Heart of Georgia Beekeepers

Georgia Master Beekeeper program

2012-02-10T17:21:00.000-05:00

A Road Map for Regionalizing Examinations for the

Certified Level Georgia Master Beekeeper Program

Qualifications for Deputized Examining Entity

1. It is expected that the examining entity will in most cases be a local bee club with

the normal indicators of a public non-profit organization. These indicators include

such things as a constitution, elected officers, open accounting policy, open

membership policy, and in some cases incorporation.

2. It is understood that groups of students may organize around one or more local

beekeepers and the activities are best described as mentoring and fall short of the

definition of an association.

3. In every case, the proposed training and examining must include the direct

supervision of at least one individual holding the rank of Journeyman or higher

from the Georgia Master Beekeeper Program or sister program from another state.

Information about Master Beekeepers available to provide these services is

available at http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/master-beekeeper/masters.html .

4. At least two weeks before an intended offering, the examining group must submit

to Professor Delaplane a written statement describing the group’s qualifications

and the proposed training / certifying event.

Road Map of Certifying Process

1. Upon confirming qualifications of the group, Professor Delaplane will contact the

Supervisor with further details. This will include providing copies of the exams to

help the group design curriculum. Group agrees that exams will not be retained,

copied, or distributed, and all exams will be destroyed after grades and names are

recorded.

2. There are two exams: a written exam that tests basic knowledge and a practical

exam that emphasizes bee-handling skills and visual identification of hive parts,

diseases, and bee colony components. In communications leading up to the event,

Delaplane will coach Supervisor on the content of exams and proper mode of

administration.

3. Group agrees to administer the written exam in a setting that is quiet and

conducive to concentration. The room will be proctored constantly for the onehour

limit and cheating and the use of study notes or texts not tolerated.

4. The practical exam is administered individually, with one examiner, a clip-board,

and one candidate. With large numbers of students it will be necessary to use

many examiner / student pairings. If it is necessary to use non-certified examiners,

the Supervisor will brief examiners on the content of the exam and correct

procedure for testing.

5. Group agrees to make specific on-site preparations for the practical exam. This

includes plainly labeling hive parts and comb components; providing live bee

hives, smokers, fuel, and all necessary bee-handling equipment; and providing

real examples of bee diseases or disorders. It may be necessary for Supervisor to

visit the UGA Bee Lab for more specific guidance.

6. UGA requires a fee (currently $17 per student) to process paperwork and cover

costs for mailing signed certificates to successful candidates. The group agrees to

collect this fee and forward to Delaplane, preferably in one check. The group is

free to add to this fee whatever cost recovery required at their end.

7. Group will forward to Delaplane a list of student names, street addresses,

telephone numbers, emails, and numeric scores for each exam within two weeks

of event.

8. Delaplane will procure certificates with signatures and mail directly to successful

candidates via conventional post within one month of receiving data. Delaplane

will copy information to club officer.

New Year Brings New Members

2012-01-20T08:31:00.000-05:00

Our January Meeting had a good turn out of 33 people. We had 4 brand new members and we want to say a hardy welcome to them. Clint Ready, Greg Weeks and Allen Huckabee are three of them and I did not get the other Gentleman's name. Mae Coupa! Anyway, we always like to have new folks join us.

Our meeting got started by Hazel reading the minutes of the December meeting and it was all approved.

Steve Nofs spoke about the up coming Georgia Beekeepers Assn meeting to be held on 18 Feb at the Coweta County Fairgrounds and Conference Center in Newnan, Ga. I really want to encourage everyone to attend. The education is worth it. To register, log on to the Georgia Beekeepers web site. Furthermore, we discussed the GBA newsletter had a password (shhhhh; it's "beenews2011") The schedule and directions for the meeting follow this report.

Another piece of business that had to happen was the re-election of the club officers. Everyone present voted to retain the current administration for another year. Just as a reminder; President, Bear Kelley ;Vice President Danny Green ; Secretary, Hazel McCurdy ;Treasurer, Kelly Hillis .Thank you for the confidence in all of us.

We collected annual dues from 22 members ($12) and we request the old members who join us next month pay as well.

We moved into our theme for the evening and that was what to do with your bees during the winter. Some of the things discussed were..

* Feed them. Your mixture should be 2:1 on sugar water!

* Make sure the hive has adequate ventilation. Don't let moisture build up inside. (screen bottoms are just fine down here year round)

* Don't break the cluster and don't open your hives if the outside temp is rainy or below 45 degrees.

* Jessie said if you are going to use medicines, do it soon.

* This is a good time to feed protein patties. Don't feed medicines and protein patties for a few weeks prior to installing honey supers.

* Her highness, the Queen will start laying a bunch of eggs in late January to build up the colony for the spring.

And Finally don't forget..........."Bees have survived a lot of Stupid Beekeepers"; so don't be afraid to try something different. !

We broke at about 8 pm and had a pretty good raffle. Thanks to all who brought something for the table.

