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ISSUE 79: MARCH 2017

From the Queen's Court by Melanie KirbyA•Bee•Cs by Phill RemickJust the FAQs by Dennis BrownX•Y•Zzz: Bee Breeding 101, Part IV by Melanie Kirby Beekeeping ‘Round the Globe: American Honey Tasting SocietyBee Health: BIP Sentinel ProgramBee Science: ABRC 2017, A Short ReportThe Townies: Ergo Ergonomics by Tara ChapmanBee Arts: 2016 Black Jar Contest FinalistsBee Thinking About: Newsflash, WY Bee CollegeUpcoming Events

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Kelley Beekeeping • Issue 79: March 2017 2

Buzz Buzz…have you got your veils on, smokers lit, hive tools at the ready?!

This month’s newsletter is filled to the brim with information. There’s articles on everything from beekeeper posture and the fourth installment of Bee Breeding 101, to advanced honey tasting. And speaking of the sweet stuff, The Center for Honeybee Research has recently announced their Black Jar Honey Contest winners. Check out the Bee Arts segment in this month’s issue to read a full list of all the winners.

No doubt each winner had to bee in the right place at the right time. In the good years, I am forever grateful that my bees found what they needed when they needed it. And in the not so good years, I am forever humbled and reminded that Mother Nature can be cruel at times yet resilient. But in the end, between the good and the not so good, there’s always a thread of respect.

Respect for the people, places and pleasantries. Respect for the support that helps beekeepers around the nation. And respect for our bees. This is surely the case for the communities, organizations and industry leaders who look to support pollinator health. The 2017 American Bee Research Conference (ABRC) took place in January and their efforts to investigate honey bee health are to support bees and their keepers. Read more about this year’s abstract proceedings in this month’s Bee Science segment.

The Bee Informed Partnership’s (BIP) Sentinel Hives program is looking for additional beekeepers to participate in hive weight data collection. You can read more about the BIP Sentinel Hives program in this month’s Bee Health segment. Both the ABRC and BIP are made up of folks who care about bees. And they both encourage beekeepers to make educated decisions regarding hive management practices. Their efforts are helping to tip the balance

From the Queen’s Courtby Melanie Kirby

EditorMelanie [email protected]

Design & LayoutJon Weaver, Johnny4Eyes.com

Website & Ecommercekelleybees.com

Address807 W. Main St.Clarkson, KY 42726

Phone270-242-2012 800-233-2899

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in our bees’ favor.

In return we can encourage them to keep investigating respectful methods for keeping our bees healthy and productive. It is this relationship, one of sharing information, which enables us all to make better choices and create and maintain better habitat for our bees. We can surround each other with support. And in so doing, create a larger network building comb together to strengthen the industry.

At times, one may think that they are not part of the beekeeping “industry.” But whether you are a novice or a seasoned steward, if you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem. What each and every person decides to do with their beekeeping is a part of the “industry.” We can easily switch the term to “community;” because it does indeed take a community to keep bees healthy.

Whether you choose to build your own equipment or purchase it; to buy packages or catch swarms; to treat or not, you are a part of the beekeeping community and industry. And what each one of us does, affects the greater community whole. This greater whole is what will give our bees a fighting chance.

This greater whole does a whole lot better with support. And by supporting each other, we support our local bees and communities. Kelley Beekeeping helps to support by surrounding beekeepers with quality tools, instruction and service. Sharing resources and helping to build comb between regions, Kelley Beekeeping supports their customers because their customers support Kelley Beekeeping. Together we can support our bees, and bee strong in our commitment to raise healthy bees, share their glorious pollination services, and righteous hive medicines…from buzz to buzz.

Bee Strong!Yours in Beekeeping,Melanie Kirby, Editor

Queen’s Court cont'd

Bee on yellow hibiscus.

Melanie Kirby has been keeping bees professionally for 20 years. She admits that beekeeping has made her stronger in mind (teaching her how to adapt and persevere), in body (loading the truck and unloading the truck), and in spirit (inviting her to mingle with such divine majestic creatures). She can be reached at [email protected]


A•Bee•CsBeginning Beekeepingby Phill Remick

If you have a question you would like to share, email it to [email protected]

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Years ago, a book was written entitled, “Dress For Success.” Although the book prescribed a certain look for the office and board room, it had its merits in encouraging you not to wear bell bottoms and Nehru jackets if you wanted to become Vice President of your company.

Just as it is important to dress appropriately in the office if you want to succeed, it is vitally important to dress correctly when you are in the bee yard. Here are suggestions for dressing for success, which means you are less likely to get stung - and in my book, that is truly success!

What color are most bears? What do they look like? Big, dark and hairy is the common answer. Regardless of your haircut, you do not want to resemble the arch enemy of the honeybee, and so my first suggestion is to not wear dark clothing. This is the primary reason that most bee suits are white. Bees are not threatened by light colors. Keep the black jeans and t-shirts at home and don white tops and light colored bottoms if you are not in a bee suit. Just in case you are wondering, red is also considered black by bees, so restrain yourself in your beeyard on Valentines’ Day. Also, do not bring any pet into the beeyard as bees do NOT like fur (whether it is a skunk, FiFi or Foo Foo): you do not want your favorite pet to become the undivided attention of the apiary.

Just like you won’t wear your black high tops, don’t wear even white high tops! Canvas shoes, open toed shoes, or sandals are also asking for trouble. Your bees might not be in a good mood one day and they just may go for your feet. Need I say how painful stings on your feet can be? Wear boots or leather shoes for complete safety. If the only shoes you own have low vamps, wear a ‘gaiter’ to cover and protect your ankles. Did you ever consider that your feet and ankles are at the same height as most openings into bee hives? Duct tape is the old family favorite to close or seal any gap.

Also, wear light colored socks so the bees do not immediately think your ankles are small predators. Ideally, your pants should fit over your ankles and over any low cut shoe that you have. Do not hesitate to use duct tape to close off the bottom cuff of your pants and to protect your ankles.

Yes, I have seen shorts worn in the beeyard, but I don't recommend it. It comes down to personal preference, but I personally recommend wearing clothing that covers your extremities and is thick enough that it will be hard for stingers to get through to tender flesh.


Ever watch a YouTube of a beekeeper whose eyes were swollen shut because of bee stings? Well, those videos actually exist, and I can say that it does not inspire confidence in what that particular beekeeper has to say. Be sure to wear a hat that will support your veil as both a hat and veil are some of the most important pieces of protective equipment you can own. A soft canvas hat is no protection against stingers and is not strong enough to hold your veil securely. A fur or felt hat is absolutely not recommended, and be sure that the vents in your hat are small enough for a bee to not be able to crawl into.

While we are on the subject of veils, be sure that there are no holes or rips in your veil. If so, pitch it as it is useless for protection! And, as an added note, if you do get a bee in your bonnet, do not panic. Instead of ripping your veil off, learn to squeeze the bee inside the veil and kill it while you continue to protect your face and eyes from further intrusion. If there is more than one bee in your veil, go to your car , crack a window an inch and take off your veil where other bees are not likely to follow you or attack you. Keep your veil on at all times in the beeyard, and have a hat and veil that are in perfect condition. I recommend that you always keep a spare veil and hive tool under the seat of your vehicle as there will come a day when you will need it.

