Fall Conference November 4, 2017

Supporting Beekeeping Education in Ohio for over 100 years

Tolles Career & Technical Center 7877 US Highway 42 S., Plain City, OH 43064

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OSBA is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote beekeeping in the state of Ohio. OSBA has a

Board of Directors made up of 23 voting members. Eighteen of these members represent each of the nine

regions of Ohio. They are the people who represent the membership and your region in all votes taken by

the OSBA board regarding the business of OSBA. You need to get to know your representatives.

Director

Tom Rathbun

Representative

Angel MItchell

Director

Dwight Wilson

Representative

Brad Hibbard

Director

Dwight Wells

Representative

Mike Doseck

Director

Alex Zomchek

Representative

open

Director

To be Elected

Representative

Peggy Garnes

Director

To be Elected

Representative

open

Director

To be Elected

Representative

open

Director

Marishka Wile

Representative

Chris Dresel

What is OSBA

OSBA– The Resource for Ohio Beekeepers

We’re looking for beekeepers who want to make a difference in their

community— Volunteer as a Regional Rep, or join one of our many

committees that make a difference for beekeepers across Ohio.

Stop by the OSBA table for more information

Director

Jeff Gabric

Representative

open

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How OSBA Supports Beekeepers

and Honey Bee Sustainability

• These videos are available on-line, and available to clubs for a special bulk rate

price!.

Club Education

Club Development and Support - Affiliate Program • Does your club want to grow ? Promote your meetings and events, for free, on the OSBA website. Just

go to www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org and click on the Events tab. It’s that simple!

• We can help get the word out about your association. We have thousands of visitors at the OSBA Pa-

vilion during the Ohio State Fair. Local associations promote their club and provide beekeeping infor-

mation at tables in our pavilion. Why miss out? Reservation information will be in the January issue of

Ohio Beekeeping The Newsletter of OSBA.

• Our newsletter dedicates pages each quarter to local association activities.

• Do you lack a club in your area? OSBA assists new club start-ups. Contact a Director or Representa-

tive today.

• Our Affiliate Program will help associations protect their board, save money, increase their on-line pres-

ence, qualify for non-profit status, and more!

Beekeeper Education • Our website and Facebook page are loaded with great information on sustainable beekeeping practices:

Videos, Best Management Practices, Newsletters, Classifieds, Recipes…and much more. Visit the sites

today!

www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org

https://www.facebook.com/OhioStateBeekeepers

• Honey bee research in Ohio continues to receive a financial boost with OSBA donations to further bee

research by The Ohio State University.

• OSBA has partnered with Pollinator Stewardship Council to seek grants for increased pollinator habitat,

and we will continue to look for ways to partner with other like-minded associations to help promote the

future of the honey bee.

• OSBA successfully developed the Save The Honey Bee license plate. Funds from the sales of this

plate will help us continue to support sustainable programs and research.

• OSBA has partnered with Ohio Prairie Nursery to develop the Ohio Pollinator Oasis Seed Blend.

OSBA’s proceeds from the seed sales will help us continue to provide sustainable honey bee programs.

• OSBA applied for, and received, a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to supply 700 new beekeepers

with OSBA Apiary Diagnostic Kits, and up to 30 Monitoring for Sustainability presentations to local asso-

ciations.

Funding for Research, Support for Grants

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KOEPKE Insurance Your Crop Insurance Specialists

14052 W. St. Rt 105

Oak Harbor, OH 43449

1-866-898-1701

419-898-1701

Fax: 419-898-6213

www.protectmycrops.com

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Buzzing About

OSBA 4-H

We promote next genera-

tions of beekeepers in our

Partnership Program, and

we sponsor the senior 4-H

judges at the state fair.

http://www.antlerridgebeekeepingsupplies.com/

www.facebook.com/Antler-Ridge-Beekeeping-

supplies-1647062798928012/

Healthy and

Sustainable

OSBA Pollinator Oasis Habitat

OSBA Apiary Diagnostic Kit

Club

Development

Need a club in your area? “How to Start a New Asso-ciation Guide.” is availa-ble. Contact OSBA.

