May 18 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
May would normally be an excellent time to discuss swarming and trapping although this year it looks like we might be a little late…
What is it with swarms anyway? We all know that it’s how the colony tries to make a new hive by leaving and finding a new cavity. But are we really clear on the details? When does it really start and when does it end on its own? Can swarming kill a hive? What are afterswarms and why do they happen.
Join us this month when we will present David Peck from Betterbee who will talk to us about swarming, afterswarms, and what you can or should do about it.
Dr. Peck is the Director of Research and Education at Betterbee in Greenwich, NY, where he assists in product development and research, and also teaches classes and develops scientifically-sound educational materials. His doctoral work in Cornell University’s Department of Neurobiology and Behavior was supervised by Professor Tom Seeley. His dissertation research focused on the transmission of mites between bee colonies, as well as the mite-resistance traits of the untreated honey bees living in Cornell’s Arnot Forest.
After earning his degree, he has continued to research varroa/bee interactions, including fieldwork in Newfoundland, Canada (where varroa still have not arrived) and Anosy Madagascar (where varroa arrived only in 2010 or 2011). He has served as a teaching postdoctoral fellow in Cornell’s Department of Entomology, and is still affiliated with Cornell through the Honey Bee Health program in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Peck has kept bees for more than a decade, though his home apiary is often full of mite-riddled research colonies so he doesn’t usually produce much honey.
Did someone say door prize?
Although Dr. Peck will be joining us virtually Betterbee has generously offered a pack of 10 pieces of BetterComb.
You can read all about it here – https://www.betterbee.com/foundation/bcombm10.asp
Join us at St. James School to be eligible for the door prize.
