BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:407@americanbeejournal.com DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191123 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191124 DTSTAMP:20190816T145248Z URL:https://americanbeejournal.com/events/southern-new-england-beekeepers- assembly-2019/ SUMMARY:Southern New England Beekeepers Assembly 2019 DESCRIPTION:Dr. Kim Skyrm\n\nDr. Kim Skyrm is the State Apiarist/Chief Apia ry Inspector at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MD AR). Kim is a scientist by training and a hobby beekeeper driven by an int ense love of bees combined with dedication to using the latest science to inform and provide support for both wild and managed bee populations. Dr. Skyrm has been educating and leading research and extension-type projects directly benefitting beekeepers\, farmers\, gardeners\, regulatory agenci es\, academics\, and the general public for the past 12 years. Kim is trul y passionate about apiculture and ensuring the viability and sustainabil ity of bee populations! ​\n\nThe Buzz about Bumble Bees\n\nThis presen tation will discuss the unique biology and life history of bumble bees\, B ombus spp.\, with a focus on common Northeastern species. Participants wil l be encouraged to “think like a bee” and see landscapes through the e yes of “bee-holders” to increase local stewardship efforts. Using a be ekeeper management mindset\, an overview of the techniques used to capture \, rear and provide husbandry to common bumble bee species will be discuss ed. Bee warned that this presentation my spark an even greater appreciatio n for and expand your interest in bumble bees!\n\nFight Back: Varroa Mite IPM is the Bees Knees!\n\nThis presentation will discuss the life history\ , monitoring\, and management techniques involved with the most detrimenta l parasite affecting honey bees\, Varroa destructor. Participants will be led through a real-life case study to allow for a better understanding of how to determine the signs of high Varroa mite levels\, methods to monitor populations\, and how to select the best available treatment options. We will also discuss action steps to promote and ensure mite treatment effica cy with a focus on Northeast management.\n\nDr. David Tarpy\n\nDavid Tarpy is a Professor of Entomology and the Extension Apiculturist at North Caro lina State University since 2003. As Extension Apiculturist\, he maintains an apiculture web site dedicated to the dissemination of information and understanding of honey bees and their management\, spearheads numerous ext ension projects (such as the 2005 New Beekeeper Cost-sharing program that created hundreds of new beekeepers within the state) and launched the Beek eeper Education &\; Engagement System (BEES)—an exciting online learn ing resource for knowledge and understanding of bees and beekeeping. His r esearch interests focus on the biology and behavior of honey bee queens in order to better improve the overall health of queens and their colonies. Specific research projects include understanding the effect of multiple ma ting on colony disease resistance\, using molecular methods to determine t he genetic structure within honey bee colonies\, and the determining the r egulation of reproduction at the individual and colony levels. His work ha s provided some of the best empirical evidence that multiple mating by que ens confers multiple and significant benefits to colonies through increase d genetic diversity of their nestmates\, particularly through increased to lerance to numerous diseases. More recently\, his lab group has focused on the reproductive potential of commercially produced queens\, testing thei r genetic diversity and mating success in an effort to improve queen quali ty.\n\nThe quality of commercial queens\nThis is often the second of a o ne-two punch with the above\, where our interest in multiple mating by qu eens asks the logical question about how good commercial queens are. Dim inished queen quality and reduced longevity is a major problem experience d by beekeepers\, and so this presentation explores the good news and the bad news when it comes to buying queens in the apiculture industry.\n\n “Diagnosing queen problems: is it the queen\, the colony\, both\, or ne ither?!”\nPractical advice looking at different symptoms and attributin g whether or not the problem is the queen’s fault. A lesson in showing how we blame the queen way more often than it’s actually her fault.\n\ nDr. Larry Connor\n\nLawrence Connor was born in Kalamazoo Michigan and ea rned his doctorate in honey-bee pollination of crops at Michigan State Uni versity. He has worked as Extension Bee Specialist at The Ohio State Unive rsity\, President of Genetic Systems\, Inc. (which produced tens of thousa nds of instrumentally inseminated queens honey bees as well as the Starlin e and Midnite breeding stock)\, and now owns and operates Wicwas Press \, specializing in publication of quality bee books. He relocated (from Co nnecticut) back to Michigan in April 2007 to continue growth of his publis hing and writing activities. He has edited and published over two dozen books and recently written: Increase Essentials(2006)\, Bee Sex Essentia ls (2008)\, Queen Rearing Essentials\, Bee-sentials: A Field Guide\, Swarm  Essentials (with Steve Repasky)\, Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping ( with Dewey Caron)\, Increase Essentials Second Edition and Mating Biolo gy of honey bees (with G. and N. Koeniger and J. Ellis). In 2018 he h elped his son Andrew Connor write BeeCabulary Essentials. He recently c ompleted Keeping Bees Alive.\n\nConnor was a frequent contributor to  The American Bee Journal and to Bee Culture Magazine. He travels exten sively and lectures on a wide range of subjects concerning honey bees\, be e breeding\, pollination and colony management. For further information co nsult the website: www.wicwas.com.\n\nHistory of Queen Rearing and Instru mental Insemination\n\nThis presentation will discuss the development of m odern queen rearing methods in the United States. The efforts to control h oney bee mating have been investigated for hundreds of years. Included wil l be work by Watson\, Laidlaw and Harbo. A few new devices will be discuss ed.\n\nEvaluating the Sustainability of Biodynamic Beekeeping\n\nThis pres entation examines the principles of biodynamic beekeeping as being promote d on the internet and at meetings. The presenter will evaluate nine points of the teaching from a scientific and beekeeping perspective. These conce pts will be examined for their merits to obtaining sustainable beekeeping practices. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR