MSBA MEETING - Come for the Cake, Stay for the Info!
* Special Guest Speaker DEWEY CARON!
* Important Updates on MD's Bees by Cybil Preston!
* Presentations That'll Improve Your Bee Knowledge
* 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southern Maryland Beekeepers (ASMB)
A fascinating day packed with insights on honey bees & useful tips to keep them.
LOGISTICS
EVENT: MSBA Meeting with Lectures and special guest Dewey Caron, and a celebration of ASMB's 50th year
DAY: Saturday, June 13
TIME: 8:00AM - 2-ishPM
ZOOM: TBA
LOCATION: Charles County Fairgrounds
ADDRESS: 8440 Fairgrounds Rd. La Plata, MD 20646
AGENDA
| 8:30.am | Refreshments, Coffee, Donuts, etc. | |
| 9:00 am | Welcome | David S. Schultz, MSBA President EAS Certified Master Beekeeper |
| 9:10 am | Apiary Inspector's Report | Cybil Preston, EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, MD State Chief Apiarist |
| 9:30 am | “Tropilaelaps Essentials” | Marian Iannuzzi MBK Study Group Member |
| 9:45 am | “ABF Conference Report” & Financial Report | Lisa Marie Ghezzi, EAS Certified Master Beekeeper |
| 10:00 am | Break | |
| 10:30 am | “University of Maryland Honey Bee Laboratory” | Eric Malcom Apiary Manager Apiculture Extension Educator UMD Bee Lab |
| 10:55.am | “Beekeeping Challenges – Back in the 70’s and Today: | Dewey Caron, PhD Author of: "Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping" Emeritus Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, Univ of Delaware, & Affiliate Professor, Dept Horticulture, Oregon State University |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch (Pre-paid Online) or bring your own lunch. | + Book signing "Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping" by Dewey Caron + Book signing "The Dog Who Saved the Bees" by the main characters Mack the dog and Cybil Preston! |
| 1:45 pm | Importance of NUCS in your Bee Yard | Kim Mehalick, EAS Master Beekeeper |
| 1:50 pm | TBD TOPIC | Dewey Caron, PHD Author of: Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping Emeritus Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, Univ of Delaware, & Affiliate Professor, Dept Horticulture, Oregon State University |
| 2:55 pm | Insider's Guide to the Lamas Honey Bee Lab, University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Zac Lamas, PhD Behavioral Ecologist |
| 3:30 pm | Closing Remarks and Adjourn | David S. Schultz, MSBA President EAS Certified Master Beekeeper |
PRESENTATIONS
"Beekeeping Challenges - Back in the 70s and Today"
Dr Dewey Caron Presents: While I was at UMD College Park (1970-81) we had beekeeping challenges. During this time Apiary inspection moved to the new Ag Department, there was a varroa mite "scare", we had an AFB treatment issue using Ethylene Oxide (EtO) fumigation, climate change spurred an Tulip Poplar nectar flow, there was difficulty getting beekeepers to College Park for bee training, honey fairs in each county called for honey judge training, colonies were too weak for pollination services. On the positive side, we did not have either Varroa or Tracheal mites, accomplished bee expert Ann Harmon joined our bee extension effort, and Larry Connor and I offered advanced courses on queen rearing and the business of beekeeping. Knowing how beekeepers dealt with issues in the past can help us face today's challenges, so please join me June 13 to reminisce the 'good 'ol days' of the 70s with an eye on the future of beekeeping.
"The Power of the Nucleus Colony in Our Apiary"
Kim Mehalick Presents: Learn how the Mehalicks integrate nucleus hives throughout our beekeeping operation, and how you can apply them in your beeyard..We use nucleus sized hives (5 frame) throughout the year, and in a variety of ways. For starters nucs are resource hives, honey production hives, and allow us to overwinter smaller colonies well. Nucs are incredibly versatile, and useful for both practical beekeeping and sustainability.
BOOK SIGNING!
SAVE $ AND GET AUTOGRAPHS!! You will be able to pre-order these books for pick up at MSBA's June 13, 2026 meeting (must be picked up at meeting). "Honey Bee Biology" is $117 on Amazon but you can pre-order it from MSBA for just $64! And get the legendary beekeeper Dewey Caron to sign his seminal text book!
BIOs
Dr Dewey M. Caron is Emeritus Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, Univ of Delaware, & Affiliate Professor and Content/Communications Specialist, Oregon Master Beekeeper Program, Dept Horticulture, Oregon State University. I was Professor and Department Chairman at the Univ of Delaware, Newark 1981-2009, and for 11 years prior Apiculture research/teaching//bee inspector initially Assistant then of Apiculture at University of Maryland. With retirement from Univ of Delaware in 2009 I moved to Portland, OR to be closer to grandkids. In retirement, I remain active in bee education. I have continued activity with EAS, am WAS member-at-large to the WAS Board and to Honey Bee Health Coalition where I have been active on the Honey Bee Health Task Force, am Oregon delegate to ABF, and Bee Health Task Force co-chair with Pollinator Partnership Honey Bee Health Task force where I recently completed the BEEMD web and app program.
Eric Malcolm is the Apiculture Extension Educator and Apiary Manager at the University of Maryland Bee Lab. His work focuses on keeping healthy bees, outreach, education, and helping beekeepers make informed decisions using their own observations, monitoring techniques, and scientifically proven best management practices. In his off time, he runs a sideline beekeeping business called Backyard Apiaries, that provides apiary management services to clients. In years past, he co-coordinated the Bee Informed Partnership’s Sentinel Apiary Program, a national citizen science program designed to help improve monitoring practices and establish essential skills for beekeepers of all levels. He is passionate about honey bee health, beekeeping, working with beekeepers, and in his free time enjoys learning about wild edible and medicinal plants, and mushrooms, enjoying time with his family, traveling, hiking, camping, and backpacking.
Cybil Preston is Maryland's Chief Apiary Inspector. She is an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, and a famous beekeeper: A New York Times article about Cybil is HERE. She is also the inspiration for the illustrated book "The Dog Who Saved the Bees". Cybil will be selling this fun book, and autographing them at this meeting!
Kim Mehalick is a newly retired NASA engineer , and now is hoping to play with her bees more. An EAS Master Beekeeper, her favorite part of beekeeping, is teaching and mentoring new beekeepers. She believes sharing the wonder of opening a hive and discovering how the bees think is a wonderful thing to do. She also loves making queens through a variety of backyard beekeeping methods. Kim is a past President of the Maryland State Beekeeper Association (MSBA), is still heading the MSBA education committee and is active in her local clubs. She is proud of developing the BUMBA teaching apiary to encourage and teach new beekeepers. With her co-teachers Mike Mehalick, and Allen Storm she developed and teaches the Beekeeping Year 2 and Beyond (BY2AB) Class which won the George W. Imirie MSBA Education Award in 2023.
Kim and her husband Mike keep about 80 hives on their property and various out yards throughout Maryland and DC as part of “The Queens Honey” apiary."
Optional Pre-Order Lunch
Fun choices for lunch.... you can PRE-ORDER and pre-pay for exactly the meal you want, and it will be delivered to you at MSBA's June 13, 2026 meeting. Or bring your own creation from home.