Thank you all for your support, assistance and confidence.

Bear

Coweta County Fairgrounds & Conference Center

275 Pine Road

Newnan, Georgia 30263

8:00am Registration

9:00am Welcome

Pledge to the Flag

President Address

9:15am Jerry Edwards, President Coweta Beekeepers Assoc. and Vice President

Georgia Beekeepers Assoc.

Having a Successful Local Bee Club

10:00am Key Note Speaker

Dr. Malcolm Sanford, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Florida

The World of GMO’s – How it Relates to Beekeeping

10:45am BREAK

11:15am Oscar Garrison, Consumer Protection Division Director, Georgia Dept. of Agriculture and Natalie Adan, Consumer Protection Division Manager

New GADOA Honey House Inspections Rules & Fees

12:00 Noon - Lunch

Web Site Ad Auction

1:00pm John Pluta, GeorgiaBees.com, Milledgeville, Georgia

You Can be a Beekeeping Star on YouTube

1:30pm Local Farm Markets – Panel Discussion

Brian Higgins, Home Town Honey, Kennesaw, GA

Lynn & Wally Batchelor, Newnan, GA

Mike Elliott, Alpharetta, GA

2:15pm TBA

2:45pm BREAK – Door Prizes

3:15pm Dr. Malcolm Sanford, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Florida

Florida Beekeeping Protection Bill

3:45pm Paul Vonk, Commercial Beekeeper, Clayton, GA

Electronic Surveillance of Honeybees

4:30pm Have a Safe Trip Honey

Directions From Atlanta:

Take I-85 south to Exit 41 (Moreland/Hwy. 29) and take a right off the ramp. Go past Waffle House to the first road on the left, Pine Road. Take Pine Road for approximately ½ mile over the railroad tracks. The entrance to the facility is on the left.

Directions From Columbus:

Take I-85 north to Exit 41 (Moreland/Hwy. 29) and take a left off the ramp. Go past Waffle House to the first road on the left, Pine Road. Take Pine Road for approximately ½ mile over the railroad tracks. The entrance to the facility is on the left.

Directions From Peachtree City/Fayetteville:

Take Hwy. 54 through Peachtree City to Coweta County. Stay on Hwy. 54 at the 54/34 split. Go approximately 7 miles to the four-way stop at Hwy. 16. Go right on Hwy. 16 for approximately 9 miles until it dead ends at Hwy. 29. Go right and then take a quick left onto Pine Road. Go ½ mile over the railroad tracks and the entrance to the facility is on the left.

December meeting wraps up 2011

2012-01-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to Everyone;

Our December meeting was held on 20 December, 2011 at the Old Perry Court House as usual; About 35 folks showed up for some brief remarks about 2011 and a query into some subjects for discussion for next year. Hazel read the minutes of the November meeting and it was reported that we have about $700.00 in the bee fund. It was announced that the 2012 GBA Meeting would be 18 February (Saturday) around Newnan, Ga. More detailed info will follow. But it is rumored that this is going to be a one day event. So many of you who usually can't attend will be available. So mark your calendars now, and reserve the day.

We also discussed Honey bottle labeling and I promised that I would do some research. This is the link to The National Honey Board list of rules. Any other questions can be asked at the next meeting.

We broke early so that we could enjoy a lot of food and goodies brought in by everyone. It was a great Christmas get together and a wonderful way to close out the year. Thanks to all who brought food and especially Danny Greene for bringing the drinks. We also had our raffle; but this time; Good old Heidi brought in some of her fabulous cakes to add to the raffle table. Thanks to all who brought raffle items. We raise a lot of money this way and are able to keep our dues to a minimum. Speaking of dues; please plan to attend our January meeting on the 17th of January and plan to pay 12 green back dollars for the coming year's dues.

See you soon. Bear

Great Turnout for November Meeting

2011-11-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

Good Day to All;

We had a lively meeting on Tuesday, 15 November as over 25 attended at the Old Perry Courthouse in beautiful downtown Perry, Ga.

As usual, Hazel McCurdy read the minutes of the Oct meeting and Kelly Hillis gave us a finance report of our on hand cash balance of $701.25.

We discussed everyone bringing some light finger foods for a Christmas Social for our next meeting on December 20. Everyone agreed. So please plan to attend and bring some goodies to share.

We also announced that the staff at Georgia Veterans State Park were taking such good care of their bees that they were able to harvest some honey and have already sold it all under the label of "Bee-29 Honey". As you all know, we sort of sponsored the park and started the bee keeping program there this year. Randall Meeks, the Park Manager, is planning on having public bee programs there soon. As a side note, the SOWEGA Beekeepers have started a beekeeping program at Cheehaw park in Albany and it is reported that they are doing well. After all the administrative stuff was taken care of, we moved into our program.

"Tools of the trade" was the primary topic of this month's meeting.

