Maryland State Beekeepers Association Spring Meeting

Sat, Jun 20, 2009
8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Location: Plant Sciences Building, Room 1140, University of Maryland.
Directions.

MSBA meetings are open to non-members and the general public.

The Maryland State Beekeepers Association meeting will be held on Saturday, June 20, at the Plant Sciences Building at the University of Maryland at College Park. There is plenty of free parking. The UM Entomology Department will be our hosts. Registration begins at 8:30 am and the program begins at 9:30. This represents a welcome reunion with the University of Maryland, and is evidence of increasingly closer cooperation and communication between MSBA and the University. The day will end with a practical session with the UM beehives for beginners, so bring your veils.

Main speakers 

  • Dr. David Fletcher, Professor Emeritus at Bucknell University, will speak about African Bees including "the real story" about how they were introduced to this hemisphere (It's not what you've heard). He will also talk about survival of queens, including a fascinating description of how they actually fight for dominance. 
  • Dr. Galen Dively, Professor Emeritus at University of Maryland, is actively engaged in research in Maryland. He will report on his findings about pesticide exposure, and will tell us about the sudden flowering of bee research at the University of Maryland. 

Among the other speakers: 

  • Dr. Charles Mitter, Entomology Department Chairman, will introduce members of the recently formed "Honey Bee Working Group."
  • Lee Hellman, Professor Emeritus of the Entomology Department will speak on beekeeper education at UM. 
  • Wayne Esaias will describe interesting new findings of his NASA project. 
  • Steve McDaniel will report on the Mid Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAAREC) and tell us the Secret of Successful Beekeeping. 
We will have an outdoor session in the afternoon at the UM Apiary for beginners about what to look for inside your hive.

The venue has plenty of space for vendors, and tables will be available. We will have a silent auction, so please bring something to donate. Those who want sandwiches for lunch can order them in the morning. There are pleasant outdoor areas to enjoy lunch. The culinary delights of Route 1 are also available.

Agenda

8:30am     Refreshments, Coffee, Donuts, etc.   

9:30am     Opening and Welcome     Steve McDaniel, President

9:40am     The Old Beekeeper’s Secret of Successful Beekeeping   

9:45am     Md. Apiary Inspector's Report     Jerry Fischer, Md. State Inspector

10:00am     Bees Around the State     Discussion

10:30am     An African Bee Story     Dr. David Fletcher

11:20am     break   

11:30am     Scale Hive Project Report     Wayne Esaias

11:45am     Tip of the Day: Queenlessness     Steve McDaniel

11:50pm     Lunch     The 30-minute movie “Sister Bee” will be shown during the lunch hour.

12:40pm     Silent Auction closes   

12:45pm     How Queen Bees Do Their Darwinian Thing     Dr. David Fletcher

1:30pm     Auction   

1:40pm     Welcome to the University of MD     Dr. Charles Mitter, Chair, Dept. of Entomology

1:50pm     Research at the Univ. of MD     Dr. Galen Dively, Professor Emeritus of Entomology

2:50pm     Break   

3:00pm     Short Topics: White House Bees, CCD, MAAREC, legislation, zoning, MSBA policy process     Charlie Brandts, Steve McDaniel,  et al.

4:00pm     Panel Discussion: Who Has the Best Queens?          
Or         Inside the Hive for beginners at the University bee yard (bring your veils)

5:00pm     Adjourn

More information.