EVERYTHING on this page is subject to change. These details are provided so you can follow along as the scheduling evolves. Registration and additional info for the conference are on the EAS website EasternApiculture.org
A team of Maryland Beekeepeers – the EAS 2024 Maryland committee, is building a rich program of insights, tips, and expertise. What’s coming together? Here are some examples.
What could “Romancing the drones” be about?
What all happens in a drone congregation area and how can you find one?
What’s the latest on honey bee behavior and biology?
How are dogs a part of vigilance against honey bee diseases?
What gadgets, new tech, and exotic bee equipment is worth considering?
What’s coming in our near future to challenge and delight us as beekeepers?
How can you take really cool pictures of honey bees?
Do our bees impact the native pollinators?
What are the nuts and bolts of urban beekeeping?
New pests (new mites, hornets, etc.) and what you should know about them
The latest on treatments for varroa
Plus, you can join us and learn about things you’ve never heard of that might become part of your beekeeping.
PDF Version for download CLICK HERE
Short Course Schedule
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
- Registration: 3:00 – 7:00 pm
- Sign up for “Dinner Around Town” on Tuesday pm Board of Directors Meeting: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Reception in Terrace on the Green 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
MONDAY, AUGUST 5
MORNING (Subject to Change)
BEGINNER | INTERMEDIATE Increasing your Beeyard | ADVANCED Bees do What Bees do, Managing Bees | VALUING OUR BEES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS | APIARY | QUEEN REARING | DEEP DIVE (Ampitheater) Half Day Classes need to attend both parts | |
7:00-8:00 a.m. | Zumba with Erin Evans | ||||||
7:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort) | ||||||
8:30-9:25 a.m. | Honey Bee Biology Dr. Deborah Delaney | Making a new queen for $20 Russell Sprangel | Protecting the beekeeper: Saving your back Dr. Alan Sokoloff | Rendering wax from comb to that pretty block Virginia Webb | Mark the drones in five hives, one color per hive 100 drones per hive | EAS Honey Show Judging (part 1) 15 min. Break EAS Honey Show Judging (part 2) | |
9:25-9:35 a.m. | 10 min transfer time | ||||||
9:35-10:30 a.m. | Biology of the Hive Dr. Deborah Delaney | The nucleus colony honey producer and resource hive Steve Repasky | Swarm before, during and after Lisa Marie Ghezzi | Candle making considerations Virgina Webb | How to light a smoker and KEEP It LIT Jim Fraser | ||
10:30-11:00 a.m. | Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. | Why Beekeeping? What Do I Get from It? | The science of why making splits is important Dr. Nathalie Steinhauer | Lotions/potions Products of the hive Valerie Wampler | 3 ways of varroa testing in real life sugar, alcohol and CO2 | |||
12:00- 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | ||||||
MONDAY, AUGUST 5
AFTERNOON (Subject to Change)
BEGINNER | INTERMEDIATE Improving your Beekeeping Success | ADVANCED Enemies of the hive | VALUING OUR BEES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS | APIARY Learning from the Best in the Apiary | QUEEN REARING | DEEP DIVE (Ampitheater) Half Day Classes need to attend both parts | |
1:30-2:25 p.m. | What’s What? Beekeeping Equipment | Why did my hive die? Dr. Barry Thompson | New drone- Varroa research Dr. Zachary Lamas | Honey Tasting Experience Suzy Spencer | How to do an Inspection the Master Beekeeper Way John Benham | Honey Bee Biology (part 1) | |
2:25-2:35 p.m. | 10 min transfer time | 15 min. Break | |||||
2:35-3:30 p.m. | What Honey Bees Eat. Why & How They Get It | AFB sniffing dogs Demo. Telling AFB from EFB Cybil Preston | Small Hive Beetles Dr. Humberto Boncristiani | Honey Tasting Experience (continued) Suzy Spencer | Inspecting a top bar hive frame correctly Allen Storm | Honey Bee Biology (part 2) | |
3:30-4:00 p.m. | Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
4:00-4:55 p.m. | Inspecting Colonies & Understanding What You See | Plan to succeed: making a personalized action plan Kim Mehalick | Wax moth life cycle, protecting your comb Dr. Clyde Strang | Infusing Flavors into your Honey David Elkner | |||
5:15-6:00 p.m. | Gentle Yoga with Bridgett Wilson | ||||||
Dinner on your own | |||||||
6:00 p.m. | MBK Volunteer Dinner | ||||||
“Deep Dive” half day classes (in a 75 seat amphitheater)
EAS HONEY SHOW JUDGING
This class will cover a brief introduction to the history of the EAS Honey Show, principles of judging, and tools needed in a judge’s kit. It will also include an introduction to judging extracted honey and beeswax. It is an ideal introduction for everyone pursuing honey judging certification or those wanting to improve their honey show entries.
