Our weather has been so weird, with an extended chilly spring and a frost that bit a good portion of the locust trees: costing us the locust bloom. Fluctuating temps and then torrential precipitation has also been quite challenging .
I think that the chilly rain pushed “PAUSE” on the swarms, because there were a lot of swarm reports once the sun finally warmed the hives. ANOTHER crazy Maryland Spring.
Inspections
Apiary Inspectors and inspections are in FULL swing. We had fewer nuc inspection requests this year and are unsure whether Maryland colonies overwintered better or worse. I have heard more of queen failure than of overall losses, and that colonies took longer to gear up coming out of winter ...again, crazy Maryland weather.
Open positions
MDA's Apiary inspection service currently has 4 open positions.
- Washington, Alleghany, Garrett
- Prince Georges, Montgomery, Howard
- Upper Eastern Shore Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline
- Lower Eastern Shore Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset
These positions require five years successful overwintering beekeeping experience, with varroa and disease knowledge. Candidates must live in one of the counties they will be covering.
BPMS “Crash” Cycle?
There has been far too much BPMS coming out of winter: spotty brood, chew down, and a handful of dead adults in front of the colony. Is this high varroa/viral load? Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome? poor nutrition/pesticies? Nosema/Vairimorpha? Tracheal mites? All of the above????
Symptoms include, but are not limited to, black-tipped abdomens, crawling bees, dead adults close to or in front of the hive, chew down, adults dead under capping (some with tongues out some in), brood frames void of nurse bees, lethargy, paralysis/shaking bees.
This "CRASH" is cyclical and has happened before. Some hives were able to brood out of the issue after mite treatment and some coddling. Some hives fully crashed and perished.
Mite Check Kits Available
We still have check mite kits to give away to all registered beekeepers. Please reach out if you have not yet gotten one and would like a FREE varroa Mite-check-kits.
National Honey Bee Survey
Maryland will again participate in the National Honeybee Survey. We have just received our supplies and funding, and will be starting a bit later: we are ready to start!
I am looking for beekeepers with 8 or more beehives in the same location, who would be willing to participate. The whole program is free of charge!
An inspector will inspect the brood health and will take 2/3 cups of bees from each colony and a bump of a brood frame for larva and pupa. Tests are then run on thesesamples and the beekeeper gets a print out and run down of varroa numbers, nosema levels and virus presence and prevalence. Anyone wishing to participate should contact me. Cybil.preston@maryland.gov.
Swarm Traps
We have swarm traps and baited invasive traps out at several locations at both the Port of Baltimore and at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. The swarm lures and sugar bait are refreshed bi-weekly.
We are looking for any invasives either of the Asian hornet or honey bee pest or pathogen vriety, like Tropilaelaps or Apis cerana(the Asian honey bee). We have had two swarms at BWI so far this year, which have been eradicated. Please remember that you may not take a swarm of honey bees from any transportation hub. Please call the inspection service and alert them to the swarm.
State Fair
We encourage all beekeepers to enter exhibits in The Maryland State Fair. For 2026, the fair will Celebrate America’s 250 Years! A special prize will be awarded for the best use of patriotism/Americana in a Honey & Wax Section exhibit.
State Fair exhibits will be accepted at the new building on Sunday, August 23rd from 3PM-8PM and Monday, August 24th from 9AM-7PM Honey judging will be on Tuesday August 25. The MD State Fair will be open for 3 weekends: August 27-30, September 3-7, and September 10-13. Take the summer to prepare your entries!
AFB Dogs
Tukka the honeybee disease detector dog is now on vacation relaxing and hanging out on the farm. Tukka swims in the pool every chance he can get! Lucy LuLu, the new recruit, is just entering training.
Mack the bee dog had a children's book written about him.
The Dog Who Saved The Bees is available for purchase online and at Barnes and Noble.