Honeybee Day

Behnke Nurseries Garden Center In Beltsville 

Both seminars will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2009. They are FREE and open to the public. Pre-registration is requested for each seminar. Please call 301-937-1100. Space is limited, and seating will be allotted first to those who have pre-registered. No refreshments will be served, but you are welcome to bring your own coffee.

10:00 a.m. Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder,
by Dr. Jay Evans, Research Entomologist with the USDA – ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, MD

Honeybees are essential for pollinating the flowers that produce many of the crops that we eat. However, honeybees and other pollinators face threats from viruses to bulldozers. Currently, 30% to 40% of managed honeybee colonies die each winter from a diversity of causes. Most alarm-ing are incidences of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an as yet unexplained sudden decline of adult worker honeybees.

This is an hour-long seminar in which you can learn more about CCD and what you can do to
create a friendlier environment for honeybees.

Dr. Evans has his Bachelor’s Degree from Princeton University and his PhD from the University of Utah. In addition to his professional expertise in honeybees, Dr. Evans has personal experience in raising backyard solitary bees, and he will also discuss current thinking on how to maintain native bees in our local area.

12:00 p.m. Home Garden Beekeeping,
by the Bowie – Upper Marlboro Beekeeping Association (BUMBA)

It’s easy and affordable to raise honeybees in your own garden, and raising honeybees can be done in a surprisingly small amount of space.

Representatives from BUMBA will discuss the importance of home garden beekeeping, and will demonstrate beekeeping equipment and answer your questions. A demonstration beehive may be available for viewing if the weather is warm enough, and local honey will be for sale.

In addition to this hour-long seminar, BUMBA will be offering a more in-depth short course in beekeeping from March 12 to April 18, 2009 at selected BUMBA meeting locations.

See www.bumbabees.com/shortcourse.html for more details.