Make sure that your shirt has a collar. Turn up the collar and then put on your hat and veil. When you don your veil make sure that it goes OVER your upturned collar… again this prevents bees from getting into your veil and stinging through the veil to your neck. Learn to tie your veil properly and make it snug to keep bees from being able to get under and in to your face, eyes and ears.

Some beekeepers like to wear coveralls. Just be aware that most of those have open sides and openings into pockets. Again, duct tape will be your best friend. Use it liberally to close off all those openings that bees would be happy to crawl or fly into. Be sure that no matter what your uniform is that you wash it well with detergent and even add bleach. Dead bees on your clothing are an attractant to other bees to sting you.

Don’t smell like a flower. Skip the aftershave and perfume. You want to get into the hive and work in the yard without attracting undue attention to yourself. The same thing applies to jewelry and especially rings. From personal experience I can tell you that bees will sting right next to your ring. And once one bee has stung there, it is an invitation for other bees to sting in exactly the same place. The shine or sparkle from your rings can attract or irritate bees, so it's best to leave the jewelry at home. The less bling, the better.

Yes, I work with bare hands so I do not crush bees. I have gloves nearby though in case they are needed. If you are new to beekeeping, wear gloves and make sure they are goat skin and come to your elbows. Short canvas gloves are not appropriate as bees can get inside them or sting through them. Also, you WILL kill bees while wearing gloves, so be sure to clean your gloves as needed as ‘dead bee perfume’ and old venom scent attracts other bees to sting. Puffing smoke

ABCs continued


on your gloves is not out of the question if the bees are attracted to your hands due to the smell of bees that have been crushed.

You can dress poorly and inappropriately and irritate the bees and get stung, or you can dress for success. It’s not a fashion show and you may not become Vice President of your beeyard, but at least you will be safe.

Bee Safe,Phill Remick

ABCs continued

Apart from being obsessed with fashion, Phill Remick is a former commercial beekeeper teaching beekeeping and providing year round apiary consultation near Grand Junction, Co. Contact: [email protected]

The Beekeepers, 1568, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.


Hi Dennis,Checked my 2 hives today. I'm a first year beekeeper, and have only 2 hives. Both went into the winter strong, but set up was a deep and a medium. Both hives were full of bees and honey. Today, my first hive was empty. By the way, I last inspected just before the freeze we had a few weeks ago (where it got to at least 20 degrees, if not in the teens) and all was good. I'm located south of Waller, Texas. I searched the entire hive, maybe 100 dead bees outside on the ground and in the bottom of the hive. No evidence of beetles, and didn't see any mites. There were just a few spiders in the telescoping lid. My hives are set up with screen bottoms, and telescoping hives. I have migratory lids for spring time switch. Also, I am using 8 frame boxes. I have the sliding bottoms about 2/3 to 3/4 engaged in the screened bottoms. All the honey is gone, and the comb looks great. One question I have is, what do I do with the comb? I assume I preserve it, but how? Depressed, and expecting the worse, I inspected the second hive. I felt a little hope as I weighed the super and it was pretty heavy. Removing the top, it was full of bees. And still quite a bit of honey. Only one end frame was empty of honey, but semi-full of comb. The other few frames I checked were all between half and full of honey. I did not check the deep, but was able to see a lot of bees looking down the space between the frames. What do I do with the empty hive? Should I remove it from the area (the two hives are about 6-8 feet apart), or leave it there? Should I do something with the frames full of empty comb? Since I am a beginner, should I look into purchasing a new hive of bees, or rely on the possibility of swarms for expansion? I look at this opportunity to do things right the next time. I will set the hives up with growth to two deeps before the medium supers. And leave the two deeps for the hive body. Should I place the empty deep now with the other hive this spring for the other hive, or keep it for a potential swarm? Also, I have both plastic foundation and wire/wax foundation.

Any chance if the existing hive swarms this spring, the swarm may occupy the hive next door? A lot of questions and I’m open to any suggestions or thoughts you may have. I’m looking forward to the next class. Al Lee

Just the FAQsQuestions & Answersby Dennis Brown


Dennis Brown is the author of “Beekeeping: A Personal Journey” and “Beekeeping: Questions and Answers." Contact Dennis at www.lonestarfarms.net.

Hello Al,First thing you should do is pick up the dead hive and store it at room temperature with moth crystals to protect it. Place four tablespoons of crystals in a small container towards the top inside the stack and make sure the stack is sealed tight. This will keep the moth eggs from hatching out and destroying the drawn wax. You must replace the crystals as they dissipate. Sometimes there is no way to know why bees abscond. It’s just one of those things. You should start your hives one brood box at a time. When the bees fill out that box, place the next brood box on. Never put the honey super on until there is a honey flow going on. You don’t want to provide more room in the hive than the bees can care for. Read that in my book; “Beekeeping: A Personal Journey.”

Sounds like you need to order more equipment if you intend to get your hives in two brood boxes each. Now’s the time (January/February/March) to get all your equipment ready for the new season. It’s not likely that the bees joined another hive this time of year. There’s always a chance that the bees will swarm. That’s a built-in instinct all honeybees have. I personally don’t like using plastic anything in my hives. Beeswax is natural to the bees (if it isn't full of questionable residues). I hope this helps you. I’ll be posting the next class date soon.

Enjoy your bees!Dennis Brown

FAQs continued


X•Y•ZzzAdvanced Beekeepingby Melanie Kirby

Queen Breeding 101

Throughout this year, we’ll cover the basics of queen honey bee breeding and rearing (propagation), and also continue discussions on what is realistic and pertinent for promoting and nurturing healthy stock lines for all experience levels. As we flip back and forth between the past and the future of bee breeding over the next few months, we’ll share what bee breeding is, and how beekeepers, land stewards and communities can do to participate in the process. As with any endeavor, reviewing the past in preparation for the future is essential as we can only figure out where to go from where we’ve been.

For this fourth installment, I will share the third and final part of an article I wrote back in 2011 for The American Bee Journal on establishing a survivor bee breeding program in today’s circumstances. If KB readers have bee breeding programs they participate in and would like to share information - please email your story to [email protected].

IN HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE, Part IIIFirst published in the June 2011 American Bee Journal

Now that we have discussed longevity and its establishment and relation to the whole wide world, how can we utilize it to help establish protocol for selection and production rearing? With marked queens that are tracked over time, the selection of survivors becomes obvious- either they make it or they don’t. Those that have demonstrated repeated gentleness, pest/disease resistance and hygiene while remaining productive, are the sparkling gems! In our particular system, we select breeders who are minimum two years old. This is above “normal” and we have been told that this is “setting the bar too high”. However, I firmly believe that is not the problem: the problem is that folks have reduced their expectations. Currently, no one expects a queen to live more than a year. Why not? The unfortunate compromise of certain areas of our planet which seem to fall more appropriately within highly human populated zones, have changed many things. It has changed the agroecosystem, yes- the water supply and content, the air quality, and the forage, as well as the practice of using shortened mating nuc periods for fast harvest turn-around. Quality genetics- which take years and generations to develop can be swiftly trashed with compromised rearing and production methods. If queen larva is fed royal jelly derived from artificial sugars contaminated with toxic residues from pesticides and fungicides and other environmental toxins, and then harvested early from their mating nuc, then can we honestly expect any more from them? If we push and push, we will not knock Mother Nature down. In reaction, she may just surprise us with more obstacles that we must learn to reconcile safely. The more chemicals you put on the situation, will not alleviate the fundamental issues of contamination.


