Club meetings are on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30pm. Meetings are held at the Legion Log Cabin in San Anselmo, CA (20 Veterans Place)
September 1, 2016: Diana Sammataro, PhD Ohio State University. Dr. Sammataro is a research entomologist at the Carl Hayden Honey Bee Research Lab, Tucson, AZ. Dr. Sammataro’s talk is titled “Varroa: Meet the Enemy”. The biggest threat to our bees comes from the parasitic varroa mite and diseases it vectors. Learn about its lifecycle in relation to bees and the seasons.
October 6, 2016: Claire Kremen, PhD, Duke University. Dr. Kremen is a professor of arthropod Biodiversity, Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley Her discussion topic is “What’s the buzz on native pollinators.” Dr. Kremen will talk some about native bee biology, threats to native and honey bees, and how native bees contribute to crop pollination (both directly and through interactions with honey bees), and what we can do to support native and honey bee pollinators on the farm.
November 3, 2016: Susan Kegley, Principal and CEO, Pesticide Research Institute. Dr. Kegley’s speech is entitled “Effects of Pesticides, Pathogens and Mites on Honey Bee Colony Health”
December 1, 2016: Marion Ellis, PhD, University of Nebraska. Dr. Ellis is a professor of Entomology at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. Formic and oxalic acid are are now registered (section 3) for use in beehives to reduce populations of varroa mites. If deployed according to label recommendations, they can reduce varroa populations without harming colonies or contaminating hive products. However, failure to carefully follow label guidelines can result in colony or applicator injury. This presentation/discussion will provide guidance in how to safely and effectively use the 2 organic acids in managing varroa populations.
January 5, 2017: Bernardo Nino, staff research associate, Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis. Bernardo will be presenting data from one of their large scale study on mites, investigating the efficacy of novel bio-pesticides on mites and some of the management lessons learned from running 80 colonies all season. He will discuss ways people can reduce in-hive pesticide use through management practices. He will also briefly talk about the California Master Beekeeper Program.
Bernardo Niño has been working with honey bees for 8 years and spent the last two as a Staff Research Associate in the E.L. Niño Bee Lab in the UC Davis Dept. of Entomology and Nematology. He serves as the Program Supervisor for the California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP), leads large scale field studies investigating multiple aspects of Varroa mite infestation on honey bee health, supports multiple research projects, as well as teaches and develops courses for the E.L. Niño Bee Lab and CAMBP. http://elninobeelab.ucdavis.edu/bdn.html
February 2, 2017: Les Eccles, Ontario Tech Transfer Program Lead. Les developed his interest in beekeeping and research at the University of Guelph Apiculture Research Centre with Paul Kelly and Ernesto Guzman, and was instrumental in various research projects and presentations. Les returned to Ontario after spending two years in Mexico; working with beekeepers and development organizations to transfer beekeeping technology into the field, and certify beekeeping operations for honey exportation to European markets.
March 2, 2017: Ross Conrad, beekeeper and owner of Dancing Bee Gardens, Middlebury, CT. Natural Beekeeping in the Age of Neonicotinoid Pesticides and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – Ross will address how beekeepers can cope with the current state of honey bees and beekeeping in North America through proper nutrition; non-toxic, organic and treatment free ways to control Varroa mites, Small Hive Beetles, and Wax Moths; and drug-free ways to keep colonies healthy in the face of high virus loads, American Foul Brood, Nosema and CCD symptoms
April 6, 2017: Charlie Blevin, beekeeper, San Francisco, CA. He will discuss swarms and extractions
May 4, 2017: Randy Oliver. “Reading the Combs: Understanding bee biology over the course of a season.” I’ve defined the 11 biological phases that the colony goes through over the course of the season. With photographs, I explain how the beekeeper can “read the combs” in order to determine how the bees are doing at each point in time, and whether the bees need help. Such visual confirmation allows one to make informed management decisions to fit their situation and goals. Meeting video
June 1, 2017: Gadgets and Gizmos. Back by popular demand, this meeting is dedicated to innovations brought to the larger membership by club members.