The Back Yard Beekeepers Association (BYBA) in Connecticut is proud to present Dr. Thomas Seeley, a well-respected biologist and beekeeper on Tuesday, July 30 in Weston. He will discuss nature-based beekeeping that aims to provide managed honey bee colonies with living conditions that are as close as possible to those of wild honey bee colonies. The goal is to harmonize beekeeping methods with the natural history of Apis Mellifera, and thus allow the bees to make full use of the toolkit of adaptations that they have evolved over the last 30 million years.
Dr. Seeley will review ways in which the living conditions of honey bees differ between wild and managed colonies. He will also show how we can pursue beekeeping in a way that is centered less on treating a bee colony as a honey factory and more on nurturing the lives of the bees. The fundamental question is “What can I give to the bees?” rather than “What can I take from the bees?”
The Q & A follows the presentation along with an opportunity to buy his new book, “Piping Hot Bees & Boisterous Buzz-Runners” published by Princeton University Press.
The presentation begins promptly at 7:30pm. We suggest arriving at 7:00 to allow time to socialize with other like-minded individuals. The location is Norfield Congregational Church located at 64 Norfield Rd in Weston, CT. Even though the event is free, please register at https://backyardbeekeepers.com.
Thomas D. Seeley, biologist and writer, is the Horace White Professor in Biology Emeritus at Cornell University, where he is a member of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. From 1980 to 2020, he taught courses on animal behavior and conducted research on the behavior, social life, and ecology of honey bees. Besides being a honey bee biologist, Tom is also an avid beekeeper. He began keeping bees when he was a high school student, in Ithaca, New York, in the late 1960s.
His scientific work is summarized in six books: Honeybee Ecology (1985), The Wisdom of the Hive (1995), Honeybee Democracy (2010), Following the Wild Bees (2016), The Lives of Bees (2019), and Piping Hot Bees & Boisterous Buzz-runners(2024). In recognition of his scientific discoveries, he has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences. He has also received various scientific honors, including a Gold Medal for Best Science Book (The Wisdom of the Hive) at Apimondia in 1997 (Antwerp). He writes: “These honors are gratifying, but for me the most important ‘prizes’ by far are the discoveries that I have made about the natural lives and inner workings of honey bee colonies.”
Questions? Contact BYBA’s Paula Wolf at paulawolf@email.com.
The Back Yard Beekeepers Association (BYBA) is one of the Nation’s largest regional clubs for beekeeping hobbyists with over 400 members. Some of their members are just getting started as beekeepers, and some have enjoyed this hobby for years. All share an interest in the wonderful and remarkable world of the honey bee. The mission of BYBA is to provide their membership with a forum for sharing knowledge and mutual interests in beekeeping, and to educate and promote the benefits of beekeeping to the public. For more information, please visit backyardbeekeepers.com