XYZzz continued

Ensuring quality forage and timely production schedules are essential if we truly hope to establish a turnaround for our American bees. The immune-competence of all the bees thusly depends on rigorous selection practices and respectful rearing protocol. Extended time given to developing and maturing queens will ultimately lead to enhanced immune-competence all around. This is also affected by the queen’s promiscuity1 and fecundity (or her ability to mate with multiple drones with varied genetics and her ability to reproduce). The queen’s sex life does indeed hold the key to honeybee survival.2

Using a larger mating nucleus colony AND waiting an extended period before harvesting a reared queen are essential for quality control. The whole production process rests not only on the cell builders and what they are feeding the developing queen larvae, but also on the mating nucleus set up and timing. Having larger mating nuclei, the size of the colonies can grow and become self-supporting. This allows the bees- or family of bees, with sister and sub-sister families, the opportunity to weave their immune-competence and to nurture a maturing queen properly. Smaller nucs require the routine addition of bulk bees from various sources (shaken from support colonies or bought and borrowed from other beekeepers). This is a stressful addition - random bees from other colonies thrown into a confined space. Could this affect the morale of the hive? It sure will affect the epigenetics and immune-competence that is shared. Waiting an extended period of time to harvest a mated reared queen can truly discern whether the queen mated properly and can actually lay fertilized worker eggs, as well as her laying posture- or how she lays (which can include demonstration of altered allele alignment as reflected in spotty brood laying). Domestic research and complementary research from abroad indicate that the longer a queen is allowed to mature in her mating nuc before harvest and transplantation, the more attractive3 she is to the new colony and her chance of acceptance greater (meaning, less chance of supercedure)4. In conclusion to this section, the establishment of long lived queens relies on marking and tracking. And sharing their quality genetics is dependent upon respectful rearing protocol which includes extended time in a larger mating nucleus.

This has been working for us for 11 years, five years for my partner as a hobbyist turned professional and six years as a serious combined effort of two aspiring bee breeders specializing in survivor stock small-scale “commercial” production. While we are still very much students to it all, what I have learned is to take control of my stock for the betterment of the bees I am stewarding. Importation of bees from out of the area, varied agricultural practices, the manifestation of pest and pathogen issues, along with pesticide and GMO concerns, mean our bees have to be adaptive. We have always looked for

Mark Spitzig holding a frame of ripe queen cells.


bees that work well where we are and for what we are doing. Our locations are diverse: from the moist woodsy Lake Superior coast of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan which experiences super short but intense summer seasons and long, long winters to the diverse and adverse conditions of the Land of Enchantment’s riparian deserts rising to alpine tundra. New Mexico is sincerely a land of extremes. The longer I keep bees throughout the state, the more I am astounded at the variety of colony development and production. It is a hit and miss area. Without moisture, our nectar flows are nonexistent and bees can have a very hard time finding forage without flying long distances. If we get rain at the right time, nectar flows can be astounding. But there is no guarantee. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is also extreme: extreme winter temperatures that last for more than half a year with nectar available only a few months (if the sun comes out and warms it up enough!). It should be noted that our northern NM home farm at 8300 feet actually has a shorter growing season than the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (by one day! according to the Farmer’s Almanac). In our circumstance, we need naturally hardy bees. After purchasing bees and queens from others and monitoring them for minimum two years, we have been able to select long-lived queens that can survive in both environments. We have been able to cross our survivors with each other in the various locations and work with what we have, both in bees and with Mother Nature. We hope that our selection and rearing process allows others to achieve the same regionally- fortified survivor genetic pool upon which to build their apiaries. We are excited to find that while our long-lived survivor queens work very well for us, both in New Mexico and Michigan, they are also working for others in very different landscapes. Through trans-regional collaborations, we are witnessing them working for others. These diverse locations (and their commonalities and distinctions) are indeed relevant case studies that continue to be investigated. How and why is it that this is working?

Back in 2006, we received a summer call from John and Melissa Davis in Porterville, California. At that time, they were managing over 600 hives and were looking for some quality stock. They decided to try our survivor cross stocks and we sent them hundreds of both our VSH Italian X and NWC X marked survivor queens over a period of 5 years. Our small operation can only accommodate so many orders. And since we cannot begin rearing early season queens due to our high altitude elevation and volatile springs in New Mexico, we offered to go to them in the spring of 2010 to assist them with developing and implementing their own early season survivor queen rearing program. We reviewed many of their hives and found numerous marked queens that they received from us that were two, three and even four years old! The Davis hives are located near the southeastern end of the San Joaquin/Central Valley near almonds, oranges, olives and other fruit orchards. To the east they are lined by the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. They move their bees several times a year for

XYZzz continued


various pollination contracts (almonds, kiwi, cherries, plums and melons) and have not used miticides since introducing our bees into their stock lines.

They share with us that while the transition to survivor stock management has been difficult, they are pleased with the results and plan to continue with survivor stock in their operation. They also hope to offer some of their out-crossed survivors to area California beekeepers. This is exciting - they have recently enlisted into Her Majesty’s Secret Service! Working together- sharing quality, Mother Nature and beekeeper-tested stock, can only increase the efficacy of survivor stock breeding and its integration into broader beekeeping environments. So what is the “secret”?! It doesn’t have to be a secret. It is not a new and novel idea. It has existed since before man- only the strong survive. The “secret” is basing selection on endurance and resilience; a.k.a. longevity. LONGEVITY is THE UMBRELLA TRAIT necessary for sustainable selection of naturally durable and functional bees. Long-lived queens have established their overall lifetime merit and serve as carriers of positive genetic traits (those which have imparted long life, i.e. pest/pathogen resistance, hygiene, gentleness and productivity - season to season). Longevity through diverse and adverse conditions parents a myriad of positive survivor traits that truly determine overall health and immuno-competence performance from season to season. The term "survivor" may, to some, connote "site-specific" beekeeping. However, in our experience of cross stocking survivor bees in Michigan, New Mexico, California (and with the many other reports in additional regions), including commercial and small scale case studies, Survivor Queen production based on longevity (reared under respectful conditions), and its dissemination over multiple environments shows promise and hope for trans-regional survivor stock selection and its benefit to area beekeepers and bees. Are you ready to enlist in Her Majesty’s Secret Service?!

2017 Update: Additional efforts to exchange resilient stock lines and to collaborate with beekeepers and researchers across the nation has magnified. There are individual and collective endeavors in virtually every state to develop acclimatized genetics and local production efforts. The more stewards that participate, the better for our bees, their keepers, and our communities. Check out the ABRC proceedings link to see the full poster abstract of the 17 year trans-regional survivor stock case study. A spring queen breeding course is also offered in California - see upcoming event listing.

XYZzz continued

Ripe queen cocoon placed in middle of mating nucleus colony.


