, these are the three things I’d like to share.

1. Spring is a wonderful and very forgiving time of year. Luckily, my colonies did not experience 100% die off. They may be set back, and populations may be diminished but they’re not completely lost. If my colonies experienced a pesticide exposure, luckily the exposure time was limited and the colonies are strong enough to rebound. I’ll say it again: Spring is a wonderful time of year. Strong, growing colonies can take a setback in the Spring. All is not lost. I wish you all the best spring has to offer (and no exposures). 😊
2. While Cybil initially hurt my feelings, I was able to realize that she is helping me be the best beekeeper I can possibly be. She is going through a mental checklist to help me determine the reasons for my losses. She is asking me questions, she is helping me brainstorm, and ultimately, she is doing her job to ensure the health and well-being of all of the bees in the state of Maryland. At the end of the day, she wants to see healthy bees, and successful beekeepers. Thank you Cybil for everything you do for me and all the beekeepers across Maryland. Keep up the good work!!!
3. Equally as important, I had an opportunity to discuss the situation with a fellow beekeeper, and this brings me to my third point. I am very grateful for all of the camaraderie that MSBA brings to my life. Talking through the situation helped me slow down. Being able to see what Cybil was aiming at really brought me a sense of ease. Ultimately, my friendships and connections have made me a better beekeeper. The benefits of MSBA and local associations are immeasurable. You’ll never know when you’ll need ‘em or when you just might be the sounding board someone else needs. I’ll never regret being active with my membership! I encourage you to do the same.

I have tons of work to do as I’m sure many of you do as well so I’ll close.

All the best,

Fred

P.S. Read further about EAS 2023 in Massachusetts. It is sure to be a great time. More importantly, check out the preparations and updates for EAS 2024 IN MARYLAND from David. I can’t wait!

[Return to June 2023 BeeLine newsletter]