I brought in a Refractometer and we discussed the use, importance of knowing the h20 content of your honey and demonstrated it for the group. We passed it around for everyone to see how it read the h20 level of the honey sample that was used.

Kelly Hillis brought in a BeeVac and discussed its use when capturing a feral colony of bees. It certainly makes the it sooooooooooo much easier and safer when claiming "free bees".

Jessie McCurdy, who everyone knows builds his own hives from scratch, brought in some nails he has found in trees that will eat up any saw blade on the market. His point was to be very careful when milling raw wood. We are all trying to find ways to save dollars, but don't skip safety in your pursuit!

Bill Tamboli, the "BeeVue" guy, brought in one of his BeeVues. It is actually a framed top with plexiglass to view the colony and their activities without opening the hive. It comes with top feeders that keep the feed from freezing, robbing, keeps it on top of the cluster when they really need it. He also discussed "Hop-Guard" for mite treatment, and showed us how effective it was. It is available in the Mann Lake catalog.

At the end, we had our raffle as usual with about 5 or 6 prizes. That really is a primary fund raiser for us, so please bring something each meeting to share. Some more popular prizes were pies and cakes that don't seem to be there any more. Come back pies!

Our next meeting will be 20 Dec..............Happy Thanksgiving! Bear

Welsh Honey Show

2011-10-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

It was so good to see you all at the last meeting, and if you were not able to be there, you missed a good one (and we missed you too!)

If you would like to put your newly-found knowledge of “how to present your honey” to the test, the North Florida Fair is having a Welsh Honey show as part of their fair (for the 3^rd year I a row!!) Submissions must be taken to the Tallahassee, Florida site on the morning of November 5^th—there are 12—yes—twelve—categories of the Honey Show. I enjoyed reading the ‘rules’ and still dream of winning something, sometime!!

If not interested in the competition, it might be fun to just read what they are expecting!!! (Everyone who has harvested their honey is eligible for the ‘black jar’ category!!) (Maybe I’ll get to work on that this week!! ;0)

Go to www.northfloridafair.com then ‘exhibitor handbook’ then scroll down to Department 550 ‘Welsh Honey Show”

Hope to see you all November 10^th for our November meeting!

Thanks,

Georgia Bee Letter

2011-10-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

This is the link to UGA's Georgia Bee Letter

http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/documents/GBL-Sept2011.pdf

September meeting highlights

2011-10-13T07:52:00.000-04:00

Hey Folks,

Sorry this is so long in coming; but Mb and I have been out of town until recently.

The September meeting seemed to be a success as about 30-35 attended our annual Honey Show. Everyone there had the opportunity to select the "Best Honey" for the year and it was Jack Floyd who now has bragging rights for the coming year. Congratulations Jack! Your girls really came through.

We will post his name on the website and show his winning jar at the Perry Fair at Jessie and Hazels Honey booth.

Speaking of Jessie and Hazel; They really could use some volunteer help at the fair with their booth. This is a great way to learn the retail side of the honey business and a darn nice thing to do for someone who gives us so much. Please contact Hazel at 478-808-1285 and coordinate when you can work. The fair runs from 6-16 Oct. It also earns you a free pass to the fair. Mb and I always enjoy working with them and break away to check out the rest of the activities. Hope to see many of you there.

Our next meeting is 18 Oct. We will have a guest speaker that night. She is Linda Tillman, a Master Beekeeper from Atlanta and she will be talking about the simplistic side of beekeeping. I saw her presentation at Young Harris this year as was quite impressed. Please plan to be there, and you'll learn so much and learn how to save $$ while keeping bees.

Until then, keep the buzz going..............Bear

August Meeting Recap

2011-08-21T08:23:00.000-04:00

Our August Meeting was on the 16th at 7pm at the Old Perry Court House. There were 36 in attendance as they waited breathlessly for Fred Rossman to speak about Queen Rearing. But before he started, we plugged the up coming Georgia Beekeepers Association fall Meeting in McDonough, Ga on 10 and 11 September. The Family registration is only $35 and the information obtained at the meeting will be "priceless". I want to continue to encourage as many of you to attend as possible. The reason you joined the Beekeepers club is to learn more about the little creatures, and this event will certainly boost your Bee education. You can go to the GBA website to sign up. Hope to see you there.

We also discussed the HOG Beekeepers web site and how we have a new "Keeper of the site". It improves every time I check it. Bookmark it as a favorite and stay informed.

Our guest speaker was Mr. Fred Rossman, the owner of Rossman Apiaries. (that's the place we spend our extra money!). Fred spent the evening educating us on proper Queen rearing. He went into great details about each stage of the process and showed us the proper tools and equipment necessary for producing a successful crop of queen bees. Many of our members have shown an interest in taking on this task and hopefully they were convinced that it can be done at home. I did speak to several members who have decided that $20 is not too much to spend for a new queen when they need one due the work involved. Whether you raise queens, workers or just like to watch them work, Fred's presentation was simple and technical enough to educate and entertain us for the evening.