XYZzz continued

1Queen Bee Promiscuity Boosts Hive Health; Seeley and Tarpy North Carolina State University http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061211124247.htm

2Sex Life May Hold Key To Honeybee Survival http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914111305.htm

3Genetic Diversity In Honeybee Colonies Boost ; Heather Mattila , Thomas Seeley, Cornell University Productivityhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719185521.htm

4For Honey Bee Queens, Multiple Mating Makes Her Attractive To Workers; Tarpy, Grozinger, Richard http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071008183309.htm

Melanie Kirby is a longevity based bee breeder at 8300’ in the southern Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico: www.ziaqueenbees.com. Along with partner Mark Spitzig, their small operation offers Enchanted Empress Breeder Companions for interested queen rearers and breeders. As dedicated honeybee stewards knowing that their efforts are but a drop in a very large bucket, they look to share and swap quality stock. For more info email: [email protected]

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Beekeeping 'Round the GlobeAmerican Honey Tasting Society

The Art of Defining Honey

MISSION: The AHTS is the leading resource for honey sensory education in the United States. Our mission is to raise the awareness of honey as an artisan food through the highest standards of sensory education and guided tastings. We believe the future of honey lies in the identification of its infinite flavor profiles and floral sources to evaluate it for consumer marketing and the culinary arts. Sensory analysis is a ground breaking concept in the traditional world of evaluating honey in the US.

The American Honey Tasting Society (AHTS) was founded by Marina Marchese. She is also the founder of the beloved brand Red Bee Honey and the author of, "HONEYBEE: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper,” and co-author, with Kim Flottum (editor of Bee Culture Magazine), of "The Honey Connoisseur: Selecting, Tasting, and Pairing Honey." She is a the only American resident to complete the training and be accepted into the Italian National Registry of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey which led her to establish The American Honey Tasting Society (AHTS). Marina volunteered on the honey judging committee for The Good Food Awards has presented guided sensory tastings for the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) Culinary Institute at Greystone and Baking and Brewers Honey Summits with the National Honey Board.

During her 15 years as a beekeeper, Carla Marina has had the unique opportunity to taste thousands of domestic and international honeys and keeps an extensive private library of honey samples. Most of her work today is educating and sourcing out rare and unusual honey for some


of the finest chefs around the country. Carla Marina is available to write honey pairing menus, honey tasting notes and lead guided sensory educational courses for those who would like to train their senses to identify flavors, floral sources or defects in honey. She is also available for interviews, TV appearances and video documentaries.

Project: Flavor & Floral MappingThe American Honey Tasting Society’s Project Flavor and Floral Mapping is an ongoing study aimed at creating a database of American honeys. This database will connect each honey’s sensory profile (color, aroma and flavor) to its respective terroir (region, climate and floral source). Our experienced panel of tasters will be writing the tasting notes for each honey sample as well as experts in the field will be performing laboratory analysis of each sample for its physical, chemical, palynological and sensory properties. This information will establish the first and only standards for each single-origin honey produced in the US. All information gathered from this study will be used to help us better understand honeybees’ behavior, their floral preferences and the resulting flavor profiles of the honeys produced within each specific locations in the US. We hope to identify single-origin, rare and unique honey while at the same time bringing attention to endangered honey plants and their honeys. Also, to educate beekeepers as well as the consumers on honey adulteration and fraud. We understand this is a huge undertaking that will go on for years and even generations. Every beekeeper is an essential part of this project.

For more information, visit www.americanhoneytastingsociety.comContact: [email protected]


With the help of beekeepers all over the country, we have successfully completed our second year of the Sentinel Apiary Program! In 2016, 28 beekeepers from 16 states worked with us.

Together we:• Sampled and monitored the heath of 289 colonies• Processed 1,229 samples for Varroa and Nosema• Shared data from 32 hive scales• Collaborated with our beekeeping neighbors to improve colony health in our regions!

We are now accepting applications for the 2017 Sentinel Apiary Program. With data collected from Disease Load Monitoring and a Hive Scale, you will get the tools and information you need to take your beekeeping to the next level. You will be able to make more informed management decisions, as well as share information with beekeepers in your region to encourage collaborative colony monitoring and management.

We are very pleased to offer a $300 subsidy toward the cost of a hive scale purchased for the Program. The subsidy is available one a first come first serve basis, so don’t delay! Join the science team that is helping beekeepers across the country!

Sign up for Sentinel Apiaries Overview of the Sentinel Apiary ProgramSentinel Apiaries monitor honey bee health in real-time using hive scales to track colony weight gain or loss, and monthly disease assessments of Varroa and Nosema loads. The scale data is automatically transmitted to our servers and the patterns of nectar flow mapped.

The goal is to collect enough information so that Sentinel Apiaries become an early warning system to alert beekeepers of potential problems due to increases in Varroa/Nosema or changes in hive weight. One Sentinel Apiary in a county can thus empower all beekeepers in that area to take early action to protect their colonies. To see the full 2016 Summary Report, visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Q2uXFODCKFdVNkeC0xYVhhUkU/view

Below are examples of graphs from monthly Varroa monitoring reports. In the first graph we see typical mite loads throughout the season, with numbers peaking in August and then dropping after a successful treatment in September. The second graph below provides similar information but shows a possible reinfestation in September, which the beekeeper would not have known without Disease Load Monitoring. Both provide amazingly useful information to the beekeeper about the disease state of their colonies.

Varroa per 100 bees between APHIS and a Sentinel Beekeeper. The red line indicates the treatment threshold of 3 mites per 100 bees. An effective treatment occurred in September.

Bee HealthSentinel Apiary Program


Bee Health cont'd

An effective treatment took place in August, followed by mite populations soaring to an even higher spike in September. This is likely the result of re-infestation by a nearby apiary.

Supported hive scale vendors for the Sentinel Apiary Program:Below is a list of hive scales that have been validated by the Sentinel Hive Scale Team to be able to integrate with BIP. Visit www.beeinformed.org website for reviews of the scales, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages associated with each product:• Arnia• Solution Bee• Wi-Fi Hive Scale

The pricing structure for the Sentinel Apiary Program is dependent upon which scale you purchase. The baseline cost of the program is $399 (without subsidy) plus the cost of whichever hive scale you choose. Please contact us for more detailed information about pricing.

Participate in the Sentinel Apiary ProjectIf you are a beekeeping association or an individual beekeeper who is interested in joining our Sentinel Apiary Program, please click the “Sign Up” button below and we will get in touch with you to provide more details about the Sentinel Hives.

To sign up for Sentinel Apiaries, visit: https://beeinformed.org/sign-up/


Bee ScienceAmerican Bee Research Conference 2017: A Short Reportby Elina L. Niño (AAPA President), Extension Specialist, University of California ANR Cooperative Extension, Davis, CA & Michael Simone-Finstrom (AAPA Vice-President), Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Baton Rouge, LA

This year marked yet another tremendous joint conference of the American Beekeeping Federation, The American Honey Producers Association and the Canadian Honey Council. What an event! But, what you might not know is that this was also the time when the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA), Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) and Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA) conducted the annual American Bee Research Conference (ABRC). The ABRC is a scientific conference focused solely on current honey bee research and held annually with one of the beekeeping conventions. The goal is to encourage interactions within the apicultural communities and allow beekeepers to see the latest and greatest research that may be of interest to them.