HONEY BEE BIOLOGY
This presentation dives deep into the biology of the honey bee and the colony as a whole – essential for successful beekeeping. Designed for beekeepers with at least 2-years experience.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
MORNING (Subject to Change)
BEGINNER | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED The secret lives of bees, inside the box | Practical Beekeeping | APIARY | QUEEN REARING | DEEP DIVE (Ampitheater) Half Day Classes need to attend both parts | |
7:00-8:00 a.m. | Zumba with Erin Evans | ||||||
7:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort) | ||||||
8:30-9:25 a.m. | Think Like a Beekeeper. Setting Goals, Making a Plan & Executing It | TBD | Setting up and maintaining observation hive Frank Linton | A Honey Bee Human: Physiology of a Superorganism Dr. Crystal Llebmanking | Making Splits & Nucs Bee Math, and Its Importance Kim Mehalick | ||
9:25-9:35 a.m. | 10 min transfer time | Science of splits Dr. Steinhauer | |||||
9:35-10:30 a.m. | Beating the Odds. Making it Through the Early Years | Native bees versus honey bees. Is it really a competition? Tim McMann | What I've learned from My observation hive Phil Frank | Understanding Bee Stings for beekeepers. Dr. David Golden | Various Split Types (walkaway, planned) Pam Hepp Using a Snelgrove Board for Swarm Prevention and Making Splits Kim Mehalick What Makes a Good Nuc Eric Malcolm | ||
10:30-11:00 a.m. | Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
11:00 a.m. -11:55 p.m. | Recognizing Problems Early & Correcting Them | TBD | Remote Monitoring William Meikle | Responsible Treatment Free Management Kevin Inglin | |||
Guidance Questions for Nuc Buyers | |||||||
12:00- 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | ||||||
“Deep Dive” half day class (in a 75 seat amphitheater)
MAKING SPLITS & NUCS
This class will cover basic bee math and it’s importance, as well as the science of making splits. It will also teach about the various types of splits and explain what a quality nuc includes. This presentation will help beekeepers grow their apiary.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
AFTERNOON (Subject to Change)
BEGINNER | INTERMEDIATE Encouraging Growth in Your Bee Club | ADVANCED Moving from Backyard to Sideliner | Practical Beekeeping | APIARY | QUEEN REARING | DEEP DIVE (Ampitheater) Half Day Classes need to attend both parts | |
1:30-2:25 p.m. | Pests & Diseases (part 1) Cybil Preston | The Strength of Study Groups, and Evolution in Maryland David Schultz | Lessons Learned Going from 2-800 Hives (Don't learn it the hard way) Jason Hough | Getting Good Bee Pictures with your Cell Phone Phil Frank | Varroa Biology & All Legal Mite Treatments (part 1) | ||
15 min. Break | |||||||
2:25-2:35 p.m. | 10 min transfer time | ||||||
2:35-3:30 p.m. | Pests & Diseases (part 2) Cybil Preston | Encouraging New Beekeepers to Step Up. Keeping the Young Alive MD MBK study group | Setting up contracts: Considerations Equipment Standardization Jim Fraser | Single Deep Hive Body Management Steve Repasky | Varroa Biology & All Legal Mite Treatments (part 2) | ||
3:30-4:00 p.m. | Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
4:00-4:55 p.m. | Master Beekeeeper Roundtable | Mentoring Programs that work setting up a Club Teaching Apiary Maureen Jais Mick | Finances for your Bee Farm Erin Evans, CPA | Honey Bee GPS Mobility Mechanisms David Schultz | |||
5:15-6:00 p.m. | Gentle Yoga with Bridgett Wilson | ||||||
6:30 p.m. | Dine Around Town with EAS Hosts | ||||||
“Deep Dive” half day class (in a 75 seat amphitheater)
VARROA MITE BIOLOGY & ALL LEGAL MITE TREATMENTS
This class covers Varroa Mite Biology and the description and use of all legal mite treatments and will be taught by a group of Maryland EAS Master Beekeepers. Knowing and understanding Varroa will help you better combat these mites and keep your colonies alive.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7
MORNING (Subject to Change)
7:00 -8:00 a.m. | Zumba – Erin Evans |
7:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort) |
7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | Registration and Honey Exchange Dropoff |