We also want to extend a welcome to David Rossman (Fred's son) and his daughter Kendall. We hope you didn't come just to watch dear old Dad . We could use your experience and education in the bee business for the betterment of our club. You are always welcome. Maybe Kendall can get stung like the rest of us.

Our next meeting will be 20 September, same time, same place. The theme of this meeting will be our annual Honey Show. Bring an unmarked jar of your honey and everyone will have an opportunity to judge it. The winner will be displayed at the Georgia National Fair in October at Jessie and Hazels Honey booth. You'll have bragging rights for a year . Last year my honey won! I guess this is the last time I can brag about that. It's been fun.

Until we meet again. Keep the buzz going.

Bear

Heart of Georgia's Members Know Their Bees

2011-08-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

Beekeeper Experience Level

Jessie McCurdy -----------60 years

Jack Floyd---------------------8 years

Kelly Hillis----------------------6 years

Steve Nofs-------------Master Beekeeper

Bob Jacobs-----------Certified Beekeeper

Bear Kelley------------Certified Beekeeper

Queen Reariing added to topics for Aug. 16 meeting

2011-08-12T07:45:00.002-04:00

Fred Rossman will be at the 16 Aug meeting about Queen Rearing and how to obtain new queens when you need them.

July 2011 Meeting

2011-08-01T17:03:00.001-04:00

We had a wonderful get together at the Old Perry Courthouse on 19 July 2011 with about 35 in attendance. Thank you all who came and participated in the discussions.

One of the topics discussed was "Wax Moths" and how they devoured one of my hives. I brought in some of the little buggers to show and tell. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Steve Nofs, The President of Georgia Beekeepers Assn gave us a great presentation and a lot of insight on the GBA. He discussed membership, the cost, the web site and how they interact with state and national agencies. He also briefed us on the up coming Fall meeting to be held on September 10, 11 in McDonough, Ga. I would like to see a lot of our folks there; if there is any way you can attend, that would be great. The fee is only about $35 and the knowledge/information you take away with you is priceless. Please plan to attend.

Jessie McCurdy along with Steve Prince and others fielded a lot of questions from individuals about problems we are having this time of year and offered their valuable experience with solutions to the problems that were raised. I want to thank them for being there for us when we need them. Our club certainly has a wide range of experience from, "I'm thinking about it" to "I have done it for 70 years" both school trained and field trained.

We also want to welcome the folks who drove up from the Albany area. It is great to share club activities and experiences. Maybe one day we can have a get together with both clubs.

Until our next meeting on 16 August, stay safe and keep the buzz! Bear

Class and Field Trip

2011-04-13T09:20:00.001-04:00

Hey Everyone;
Please don't forget about our public bee class on Saturday beginning at 0900. It'll be at the Old Perry Courthouse (our regular meeting place) and go till 12 noon. We will then break for about an hour and re group for a field trip to some of Jessie's hives. If it is raining, we'll just cancel the afternoon session.
Steve Nofs, Steve Prince and Me will be presenting basic topics on beekeeping. Jimmy Green has volunteered to provide drinks. We will need a couple of folks to help with registration and if anyone wants to donate some snacks, that would be great. Help if you can; participate if you want to. But please don't leave the three of us there alone. I have had a bunch of new folks calling who said they would be there for the class. Hope to see many of you there.
Our next regular meeting will be 19 April at 7pm.

Bear

Great Class

2011-03-21T16:25:00.003-04:00

I want to thank the great speaker for the club this last week. There was a really good turnout from the club for this months meeting.

Jessie in the news

2010-12-14T09:19:00.001-05:00

Our very own Jessie Mccurdy makes the news.

http://www.13wmaz.com/video/default.aspx?aid=84622#/Latest+Videos/Perry+Man+Calls+Beekeeping+a+Seventy%2DYear+Passion/49906860001/50317413001/709656551001

Dr Delaplane will be here

2010-11-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that Dr. Keith Delaplane from the Univ. of GA will be speaking at our meeting this Tuesday (11/16) at 7:00. We will be back at our normal meeting place in the old courthouse in Perry.

Steve Nofs

478-396-0712

Killer Bees in Albany Georgia

2010-10-25T08:24:00.000-04:00

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) -- Tests show Africanized "killer" bees were responsible for the death of a 73-year-old man in Dougherty County.

Curtis Davis was stung hundreds of times when his bulldozer hit an old wooden porch post where the bees had built a giant hive. The insects swarmed him.

Georgia Agriculture Commission Tommy Irvin said Thursday that tests showed the insects were a hybrid of African and European honeybees, sometimes called "killer bees." The bees are extremely defensive, swarm in greater numbers than typical European honeybees and sting with little provocation.

Irvin said the bees spread from Central America and first appeared in Texas in 1990. They have gradually spread to other states. State officials said they will continue trapping and monitoring bee swarms to identify Africanized honeybees.