In our talks with many, many beekeepers we did note that not many are familiar with the AAPA so here is a quick overview of why we exist. AAPA has the following three primary purposes: 1) Promote communication within and between industry, academia, and beekeepers; 2) Develop and foster research on fundamental questions to help understand honey bee biology and improve the beekeeping industry; and 3) Create a venue to rapidly share new techniques to advance the field while maintaining focus on our favorite organism, the honey bee. As representatives of AAPA we wanted to highlight some of the impressive research presented at the ABRC, as well as provide a brief update of our business meeting.

We kicked off the conference with a great historical presentation from our first plenary speaker Dr. Jeff Pettis (University of Bern). He briefly spoke about the history of AAPA and ABRC and it is worth noting here the names of those who started it all: John Harbo, Eric Mussen, and Malcolm Sanford. The conversation continued with the discussion of regulation of queen supersedure and ended on a high note with the conclusion that we are indeed most likely in the golden age of honey bee research.

The session continued with some excellent presentations from students and touched on various topics including characterization of honey bee cellular immune components, effects of pesticides, control of overwintering processes, colony management, queen physiology and varroa mite management. A very interesting talk by Samuel Ramsey (University of Maryland) revealed a new understanding of Varroa behavior. Samuel discovered that varroa mites primarily consume honey bee fat stores dispelling a widely-accepted notion that Varroa feeds primarily on bee hemolymph. Time to re-write some books! Talks by Kelly Kulhanek and Nathalie Steinhauer (University of Maryland) discussed results of the multi-year beekeeper survey which provides information for developing best management practices for US beekeepers.

Being that varroa mites and access to clean forage are on most beekeepers’ minds, it is no wonder we had a large number of talks covering these topics. Several researchers presented their efforts


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to develop and evaluate various synthetic and bio-miticides. Many others discussed their findings about honey bee foraging habits and what we can do to improve pollinator access to valuable food sources, including work done by James Wolfin (University of Minnesota) on how to make our lawns bee friendly. Not to be forgotten, several researchers spoke about the effects of other stressors on bees, particularly viruses and Nosema spp. Highlighting the need for improving our understanding of multi-stressor interactions, Frank Rinkevich (USDA-ARS, Baton Rouge, LA) discussed the effects of Varroa and management practices on honey bee pesticide sensitivity. The first day concluded with a poster session and a buzzing social graciously sponsored by Veto-pharma.

Our second plenary speaker, Dr. Steve Pernal (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; CAPA), started us off on the second day by providing an excellent discusstion of the progress of the marker-assisted selection guided by proteomics. This collaborative effort of Canadian scientists has built on their previous breeding efforts in order to use protein expression in various bee tissues from colonies exhibiting different resistance characteristics to American Foulbrood and varroa mites. This is very exciting research as it is the first demonstration of using protein markers for selective breeding efforts which could make this challenging job a bit easier.

The remainder of the day was packed with great talks touching on everything from disease and pest detection to how to improve honey bee health with nutritional supplements. Much needed information on the levels of neonicotinoids and other pesticides found in nectar and pollen in ornamental plants was presented by several researchers, including Brian Eitzer (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station). We would be amiss if we didn’t mention that there were a few talks about our favorite bee individual – the queen. On a more practical note, Marta Guarna (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) reminded us just how delicate queens can be when talking about the effects of queen exposure to temperature fluctuations (i.e. during transport) on subsequent colony performance.

The conference proceedings, where you can find the abstracts and details of the research presented, has been published in Bee World volume 94, Issue 3. The link to the proceedings can be accessed through the AAPA website (http://aapa.cyberbee.net/) and directly through Bee World.

The final day of the conference concluded with a very insightful Panel Discussion organized by Mark Dykes (Texas Apiary Inspection Service). The panel brought together members of academia, industry, extension services and apiary inspectors for exchange of current issues in the field and discussion of the immediate research needs to provide solutions for beekeepers. This discussion certainly brought the meeting full circle, as queen health issues were on the minds of beekeepers as brought up by Jeff Pettis in the opening plenary.

This certainly was a productive and informative conference offering something for everyone. It would not have been successful without ALL of the presenters, as the meeting featured 59 talks, including 19 student talks, and 14 poster presentations. We extend sincere thanks to our CAPA co-organizers Shelley Hoover and Leonard Foster, AIA members and specifically Mark Dykes, and Tara Zeravsky of


Meeting Expectations. We also want to congratulate our student presentation winners (in no particular order): Courtney MacInnis (University of Alberta), Alexandria Payne (Texas A&M University) and Samuel Ramsey (University of Maryland). This year’s AAPA student scholarship winner was Mehmet Ali Doke (Penn State University).

Our business meeting was completed in a record 63 minutes, but we certainly were very efficient and managed to finalize a lot of pending business. We even have some good news to report. In 2017, AAPA will be offering a competitive Postdoctoral Travel Award as well as a competitive Extension Award. The details will be announced soon so make sure you visit our website http://aapa.cyberbee.net/ Thank you for reading and we hope to see you all in January 2018 in Reno, NV!

ReferenceProceedings of the 2017 American Bee Research Conference. Bee World. Volume 94, Issue 3; doi:10.1080/0005772X.2017.1294471

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Beekeepers are a hardy, sturdy bunch. Not surprisingly, it seems dealing with tens of thousands of stinging insects attracts a hearty bunch of folks! Even still, we all have our limitations. Whether we are battling a physical constraint or just working on improving our physical ability and stamina, a few tips and tricks can go a long way. In this month's column, I will provide you some of my best practices for lessening the load we beekeepers have to carry.

Buck tradition.

I am constantly baffled as to why beekeepers choose to use two different size boxes in their apiary. The ‘standard’ is generally 1-2 deeps for your brood, and then moving to medium boxes for honey supers. I’ve always found this to be silly, particularly for a hobbyist, but I suppose one could present a few arguments on why one should start with a deep:

1. Using 1-2 deeps cuts down on the number of total boxes required. This is true, but given that a medium frame of honey weighs 4 pounds and a deep frame weighs 6-7 pounds, I'll go through the effort of moving an extra box. Of course, there may be a slight additional cost involved, but I’ll take a healthy back over saving a few bucks. 2. You will never have to move the brood box, and it will never be full of honey. As much as we like to argue what will and will not happen in a hive, the bees will decide to do what they will do. Plus, if you flip brood boxes when you come out of winter or ever plan to clean or replace your bottom board, you will need to move that bottom box.

Now a few, more compelling arguments (in my opinion), in favor of moving to medium boxes:

1. The most weight you will be required to move at one time is 35-40 pounds. A deep full of honey will weigh up to 70 pounds. 2. Shoulder strain is real. Don’t underestimate the strain on your shoulders by simply holding those heavier deep frames. I use all mediums, and when I inspect my clients’ deep frames, the weight is significantly more taxing on my upper body. 3. Imagine a world of complete interchangeability between all your hives! No more realizing you brought deep frames when you actually needed mediums, and vice versa.

If you elect to do 8 frame boxes then you are again decreasing the maximum weight of each box. Of course, another obvious solution is to just use a top bar, and then you eliminate all stooping and bending in general. However, although I started on top bars, I much prefer my foundation-less Langstroth frames and I don’t like telling someone their only option is a top bar!

