CATCH THE BUZZ – Two Healthy Bees 2020 Webinars During Pollinator Week. Commercial Beekeeping Plans and Deformed Wing Virus Update.

REGISTER FOR THESE WEBINARS HERE: https://www.beeculture.com/kimandjimshow/

 June 19, 2018, 12 – 1 p.m. EDT

Hive Management 2.0: Developing a Practical Tool for Commercial Beekeepers

Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology at Washington State University, and Brody Tomazin, Commercial Beekeeper

Commercial beekeepers have many decisions to make each day that can have major impacts on bee health. What if there was a reliable system to track those decisions, plus evaluate the immediate and long-term impacts of those decisions? This webinar will provide an overview of a tool we are developing that does just that, seamlessly integrating into beekeepers’ workflow and optimizing ongoing management strategies for improving commercial honey bee colony health.

Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology at Washington State University

Dr. Brandon Hopkins was a leader in the development of cryopreservation of honey bee germplasm for breeding and conservation, a discovery that enabled the establishment of the world’s first honey bee germplasm repository at Washington State University (WSU). He also administers the WSU Disease and Diagnostic Laboratory, a facility that provides beekeepers with timely information on the health of their colonies.  His research efforts have been focused on developing practical solutions for the beekeeping industry, ranging from bee breeding to Varroa control.

Brody Tomazin, Commercial Beekeeper

Brody Tomazin is a beekeeper in Blackfoot, Idaho, and president of the Idaho Honey Industry Association. He and his father-in-law Jay Miller run 2J Honey Farms and Round Valley Honey Company. They currently manage 4,000 hives.

Webinar #2: June 21, 2018, 12 – 1 p.m. EDT

The Changing Face of Deformed Wing Virus

Dr. Stephen Martin, Professor, School of Environment & Life Sciences at University of Salford, Manchester, UK, and Randy Oliver, Commercial Beekeeper and Founder of ScientificBeekeeping.com

The spread of the Varroa mite has dramatically changed the viral landscape of the honey bee since the mite’s first arrival in the U.S. Research shows that the situation is continuing to evolve, as the deformed wing virus is consistently evolving, too. This webinar will briefly outline the history of this virus, its association with Varroa, how it is changing and practical insights on what this means for beekeepers.

Dr. Stephen Martin, Professor, School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, UK

Dr. Stephen Martin’s research program uses social insect systems (ants, bees and wasps) to investigate the role of pathogens and pests on their population dynamics, as well as the evolution of chemical recognition systems. Dr. Martin spent seven years in Japan studying hornets and then seven years working with the National Bee Unit in the UK on the Varroa mite, followed by 12 years at Sheffield University to continue his honey bee research and chemical ecology research. In 2012, Dr. Martin moved to Salford University, Manchester. His research has generated 200+ publications, including ones in Nature and Science. Currently, Dr. Martin’s research focuses on understanding the interactions between the deformed wing virus, the Varroa mite and the honey bee.

Randy Oliver, Commercial Beekeeper and Founder of ScientificBeekeeping.com

Randy Oliver owns and operates a small commercial beekeeping enterprise in the foothills of Grass Valley in northern California. He and his two sons manage about 1,000 colonies for migratory pollination and produce queens, nucs and honey. He has over 40 years of practical beekeeping experience, and he holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biological Sciences. Randy researches, analyzes and digests beekeeping information from all over the world in order to broaden his own depth of understanding and knowledge, and also to develop practical solutions to many of today’s beekeeping problems, which he then shares with other beekeepers through his various articles in bee magazines, his speaking engagements worldwide and on his website: www.ScientificBeekeeping.com