Monthly Meeting Updates.

2010-08-17T21:31:00.004-04:00

OK Finally some updates to the site :)

Next month we are doing a taste test and honey contest for Heart of Georgia beekeepers Club on our usual meeting date and time so bee there for some great fun and taste testing :)

October during fair month we will get to host the Honeybee Queen from October 10th-17th.

And then in November we get world renown scientist Dr. Keith Delaplane to do a talk at our monthly meeting so bee sure to tell your friends and family to come and listen to his talk.

New Warner Robins Farmers Market

2010-06-24T18:13:00.001-04:00

All you beekeepers here's a chance to sell some honey and honey products.

Warner Robins Georgia has a new farmers market called the International City Farmers Market.
Local Growers and small farmers are encouraged to come sell their crops.
There is no fee at this time.
The market will be held on Thursdays starting July 8th from 2pm-6pm at the corner of Watson Blvd and Davis Dr. There will be a "SNEAK PEAK" on Friday, July 2nd from 9am-1pm. Please help spread the word.

We are looking for vendors of Georgia Made, Georgia Grown produce consumable products such as produce, herbs, fruits, plants, soaps, etc. Please contact me for more information you can find us on Facebook or phone 478-225-7626 and ask for Jodi.

Teaching Hive a great resource for the club

2010-05-25T19:42:00.004-04:00

This is a really great resource for the club to have, a Teaching Hive. This is great for taking to schools or places where live bees would not be a good idea. Pictures vary on each frame showing common beekeeping things you will encounter. If you would like to borrow this great teaching tool please let the club know.

Change of plans for the class

2010-04-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

Due to the front coming through tomorrow with heavy rain, we have cancelled the bee yard trip. It will be rescheduled at another time. Cloudy, windy, rainy weather does not usually make for an enjoyable day to work bees even for experienced folks, let alone new bees and kids. I apologize for any inconvenience, but safety first.

If you get this message and have phone numbers of folks who you know were planning to come out, please try to give them a call so no one wastes a trip tomorrow.

Steve Nofs

478-396-0712

Bee Trip

2010-04-23T07:58:00.002-04:00

We are meeting at the Sports Center next to Wal-Mart in Perry at 9:00 am and will go en mass to the beeyard. There is no set ending time. Folks can leave when they want. I would expect to wrap it up around noon. For those with extra veils, gloves, suits, smokers, hive tools, etc., please bring them for new folks who don’t have theirs yet.

A reporter and photographer from the Macon Telegraph told me they will be there to do a story on new beekeepers. If you are a relatively new beekeeper and wish to participate, please come out. It’s a chance to show off our club and demonstrate that anyone can (and should) become a beekeeper.

For those who missed our meeting last Tuesday, we got a lot of business accomplished and enacted some new things that I know will improve our club greatly. I will try to type up the minutes and send them out long before the May meeting.

And remember, we need a volunteer to leave a smoker box behind a parked car Saturday so we can carry on the tradition.

Steve Nofs

478-396-0712

2010-04-20T07:59:00.001-04:00

Don’t forget tonights meeting at 7:00pm at the old courthouse in downtown Perry. Topics for discussion will be info on the field trip on 4/24, feedback on the class for improvements to next years class, and Q&A.

Jennifer Burk from the Macon Telegraph has expressed some interest in doing a story on new beekeepers. Although she hasn’t committed yet to being there Saturday, if she is, she may be interested in interviewing new beekeepers.

Steve

Beginner Beekeeping Class

2010-03-09T07:46:00.002-05:00

Saturday March 20th 2010
Registration starts at 8am
Class Starts at 9am -12 am
and 1p-4p

Cost is $25.00

Door Prizes Available including a hive of bees.

Location is the Houston County Government Building ( The Old Courthouse)
at 801 Main Street Perry, Georgia.
Across from the New Perry Hotel.

Also includes a hands-on instructional trip to a beeyard in April.

Brought to you by the Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Group

2009-09-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

I havent heard from our President yesterday or today but I will assume there will be a meeting tonight at the courthouse.

See some of you there :)

Meeting Tuesday

2009-08-17T22:08:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the late notice, but I just got word that Mike Sorenson will be speaking at our meeting tomorrow night. You can find out more about him at his website here:

http://www.beeyondwonderful.com/

Unfortunately I will not be able to be there due to a scheduling conflict, but I know it will be a great meeting.

Thanks,

Steve Nofs

Monthly Meeting

2009-07-17T07:53:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder of the meeting coming up this Tuesday (7/21) at 7:00. We have a great speaker lined up – Keith Fielder. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the GA Beekeepers Assn. and he is a past president of the GBA. He is a master beekeeper and the extension agent for Putnam Co. He’s extremely knowledgeable and a really good speaker. It will be a terrific meeting. Please attend if you can.

Steve Nofs

478-396-0712

UC Davis Bee Breeder-Geneticist Building a better bee

2009-07-12T11:15:00.001-04:00

DAVIS—"Girls, where’s your mother?”