The TowniesErgo ergonomicsby Tara Chapman


Take a seat.

I personally don’t find the lifting involved in beekeeping particularly taxing outside of the harvest season, which is a very short period of the year. However, I do find stooping over hives and a day full of bending at the waist to look inside Langstroth hives really does a number on my back the next day. If you find this equally as stressful on your lumbar spine, consider bringing a small stool. Although I don’t usually advocate for more sitting (generally we do far too much of that in our society!), this will allow you to inspect your bottom-most boxes more easily while acting as a back saver.

Raise ‘em up.

I would also recommend you elevate your hives at least 6 inches off the ground. Not only does this help with ventilation and deter certain predators such as possums and skunks, it puts your hive a little bit closer to your center of gravity. However, refrain from elevating your hives too high. Depending on how tall you are, you want to keep in mind that you will be adding supers during a nectar flow and you don’t want to get in a position where you are having to lift 40 pound supers over your head. I’d set up your hive with as many boxes as you would expect to have during a strong flow, and play around with the height a bit to make sure it is manageable.

Get some wheels.

I invested in a sturdy utility cart this year, and I am really excited at what it will do for me come harvesting time. Most of my hives are urban, so I don’t have the benefit of driving the truck right up to the hive and they have to be carried 20-50 yards. Look for one with large heavy duty wheels if you expect to have to pull it over rough terrain. Also look for one whose sides can drop down to act as a flat bed cart if the need arises.

Props are your friend.

Some of my beekeepers have a hard time removing the top super or brood box in a Langstroth hive, not just because of weight, but because once you use your tool to break the propolis seal on one side of the box, it can take some hand trickery to keep that side of the box elevated while you switch your hand grip to lift. If you find this challenging, use a wedge of some sort (an entrance reducer works perfectly!) in between the two boxes. This will keep the seal broken and the side of the box elevated while you readjust your grip. If you like to break the seal on both sides of the box before

ABCs continued

Anna Gieselman, of Bee Amour Jewelry in Austin, uses a cinder block as a stool to aid in keeping her back in good shape during inspections!


you lift, then simply use the same technique on the opposite side with another entrance reducer.

Also, I find that the last 12 inches of setting those supers on the ground is the most opportune time for an injury. Rather than setting them on the ground, set it on the hive next door if you have one. Keep in mind you want to make sure the cover is on the hive first. You’d never want to set a hive body on another open hive. If you don’t have a hive nearby that makes this practical, install something that can act as a sort of small stand or table next to the hive that allows you to set the hive bodies between knee and waist height.

Work smarter, not harder.

Using 8 frame mediums and still having an issue lifting? Bring an empty hive body into the apiary, and remove a few of the frames into the empty box before lifting the hive body. Just moving 2 frames will take up to 8 pounds off the total weight. Also, remember not every inspection requires you inspect every frame. In fact, I very rarely look at every frame in a hive, unless I am requeening and she’s playing hard to get. If you have 6 hives and pull only 4 frames from each hive instead of 10 or more per hive, you are saving your shoulders a lot of extra work.

Remember what your momma told you.

The basics of course apply here. Lift with your legs, not your back. What this means, in case you never paid attention in gym glass, is you don’t want to bend at the waist but rather you want to push your knees out and squat down before lifting. This takes the strain out of your back and puts in on your glutes and legs, where it belongs. Also be sure to engage your abdominal muscles when you lift. Staying active outside of the bee yard and lifting weights will go a long way to preserving your ability to keep bees well into your golden years. Olympic lifting is a favorite pastime of mine, and it makes my daily work easier and helps ensure an injury-free work zone.

Tool around.

If you have small hands and you have a hard time managing your hive tool, try out a few of the ‘fancy’ tools out on the market. Look for a tool that is more narrow and longer than the traditional tool for easier handling and more leverage. A J-hook hive tool has a hook that helps to pry frames out of a hive. Personally, I prefer the traditional old-school hive tool and perhaps with a few tips it may work just fine for you as well: I find that I really only need the first three fingers on each hand to

ABCs continued

Use an entrance reducer as a sort of wedge to help as you remove upper hive bodies.


ABCs continued

move frames and even lift boxes, which means my ring finger and pinky are free to hold the tool in the palm of my hand. This means I don’t have to keep setting my tool down to work, and am not spending a lot of time trying to figure out where I put it! Using your first three fingers only also helps you remember to pinch the outer edge of your frames, rather than death gripping underneath the end of the frame. If you are used to the latter, then you know how hard it is to get your hands out of the way when you are trying to insert that last frame in the hive. If you use the pinch technique, then you will have an easier time squeezing in that last frame.

Hope these tips keep your back healthy and you keeping bees well into your golden years!

Tara Chapman is founder and owner of Two Hives Honey in Austin, TX. Come visit our honeybees! www.twohiveshoney.com. Contact her at [email protected]. Keep your hive tool tucked under your last two digits to free your first three fingers for bee work.


Bee Arts6th Annual International Black Jar Honey Contest Finalists

“World’s Best Tasting Honey” Press Release February 9, 2017 @ 10pm- Asheville, NC, U.S.A. CATEGORY WINNERS:Central Region: Stephanie Brewer - Perryville, MONorthwest Region: Buddy Depew - Port Angeles WANortheast Region: Frank Woods - Warwick, RISouthwest Region: Eugene Zuspan - Dos Palos CASoutheast Region: Leigh Knot - Burnsville, NC"Sourwood": Sharry Mikell - Old Fort, NCClubs" Champion Buncombe County Beekeepers, Colleen Thomas - Leicester, NCInternational Multi-Floral: Yael Farbstein - IsraelU.S. Mono-Floral Jay Parsons - Cornelia, GAInternational Mono-Floral Francesco Colafemmina - Puglia, Italy

Category I: International Mono-Floral Sourced HoneysThese are honeys produced from a single source, i.e. nectar from the flowers of a single type of plant. These require extra diligence from the beekeeper to keep the honey separate from other sources and represent a rarer and therefore more valuable product. Entries in this category are from outside the continental U.S. 5545 “Coriander” Francesco Colafemmina , Puglia Region, Italy6406 “Asphodelus” Francesco Colafemmina, Puglia Region, Italy5823 “Fir” Honey-Dew Brune Kozinc, Lesce, Slovenia Category II: International Multi-Floral Sourced HoneysHoney extracted from comb that contains nectar from many plants is considered ‘Wildflower’ - a term that indicates the flavor cannot not be ascribed to a single plant. Wildflower honeys may be collected from colonies foraging on many diverse sources at one time, or may represent a longer


