The More You Know…

2024-2024 has been a bad year for bee losses. Commercial folks have lost in the range of 60% of their hives. Even in years that aren’t bad, the national loss average hovers around 40%.  

It’s a difficult business, raising bees, especially as a new beekeeper. But as beekeepers, we have one very useful tool – education! The more we learn, and the better our education, the greater our odds for success.  

Maryland State Beekeepers Association is an excellent resource for education either free or low cost. This year, we have had workshops on making nucs and splits, queen rearing, and rendering wax and making bee related products like lotion bars. There are more workshops in the planning stages.

We have three daylong state meeting a year with nationally and internationally known speakers. These meetings are free, and are also great places to network and ask questions about issues you might be experiencing in your hives.

We have been working to make our meetings work better and fit better into your busy schedule. Even with packed agendas, we are keeping our meetings to one half day, serving lunch, and continuing to offer the option to attend remotely via Zoom. We would also like to hear more from you about what you need and prefer at our meetings: please participate in our Meeting Survey!

Treat yourself to more education this year, improve your odds for successful beekeeping. Join us at our June meeting in College Park and stuff your brain full of helpful information. Also consider attending one of the high quality national and international meetings available in the months ahead: EAS, ABF, Apimondia, and NAHBE!

[Return to June 2025 BeeLine newsletter]