Bee breeder and geneticist Susan Cobey, who leads the bee breeding program at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Biology Research Facility at the University of California, Davis, scours a hive for the queen bee.

Her trained eye quickly spots the elongated queen. Dozens of worker bees circle the queen. Their job is to protect and nurture the matriarch of the 50,000 to 80,000-member colony. The queen’s sole job is to reproduce; typically she lays about 2000 eggs a day during her two-year life span.

And it’s Cobey’s job to ensure that queen bee breeding programs thrive, that bees literally be all they can be.

“The queen, mother of all individuals in a hive, determines the inherited characteristics of the colony,” she wrote in a published paper. “Her success, productivity and lifespan are dependent upon the number and genetic diversity of drones with whom she mates.”

“The challenge with honey bee genetics is that queens always mate in flight,” Cobey said. “They’ll mate with multiple drones, as many as 60, although average about 10, within a couple of days. The drones die after mating and the impregnated queen settles down to begin her lifelong egg-laying.”

“With instrumental insemination, we can control mating, enabling selection to enhance commercial stocks and maintain desired traits, including temper and resistance to disease and parasites.”

Cobey, a 30-year veteran of bee fertility research programs, is considered the world’s most renowned bee insemination authority and instructor. Hired by UC Davis in May, she teaches courses on “The Art of Queen Rearing,” “Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding” and “Advanced Instruction Instrumental Insemination.”

Over the last 25 years, she’s taught researchers and beekeepers from Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, France, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China, India, United Kingdom, England, New Zealand. Korea, Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, and Nigeria.

By invitation, she’s also taught in Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Egypt and South Africa.

Cobey’s job is basically to build a better bee by maximizing the good traits and minimizing the bad traits. “Controlled mating,” she said, “is the basic foundation of all stock improvement programs.”

The issue is timely, especially since CCD--“colony collapse disorder” or “massive honeybee die-off”--killed a quarter of the nation’s 2.4 million commercial bee hives last winter, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Colony collapse disorder appears to be a complex issue,” Cobey said. “Similar situations have been experienced in the past. CCD may involve a variety of factors; parasitic mites, bee pathogens, chemicals (both miticides used in the colony and pesticides in the environment), changing climates, loss of forage, poor nutrition and loss of genetic diversity. Overall, I think it’s stress, caused by the combination of these factors.”

However, by controlling the genetics of honey bees, researchers can breed stronger, more survivable bees, bees able to withstand such pests as varroa mites, she said.

Honey bees, crucial to the nation’s multi-billion agricultural industry, pollinate one-third of the food crops, including fruits, legumes and vegetables, according to the USDA. They account for 80 percent of all insect crop pollination. They produce around 200 million pounds of honey a year in the United States, or about 84 pounds of honey per colony. California’s honey production averages $25.2 million a year, just behind national leader North Dakota’s $27.2 million.

Bees are especially critical to almond growers; “without honey bee pollination, crop yields would not be economically viable,” Cobey said. California, accounting for half of the world production of almonds, requires between 900,000 and 1,000,000 colonies of honey bees to pollinate the state’s 420,000 acres of almonds, figures the National Honey Board.

Student reaches for queen bee

Insects first sparked Cobey’s interest during her childhood in Lancaster County, Pa. She remembers bringing insects into her elementary school classroom for show and tell, until she was told to choose something different.

“Insects are like jewelry,” she said. “They come in all shapes, size and colors.”

And bees? The social insects fascinate her. “The beehive is so efficient. The queen is the soul of the colony. She sets the tone and the production rate. Every bee has a task.”

After enrolling in a student exchange program in entomology in 1975 at Oregon State University, Corvallis, Cobey received her bachelor’s degree in entomology in 1976 from the University of Delaware, Newark. From 1978 to 1980, she worked at UC Davis, where she was influenced by Harry Laidlaw (1907-2003).

Known as the “father of honeybee genetics,” Laidlaw perfected artificial bee insemination technology. “He discovered the valve fold in the queen bee which hinders injection of semen into the lateral oviducts,” Cobey said. “He developed instrumentation to bypass the valve fold enabling the success of bee insemination.”

Utilizing the training, Cobey established the Vaca Valley Apiaries in Vacaville in 1982, developing the highly regarded New World Carniolan (a black race of bees) Breeding Program. In 1990 she pulled up roots—and hives—and settled in Ohio, serving as staff apiarist at the Rothenbuhler Honey Bee Research Laboratory at Ohio State University until accepting the research associate position at the UC Davis facility in May. She joins Eric Mussen, a longtime UC Cooperative Extension apiculturist.

Cobey is part of the overall plan to launch the UC Davis bee biology research program back to international prominence, said Walter Leal, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology. Over the past decade, budget cuts, resignations and retirements took their toll. The department is now recruiting a professor specializing in bee pollination.