period of time depending on when the beekeeper chose to harvest. Entries in this category are from outside the continental U.S. 1492 “Wildflower” Yael Farbstein, Israel4295 “Organic Wildflower” Edina Bodrovniczka, Rhodes, Greece 7688 “MultiFloral de Jalcon” Manuel Valido Martel, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Category III: Southwest Region U.S.Unless specifically designated as from a particular source, such as “Sage”, these honeys consist of nectar from various flowering plants in the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Utah, and Nevada. 6987 Dark “Wildflower” Eugene Zuspan, Dos Palos, California5978 Light “Wildflower” Eugene Zuspan, Dos Palos, California2026 2015 “Wildflower” Paul Del Piero, Monterey, California Category IV: U.S. Mono-Floral Sourced HoneysWithin the expanse of the continental United States grow many plants whose nectar is either so abundant or especially prized that they are named on the label. Examples of this are “Fireweed”, “Snowberry”, “Clover” “Tupelo” “Orange Blosom” and “Locust”. Honeys from throughout the U.S. which bear such designation were grouped in this category. 1746 “Sage” Paul Del Piero, Monterey, California4289 “Tulip Poplar” Jay Parsons, Cornelia, Georgia2154 “Sumac” Jay Parsons, Cornelia, Georgia Category V: SourwoodSourwood is the prized and well-known honey of the southern Appalachian mountains. It blooms in mid-summer at a time when very few other nectar sources are available. It is light with a very distinctive taste. Being local and so influential upon the sub-conscious palettes of our judges, it is given it’s own category. This is also our most competitive category - due to the shear volume of entries. 8487 “Sourwood” Sharry Mikell, Old Fort, North Carolina3356 “Sourwood” #3 Gary Ellenburg, Liberty, South Carolina9093 “Sourwood” #2 Slade Jarrett, Baldwin, Georgia Category VI: Northeast Region U.S. These honeys represent blends of nectar produced from plants flowering in the states along our northern Atlantic seaboard: Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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2347 “Summer Wildflower” Jeffrey Thomas, Delanco, New Jersey6742 Dark “Wildflower” David Smith III, Emporium, Pennsylvania1094 “Wildflower” Frank Woods, Warwick, Rhode Island Category VII: Clubs’ ChampionThere are Beekeepers Associations, or Clubs, in almost every county of the U.S. and around the World. We established this category to encourage them to hold their own local “Black Jar” blind tasting contest among their members. Entries in this category are sponsored by their Clubs in what is becoming one of our most competitive slots. 6706 Dan McKinney, Toe Cane Beekeepers, Little Switzerland, NC6297 Colleen Thomas, Buncombe Beekeepers, Leicester, NC5795 James Poe, Hendersonville Chapter, Hendersonville, NC Category VIII: Northwest Region These honeys are from the continental U.S. - and we took the liberty of including British Columbia in Canada. States comprising this region include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. 4532 “Blackberry” Darcy DePew, Port Angeles, Washington6389 “Wildflower” Buddy DePew, Port Angeles, Washington5248 “Wildflower” Claudia Pavon, British Columbia, Canada Category IX: Central Region Our biggest geographical area includes nectar from the mid-south to the Dakotas:Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois. This area shares many similar species of flora in a landscape largely drained by the Mississippi River. 8196 “Wildflower” Rachel Coventry, Champaign, Illinois3927 “Wildflower” Dale Kuehn, Posen, Michigan9968 “Wildflower” Stephanie Brewer, Perryville, Missouri Category X: Southeast Region The Center for Honeybee Research is based in Asheville, NC where there are more than 800 beekeepers within 30 miles of the city. North Carolina has more individual beekeepers than any other state. Given that Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and the Gulf States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are within this group - it makes for a very competitive category. 7468 “Wild Flower” Marc Eden, Swannanoa, North Carolina9543 “Wild Flower” Leigh Knott, Burnsville, North Carolina8524 “Wildflower” David Stallings, Hendersonville, North Carolina

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GRAND PRIZE CHAMPIONThe “World’s Best Tasting Honey” was selected by a panel of carefully selected judges (listed below) who generously volunteered their time and focus during a luncheon held on Feb. 7, 2017. The slate had been narrowed to (30) Finalists via multiple elimination rounds, all of which consisted of “blind” tastings by panels of at least five judges, whose scores were averaged - highest advancing to the next round. When a Grand Champion is selected, the next highest scoring entry becomes the Winner of that Category. 6th Annual Grand Prize Rachel Coventry, Champaign, Illinois PEOPLES’ CHOICE AWARD The Annual International Black Jar Contest aims to bring attention to the serious challenges facing honey bees and beekeepers in an increasingly globalized environment. It also seeks to educate the Public about the diversity and quality of this under-appreciated food. In the gathering of it bees do an invaluable service in pollinating our crops and flora. Our most recent Event allowed attendees to sample all thirty Finalists in the wonderful atmosphere of the 12th floor banquet room of the Renaissance Hotel. (The Center maintains the two beloved hives on their roof:) Nearly 150 cast ballots in a less formal atmosphere of wine, music, and appetizers and their scores averaged to compare with the results of our Official Judging. We will continue to expand and refine the Black Jar Contest in the years ahead. Peoples’ Choice “Coriander” Francesco Colafemmina, Puglia Region, Italy

Bee Arts cont'd


We feel it is very important for our readers to know this information as many are beginning to order products for treatments.

Summary An understanding of the changes in the use of feed additive medications is important for livestock producers and veterinarians. All feed-grade medications used for disease prevention and therapy will require veterinary oversight and an accompanying veterinary feed directive.

Livestock owners working with properly licensed practicing veterinarians can acquire a VFD, which allows the purchase and proper use of feed-additive medications. Feed-grade medications can be used only according to label and dose indications, and no provisions allow for their use to promote growth and efficiency.

Referenceswww.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM052660.pdfThe-Veterinary-Feed-Directive-Veterinarian

Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) is required for purchase of Tetra-Bee Mix. A VFD is a written statement issued by a licensed veterinarian that allows the use of Oxytetracycline in or on animal feed. Beginning December 2016, producers will be required to obtain a VFD form from their veterinarian and may only use the antibiotics for prevention, control or treatment of specific diseases. Veterinary Feed Directive forms, which are similar to prescriptions, must be obtained by producers from a licensed veterinarian prior to the purchase and use of any related antibiotics. Only veterinarians with a veterinary-client-patient relationship may issue a VFD form. The forms may not be issued over the phone, however electronic forms sent via email or fax will be accepted. Copies of the VFD form must be kept by all parties including the veterinarian, customer, and distributor for a minimum of two years; and the expiration date on the form is not to exceed six months. VFD forms will include detailed information specifying the farm, animals being treated, antibiotic(s) used, feeding rates, and the exact duration of the treatment.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has amended the new animal drug regulations to implement the veterinary feed directive (VFD) drugs section of the Animal Drug Availability Act of 1996 (ADAA). On June 3, 2015, the FDA published in the Federal Register the final rule revising the VFD regulations in 21 CFR Part 558. The final rule became effective on October 1, 2015. In September of 2015, FDA revised Guidance for Industry #120, Veterinary Feed Directive Regulation to reflect the VFD final rule.

