The USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory and the Louisiana State Beekeepers Association will hold the 24th Annual Field Day on Saturday, October 10, 2020. The event will be held at the laboratory, located at 1157 Ben Hur Rd, Baton Rouge LA 70820. This is near the intersection of Nicholson Drive (Hwy 30) and Brightside Dr., which is about two miles south of the LSU football stadium.
Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. with presentations and activities scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Field Day will include a series of talks in the morning from members of the Louisiana Beekeepers Association and the USDA-ARS staff about Louisiana beekeeping and research being conducted at USDA-ARS lab. In addition, there will be smaller breakout sessions in the morning for various topics such as basic beekeeping equipment, honey processing, and supplemental feeding. The afternoon features a rotation of hands-on modules for beekeepers of all ranges of experience. Topics for these sessions include introductory hive inspections, seasonal colony management, Varroa detection and treatment, pathogen recognition and abatement, making colony splits, installing queens and packages, supplemental feeding applications, and queen rearing.
A nonrefundable pre-registration fee of $35.00 is required for attendees 12 years of age and above. Children 11 and under must stay with their parents at all times. Registration includes a catered lunch. Pre-registration will open August 3, 2020. You may pre-register and submit payment at labeekeepers.org with the option to pay by credit card or PayPal. A printable pre-registration form will be located at labeekeepers.org that may be mailed along with a check made payable to Louisiana Beekeepers Association to Beth Derr, 210 Meadowlark Dr, Jefferson, TX 75657 and must be postmarked by October 1, 2020. Pre-registration will close September 25, 2020. All other registration will be collected at the door for the increased fee of $40 per person.
For additional information please visit labeekeepers.org or contact Dr. Frank Rinkevich (225-276-3998 or frank.rinkevich@usda.gov) or Joe Sanroma (318-346-2805). For questions regarding online registration, Jennifer Brown (601-493-3447).