Cobey’s expertise includes establishing and managing a closed population breeding program for more than 30 years; researching and writing scientific publications; and teaching bee breeders how to inseminate queen bees. She developed techniques and equipment for instrumental insemination, including a ruby-tipped hook, but has no plans for patent rights. “The world of bee breeding is so small,” she said.

At Ohio State University, she developed an independent research program on post-insemination survival of honey bee queens and the selection of behavioral traits. Selection for hygienic behavior, the ability to detect and remove varroa mites and bee diseases from brood, is one trait of natural resistance. The varroa mite, a native of Asia, dines on bee larvae and occasionally an adult bee.

In her instrumental insemination classes, Cobey teaches students how to extract semen from a drone, and inseminate an anesthetized virgin queen. Magnified images on a computer screen help illustrate the procedure.

Students highly praise her skills and teaching ability. In a thank-you note to Leal, bee breeder Dave Welter of Welter Apiaries of Stuart, Fla., wrote: “Thank you for hosting the Honeybee Instrumental Insemination short course. It was first rate. I am from South Florida where we are trying to develop strategies to deal with the arrival of the African Honey Bee. The skills that I developed in Sue's class will provide me with a valuable resource as I move forward in this endeavor. Sue really did an incredible job teaching this class. Her patience, professionalism and vast experience created an environment highly conducive to learning. I am very pleased with what I learned and the skills I developed.”

Cobey’s New World Carniolan bees also draw international acclaim. Wrote Honey Run Apiaries of Delphos, Ohio: “Our breeder queens are obtained directly from Sue Cobey’s New World Carniolan Breeding Program. These queens have been selected for productivity, rapid spring buildup, overwintering ability, tracheal mite resistance, hygienic behavior, pollen collection, gentle temperament and high brood viability. We have been impressed with their performance and with their calm, gentle nature they are a pleasure to work.”

“I love my work,” said Cobey, who is partial to blue jeans and t-shirts. “I get to work outside and enjoy the change of seasons, the smells and sounds, and be close to nature. And my bees.”

She admits to having a soft spot for drones. Once the honey-gathering season is over, the worker bees kick the drones out of the hive, as their only function is to mate. “They’re cold and hungry, sitting there on the doorstep and wanting to go back in. They’re attacked and they die. Well, it’s a matriarchal society.”

Husband Timothy Lawrence, an analyst with UC Davis Extension, shares her interest in bees. A wedding portrait shows them bearded with bees.

Cobey also enjoys working with bee breeders. Beekeeping is a hard life, but it’s a lifestyle for many. “They just fall in love with their bees.”

As does she. “Breeding them so they’re strong and healthy and resilient, so they will bounce right back, it’s a passion and an increasing challenge.”

America's oldest worker – a Kansan – dies at 106

2009-07-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

Waldo McBurney of Quinter, Kan., who was designated as America’s oldest worker in 2006, died Wednesday. He was 106.

The designation came from Experience Works, which provides training and employment for senior citizens.

After graduating from college in 1927, he worked in various jobs. He started a seed-cleaning business in the 1950s and ran it until he was 91.

McBurney then turned his beekeeping hobby into a honey business. He sold it last year, saying he was slowing down.

Pollinator week coming up

2009-06-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

By proclamation, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared June 22-28, 2009 Pollinator Week in the State of Georgia.

Monarchs Across Georgia and Stone Mountain Memorial Association would like to invite you to celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, 2009, at Stone Mountain Park. The state butterfly of Georgia, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, will be highlighted in the lobby display inside of Confederate Hall.

Tuesday, June 23, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., Pollinator Habitat Walk

Join us for a walk on the 1-mile loop in the meadow of the Songbird Habitat to observe pollinators at work and learn about the plants and places that they need to survive. Dress for the weather and wear closed-toe shoes. Bring a water bottle. Open to all ages. Meet at the trail head in the parking area off of Stonewall Jackson Drive.

Wednesday, June 24, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., Monarch Mania

Participants will learn about the migration and life cycle of the Monarch butterfly and make a butterfly craft. Open to all ages. Meet inside Confederate Hall.

Saturday, June 27, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Create a Pollinator Garden

Drop in any time during this program to receive information about what to plant in your garden to attract butterflies and other pollinators. Participants will make pots out of newspaper strips and plant seeds to take home for their own garden. Open to all ages. Meet in front of Confederate Hall.
Reservations are not required. Programs are free however there is an $8.00 vehicle entry fee at the Park gate. For directions to the Stone Mountain Park, visit http://www.stonemountainpark.com/maps-directions/.

Next Months Meeting

2009-06-17T09:46:00.003-04:00

Bee Sure to make next months meeting to hear speaker Keith Fielder talk about bees and beekeeping with a Q&A after the talk.

Check out our calendar to learn more about Keith Fielder and his accomplishments.