8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Honey Show Entries Accepted |
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Master Beekeeper - Lab Exam |
9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Master Beekeeper - Field Exam Testing Apiary |
8:30-8:45 a.m. | Introductions and Welcome – Eloise Naylor, EAS Chair & David Morris, EAS President |
8:45-9:00 a.m. | Welcome from the Maryland State Department of Agriculture Secretary, Kevin Atticks |
9:00-9:30 a.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area |
9:30 -10:30 a.m. | Dr. Michelle Flenniken, The Impact of Viruses on Honey Bee Health at the Colony, Individual Bee, and Cellular Levels |
10:30 -11:30 a.m. | Dr. Elizabeth A. Capaldi, Bucknell University |
11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. | Lunch and Visit Vendors |
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7
AFTERNOON (Subject to Change)
50-minute workshops | The Bees Knees | Romancing the Drones | Oh, What You’ll See When You Think Like a Bee | Potpourri | Apitherapy | APIARY (Teaching Apiary) |
1:00-1:50 p.m. | A Honey Bee Human: Physiology of a Superorganism Dr. Crystal Lehmanking | Flooding DCAs with Drones Mark Gingrich | Scent Detection Demo, Canines Tukka, Mack and their Handler Cybil Preston | Miticides Dr. Steve Cook | Propolis Debbie Klughers | Marking Drones |
1:50-2:00 p.m. | 10 min break/ transfer time | |||||
2:00-2:50 p.m. | Honey bees and their Viruses Dr. Michele Flenniken | Wax On, Wax Off: Making Award Winning Candles Virginia Webb | State Apiary Inspectors Panel Natasha Garica- Anderson, Lead | Perpetual Beekeeping Dorinda Priebe | Unique Products of the Hive for Apitherapy Dr Petrusia Kotlar | Varroa Testing |
2:50-3:20 p.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area | |||||
3:20-4:10 p.m. | Almost Every Device Under the Beekeeping Sun Russell Sprangel | Game of Drones PART 1 Lecture Julia Mahood | Honey Bee Nutrition Vince Aloyo | Longtime Disease Trends from the USDA’s Bee Disease Diagnostic Service Sam Abban | Topic: TBD | Accessible Apiary Dr. Adam Ingrao |
4:10-4:20 p.m. | 10 Minute Break / transfer time | |||||
4:20-5:10 p.m. | Almost Every Device Under the Beekeeping Sun Russell Sprangel | Game of Drones PART 2 Flying a Drone- Outdoors Julia Mahood | ABF Vaccine Nathen Reid (Dalan Co.) | Spotted Lantern Fly Honey for Medicine Dr. Petrusia Kotlar | Topic: TBD | |
5:15-6:00 p.m. | Gentle Yoga – Bridgett J. Wilson | |||||
5:15-6:30 p.m. | Bee Olympics - Apiary | |||||
6:00 p.m. | Happy Hour | |||||
6:30-9:00 p.m. | BBQ Dinner | |||||
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8
MORNING (Subject to Change)
7:00-8:00 a.m. | Zumba – Erin Evans |
7:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort) |
7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | Registration and Honey Exchange Dropoff |
8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | USDA Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD– Tour 1 (pre-registration required) |
10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. | Honey Show Open for Viewing |
8:30-8:45 a.m. | Conference Updates – David Morris, EAS President |
8:45-9:35 a.m. | Presentation by the 2024 Hambleton Award Winner – Who will be selected in early 2024 |
9:35-10:05 a.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area |
10:05- -11:05 a.m. | Sam Droege: How Bees Native and Non, Split Up the Plant World for Foraging |
11:05 a.m.-12:05 p.m. | Presenter and Topic TBD |
12:05 -1:00 p.m. | Life Member Luncheon (open to Life Members who have pre-registered and paid in advance) |
12:05 -1:00 p.m. | Lunch and Visit Vendors |
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8
AFTERNOON (Subject to Change)
50-minute workshops | Bee Stuff | Photography | Accessible Beekeeping | Out of Africa | Urban Beekeeping | Think Like a Bee: Outside The Box | APIARY |
1:00-5:00 p.m. | USDA Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD– Tour 2 (pre-registration required) | ||||||