A VFD drug is intended for use in animal feeds, and such use of the VFD drug is permitted only under the professional supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Bee Thinking About NEWS FLASH


Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Basics

The 123s of VFDsEffective January 1, 2017, stricter federal rules regulate how medically important antibiotics—medications that are important for treating human disease—can be administered to animals in feed and drinking water. Among the provisions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires veterinary oversight whenever such antibiotics are administered to any food animal species via feed or water, even if the animals are not intended for food production. From pet rabbits and pigs, to backyard poultry, to large livestock farms, the same restrictions apply. All medically important antibiotics to be used in feed or water for food animal species require a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) or a prescription. Visit www.avma.org for more information.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 89,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services. Structured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession. 1) Antibiotics must be used responsiblyThe driving force for the initial VFD rule in 1996 and the recent revisions was improving drug availability for the benefit of animal health and welfare, and, in turn, food safety. The increasing threat of antibiotic resistance (antimicrobial resistance) to both human and animal health compelled the FDA to take action by removing production uses of medically important antibiotics and implementing greater veterinary oversight by transitioning over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics to VFD or prescription status. Any antibiotic use can contribute to antibiotic resistance, so it is important to avoid unnecessary or inappropriate uses of antibiotics. The use of medically important antibiotics in livestock is one factor that can contribute to increasing resistance, and the 2017 VFD revisions (published in June 2015) aim to put responsibility for their use into the hands of veterinarians, who are trained to understand not only when these medications are needed, but also what is the appropriate drug, dose, duration, and administration method to resolve infection and protect animal health and our food supply. The expertise of the veterinarian is critical to ensuring the responsible use of antibiotics in animals.

2) The VFD protects animals and peopleThe FDA and drug manufacturers agreed to remove production uses (i.e., growth promotion, feed efficiency) for antibiotics that are medically important, and to require veterinary oversight for use of these antibiotics in feed (requires a VFD) or water (requires a prescription). Under the direction of a veterinarian, the responsible and appropriate administration of antibiotics reduces the opportunity for resistance to develop, and helps preserve our supply of effective antibiotics for situations of true need to protect animal and human health. While the change may be challenging, the end result will be more responsible antibiotic use that will benefit human and animal health.

3) Antibiotics will still be availableVeterinarians are committed to ensuring that animal health and welfare needs are met, and that needed

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medications be available and administered in a timely manner for treating, controlling, or preventing animal disease. Animals will still receive antibiotics when there is a clear indication of their need. Food producers are able to work with veterinarians to ensure that animals have the care and medication they need, when they need it.

AVMA's Role in Developing the VFD RulesWhat was the AVMA's role in developing the VFD rules? The AVMA has worked with regulatory agencies (FDA, USDA, CDC) and other stakeholders such as producer groups to promote responsible use of antibiotics, while ensuring that animal health needs are met and potential burdens are minimized.

We were involved from the beginning, providing input to the FDA regarding veterinarians’ needs and roles in judicious antimicrobial use. Our volunteer leaders and staff provided the FDA with comments and suggestions for improving the VFD process. Our discussions with the FDA began by exploring how veterinarians could gain additional oversight of antimicrobials, and subsequently agreeing upon Veterinary Feed Directives as a vehicle. Although we recognized the challenges of a transition from over-the-counter (OTC) to VFD, we welcomed the opportunity to help shape the regulations.

The expert AVMA members who served on the AVMA Steering Committee for FDA Policy on Veterinary Oversight of Antimicrobials provided initial thoughts on how to improve the VFD process, and the FDA incorporated many of those concepts in the 2012 draft VFD and the 2017 final rule. AVMA's interactions with the FDA were guided by two overarching policies: The Role of the Veterinarian in Animal Antimicrobial Use and Veterinary Foresight and Expertise in Antimicrobial Discussions.

AVMA’s Input Influenced:• Inclusion of a requirement that a proper Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) exist when a

VFD is issued• Adherence to licensing and practice requirements• Changing the requirement from amount of feed to approximate number of animals (as feed consumption

can be extremely variable and difficult to predict)• An option for more specific identification of animals at the veterinarian's discretion (to restrict uses as

needed)• Clarification on record-keeping and formatting. For example, AVMA suggested the "written (non-

verbal)" VFD and retaining VFDs electronically (as opposed to paper copies and triplicate forms)

Even with the new rule finalized, there may be remaining questions and areas of confusion. We are committed to being a resource of information and educating our members, and we invite feedback regarding tools or materials that would be helpful to this process.

Bee Thinking About cont'd


The University of Wyoming Laramie County Extension Office is hosting the Wyoming Bee College Conference at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, March 18-19, 2017.

The 2017 conference offers 5 tracks on day one; and 4 tracks on the second day. The conference is open to everyone interested in the health, welfare and conservation of pollinator insects.

The Bee College covers Beginning Beekeeping 101 (taught by a licensed Veterinarian) and Beekeeping 102, journeymen beekeeping methods, native bees, and ways to help them all.

We are pleased to bring in beekeeping authors James E. Tew and Les Crowder along with the Denver Butterfly Pavilion, University of Wyoming’s Bio-Diversity Institute, and Rayah Carlson with her program on the Hive as the Medicine Chest plus much more.

For more information and a schedule: http://www.wyomingbeecollege.org or www.eventbrite.com or call Catherine at Tel: 307-633-4383.

Bee Thinking About Wyoming Bee College Conference


Come learn why and how you can help to restore, rejuvenate and revitalize the American beekeeping industry by manifesting quality queen production programs- right in your backyard and beyond!

Instructor Melanie Kirby of ZQB has been keeping bees professionally for 20 years. She has been breeding bees with individuals and teams across the nation for over a decade and has established one of the nation's and world's most prestigious longevity-based queen breeding programs. She is committed to sharing and teaching the enlightening intricacies of quality queen rearing for all experience levels of pollinator stewards…to better support local to global food & biodiversity security.

For more information on registration and location:

Email [email protected] Tel: 408.605.3977

To view course info slideshow, visit: http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e4455784e5455324e44673d0d0a&blogview=true

• Want to learn why & how queens are the heart of their hives?

• Interested in learning how to find, select and propagate quality genetics in and out of the apiary?

• Jazzed to mingle with beekeepers from around the nation who are all interested in sharing quality honeybee stock?


DON’T MISS OUT!Kelley Beekeeping is

looking for resale partners!

Ask yourself these questions:Is your local beekeeping community strong and active?Do you teach beekeeping classes?Would you like to run a business that aligns with your passion?

If you answered YES, we may have

an opportunity for you!

Contact Us TodayEmail: [email protected]

Or Call: 800-233-2899 ex. 213

March 2017

Illinois: Mettawa Bee Seminar- Bee Nutrition: The Next StepMarch 18, 2017W.W. Grainger Corporate Headquarters 100 Grainger PkwyLake Forest, ILInfo: http://www.mettawabeeseminar.com

Wyoming: WY Bee CollegeMarch 18-19, 2017Laramie County Community CollegeInfo: www.wyomingbeecollege.org, or call Catherine at 307-633-4383

Indiana: Rutger’s Bee-giner’s Beekeeping: The Basics March 23-25, 2017 Rutgers Eco Complex 1200 Florence-Columbus Rd Bordentown, INInfo: http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/courses/current/ae0401cb.html

April 2017

California: In Her Majesty’s Chambers: Intro to Queen Breeding & Rearing Short Coursewith Melanie Kirby of Zia Queenbees April 8-9, 2017 Gilroy, CA Contact: [email protected] Info: www.ziaqueenbees.com/zia

We’d love to share news of your upcoming events. Please send the event name, date, website and/or contact information by the 10th of each month for inclusion in the following month’s issue. [email protected]

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