Our own Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Member tries a bee beard on for size

2009-06-16T22:28:00.004-04:00

Dooly County High School Science Teacher and member of Heart of Georgia Beekeepers Club in Perry Georgia made a bet with his students that if 70 percent of the class passed their final he would try on a bee beard. Looks like they won the bet.

Meeting tomorrow night

2009-06-15T20:15:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder of the meeting tomorrow night at 7:00 at the old courthouse in downtown Perry.

Steve

Bee colonies drop another 29 percent: 'Something is going wrong,' Florida beekeeper says

2009-05-22T08:04:00.002-04:00

Bee colonies drop another 29 percent: 'Something is going wrong,' Florida beekeeper says

By SUSAN SALISBURY

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Honeybee losses nationwide continue at a level that is economically unsustainable for commercial beekeeping, according to a 2008-09 survey released Tuesday.

The survey, which encompassed 20 percent of the nation's roughly 2.3 million honeybee colonies, found a 29 percent loss of managed bee colonies. This compares with losses of 36 percent and 32 percent in the winters of 2007-08 and 2006-07, respectively. The Apiary Inspectors of America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Bee Research Lab in Beltsville, Md., conducted the survey from September 2008 to April.

If you are a small business person in any activity, how long can you sustain 29 percent losses or greater each year?" said Jerry Hayes, assistant chief of the Florida Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection in Gainesville.

While total losses decreased slightly, the average operational loss increased to 34 percent in 2008-09 from 31 percent a year ago.

Hayes prepared the survey's preliminary results along with entomologists Dennis vanEngelsdorp, of Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture and president of the AIA, and the USDA's Jeff Pettis.

A more detailed report will be published this year.

Experts blamed Colony Collapse Disorder, the malady characterized by the complete absence of bees in dead colonies that has been decimating the U.S. beekeeping industry in recent years, for some of the losses. The cause of the disorder is still unknown, but about 26 percent of apiaries surveyed reported that some of their colonies died of the collapse disorder - down from 36 percent of apiaries in 2007-08.

Other causes include premature queen death, starvation, cold, pests such as the varroa mite and pesticides, Hayes said.

Dave Hackenberg, a beekeeper who winters his bees in Florida, criticized the survey for not asking the right question. He said his hive numbers dropped from 3,500 in October 2008 to 2,800 this January, within the time period of the survey. But by February, he had lost 300 more hives.

"It's spring, but the hives aren't growing. I'm finding them blown out, dead or gone," Hackenberg said from Maine Tuesday.

Hayes added: "There have been beekeepers out there who have taken another phenomenal loss this year. Honeybees simply are not healthy."

Reminder of meeting

2009-05-19T08:44:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder of tonight's meeting at 7:00 at the old courthouse in downtown Perry. We’ll discuss our trip to the bee yard and get some feedback on the Young Harris Beekeeping Institute from those who went. We’ll also discuss our website and answer all the questions we can.

Steve Nofs

How to put together beehive frames.

2009-05-10T08:03:00.002-04:00

Bee Hive Entrance

2009-05-09T21:55:00.000-04:00

Beekeeping Class Part II

2009-05-09T18:41:00.011-04:00

Honey Bee Class Part II

From bees

There was a good turn out today at the class, over 16 people showed up to come play in the cantaloupe fields with the bees. Every one dressed up and did hands on with live bees, learning how to handle them, spotting the queen, and seeing how they developed the comb in the hive.

It was a beautiful day for BEEing outside with nice blue skies and a slight breeze. Here are a few more pictures and videos from the day.

From bees

Here Jessie shows us how to load up a smoker with pine straw. It is important to create a cool smoke so as not to hurt the bees.

From bees

The Crowd Gathers round to see the hives for the first time.

From bees

The group studies and hunts for the elusive queen bee. You can spot her easily just look for the little crown on her head. :)

From bees

More future beekeepers hard at work practicing handling the bees.

From bees

The End

Everyone seemed to have a good time and learned alot. We had a wide range from young to old, black and white, male and female everyone learned something and joined in. You can see more photos here at Michael Rutherford's blog at http://tiny.cc/3P9iR

Beekeeping talk 2 of 8

2009-05-08T07:55:00.001-04:00

beekeeping talk 2 of 8 from mike r on Vimeo.

Beekeeping Webring Member

2009-05-05T14:23:00.002-04:00

This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit Here.

Beekeeping video 1 of 8

2009-04-22T14:41:00.001-04:00

Beekeeping talk file 1 of 8 from mike r on Vimeo.

2009-04-21T11:17:00.001-04:00

Meeting Tonight at 7pm Old Perry Courthouse :) See you there.

Call of the Honey Bees

2009-03-22T09:53:00.003-04:00

Cooking up a story video about The Call of the Honey Bees

Life cycle of the Honey Bee

2009-03-22T09:05:00.004-04:00

Good video on the life cycle of the Honey Bee

2009-03-21T10:02:00.002-04:00

This is my first test post. Thanks for bearing with us.