1:00-1:50 p.m. | The Unappreciated Drones (and why you should care about them) Dr. Jon Zawislak | Taking High Resolution Stacked Photos of Bees Using Common SLR Equipment Sam Droege | Accessibility in the Bee Yard Dr. Adam Ingrao | Africanized Honey Bee Update Dr. Dewey Caron | Beekeeping in, of, or for the City Dr. Eve Bratman | Insect Societies from Kings & Queens to Just Plain Wasps Dr. James Wilson | Hives Langstroth Did Not Invent Allan Storm |
1:50-2:00 p.m. | 10 min break/ transfer time | ||||||
2:00-2:50 p.m. | Topic: TBD 2024 Hambleton Award Winner | How to Take Bee Pictures with Your Phone" Phil Frank | Assistive Technology for Accessible Beekeeping Representative from AgrAbility | Topic: TBD | Model Urban Beekeeping Projects and Practices from a Crowded City Mark Patterson | Topic: TBD | Evaluating a Good Colony Versus a Bad One Dr. Jeff Pettis |
2:50-3:20 p.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
3:20-4:10 p.m. | Nectar Producing Plants for Honey Bees Presenter TBD | Thermoregulation and Ventilation Bill Hesbach | AZ' Hive Discussion Jonna Sanders | Veterinary Feed Directive Dr. Rebecca A. Krimins | Critical Assets Every Urban Beekeeper Needs Charles DeBarber | Anticipatory Beekeeping Dr. Dewey Caron | Examining Sterilized AFB Comb Don Hopkins |
4:10-4:20 p.m. | 10 Minute Break / transfer time | ||||||
4:20-5:10 p.m. | Topic: TBD 2024 Hambleton Award Winner | What New Pests May Be Coming: Hornets, etc. Dr. Jeff Pettis | Therapeutic Values of Keeping Bees Monica Schmidt | Bees Don’t Bite: Facts about Bee Stings that every beekeeper should know Dr. Barry Thompson MD | Nuts and Bolts of Urban Beekeeping Toni Burnham | Attracting Bees to Your Garden & Bee Nesting Boxes Mark Patterson | |
5:15-6:00 p.m. | Gentle Yoga – Bridgett J. Wilson | ||||||
6:00 p.m. | Happy Hour | ||||||
6:30 p.m. | Dinner, Live Auction and Honey Show Silver Awards | ||||||
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9
MORNING (Subject to Change)
7:00-8:00 a.m. | Zumba – Erin Evans |
7:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort) |
7:30-8:30 a.m. | Master Beekeeper Annual Meeting |
7:30 a.m.-noon | Registration |
8:30-8:45 a.m. | Conference Updates – Eloise Naylor, EAS Chair & David Morris, EAS President |
8:45-9:35 a.m. | Presentation by the 2024 Morse Award Winner – Who will be selected in early 2024 |
9:35-10:05 a.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area |
10:05-11:05 a.m. | Dr. Jeff Pettis, Beekeeping in a Changing World |
11:05-11:20 a.m. | Michigan EAS 2025 Conference Introduction |
11:20 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | EAS Annual Business Meeting |
12:15-1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9
AFTERNOON (Subject to Change)
50-minute workshops | Are you Smarter Than a Fifth Instar Larva? | Research, etc. | Regional Beekeeping | Bee Skills | Reaching Out | Communication and Bee Health | Apiary |
1:00-1:50 p.m. | Topic: TBD 2024 Morse Award Winner | Research Project Burton Beasley | Regional Beekeeping: North, Mid Atlantic, South Part 1 | Difference Between Native Bees and Honey Bees Tim McMahon | Youth Programs Cathy Misko | Good & Bad Microbes in Bee Colonies Dr. Jay Evans | Pulling Queen Cells Jen Keller |
1:50-2:00 p.m. | 10 min break/ transfer time | ||||||
2:00-2:50 p.m. | Tools & Tips Debbie Klughers | Setting Up a Self-Service Store to Sell Honey Landi Simone | Regional Beekeeping: North, Mid Atlantic, South Part 2 | EAS Master Beekeeper Program: History, Why & How Erin Evans | Bee Zoning Laws David Frank | Pheromones: Chemical Communication in the Hive Dr. James Wilson | |
2:50-3:20 p.m. | 30 Minute Break – Snacks in Vendor Area | ||||||
3:20-4:10 p.m. | Topic: TBD 2024 Morse Award Winner | We're Caught in a Trap: Small Hive Beetles Dr. Humberto Boncristiani | Pollen Bill Hesbach | Setting up a Home Microscopy Workshop Eric Smith | Pysanki- making Workshop Evelyn Hogg | Novel Disease Treatments Dr. Jay Evans | |
4:10-4:20 p.m. | 10 Minute Break / transfer time | ||||||
4:20-5:10 p.m. | Speaker Panel with Keynotes and Award Winners | ||||||
6:00-6:30 p.m. | Happy Hour | ||||||
6:30 - 9:00 p.m. | Awards Banquet and Dinner | ||||||
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10
7:00 - 8:30 a.m. - Breakast Buffet in Grand Ballroom (those registered at Turf Valley Resort)