Beekeeper

Education

Visit us on the web. Ex-

plore our Ohio based

educational pages.

Books, videos, podcasts,

etc.

Community

Awareness

“Save the Honey Bee” License plate increases public awareness and provides funds for further outreach

Support for

OSU Honey Bee

Research

OSBA supports studies at

The Ohio State University

Beelab

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Ohio State Beekeepers Association Membership Form

Ohio State Beekeepers Association is a non-profit organization supporting people who have an interest in honey

bees and beekeeping. You do not need to be a beekeeper or live in Ohio to join OSBA. Membership includes on-

going activities of the association to promote honey bees and beekeeping, voting in annual elections, discounts on

publications, and an annual subscription to Ohio Beekeeping.

Save Postage-

Stop by the OSBA Table today to become a member or renew!

Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

City: _________________ State: ___ Zip: ______________ County: ____________________

Phone: (__ _) ______-___________ Email Address (Print neatly) _______________________________

Name of Local Bee Association: ____________________________________

$15.00 for 1 year student membership

$15.00 for 1 year senior membership

$20.00 for 1 year individual membership

$25.00 for 1 year family membership

$200.00 for a lifetime membership

As an OSBA member, I want my contact information on the on-line Swarm List

As an OSBA member, I want my contact information on the Cut-out List

A year membership is based on the calendar year, January through December.

Join OSBA Today! - Bee part of a state beekeeping organization that has:

1. The Save the Honey Bee License Plate that will provides funding for education, outreach and research

2. Educational opportunities for the general public at our OSBA Pavilion at the Ohio State Fair

3. Educational opportunities for beekeepers through our conference, website, Facebook, podcasts, and

quarterly newsletters

4. A seed blend (OSBA Pollinator Oasis Blend) to help encourage pollinator plantings

5. Worked with our partners, Pollinator Stewardship Council and Medina Beekeepers Association, to plant

over 30 acres of pollinator friendly habitat

6. Provided over 1000 new beekeepers who attended beekeeping classes at local associations with a

free, introductory membership and welcome packets

7. Providing 700 complimentary OSBA Apiary Diagnostic Kits to new beekeepers, plus 30 complimentary

Monitoring for Sustainability presentations to local associations.

…..and all that just in the past two years! 2018 looks to be even brighter for the beekeepers in Ohio, with

more exciting opportunities for local associations and beekeepers - Support the Future of Beekeeping in

Ohio.

…….Join or renew today!

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Session Descriptions

Session 1 Gentle Beekeeping: There are two ways to work a hive well: either go so fast that by the time they notice you are gone, or to work so carefully that you don't bother them. In this discussion we will discuss the sec-ond way - how to change your beekeeping style so you cause the least amount of distress to your animals. We will cover hive basics, as well as how to understand what your bees are trying to tell you. Where are bees going? Using pollen analysis and waggle dance interpretation to understand foraging in Ohio’s honey bees. Facebook Basics: Just what is says, the what, why and how of managing a productive Facebook site for your business or local association. Bring your tablets/laptops for hands-on learning. Achieving near-ZERO Hive Losses: We have a lot of tools in our beekeeping arsenal. While more insights and innovations are forthcoming we can significantly reduce or reach near-zero hive mortality by diligently applying what we already know. We will (re)define modern beekeeping as "Monitoring” by learning what to look for; when to look; what actions to take; and verify-ing that our actions or treatments are working - we can increase hive health and significantly reduce your hive losses. .

Session 2 Bee-Prepared: Second Year NOT Same as the First: The transition, education, and possibilities going from a 1st year beekeeper into the 2nd year beekeeper. All of the benefits of having overwintered hive(s). Biodiversity and the Honey Bee Problem: Using Social Media to Market Your Business: learn where customers go to find your business and how you can create engaging content to get them to take action. You will learn information including: What is the best social media app for my small business? When is the best time to post? What is the best infor-mation to post? Plants that provide nectar and pollen for honey bees: Not all flowering plants are created equal in a bee’s eyes. Some provide a lot of nectar and pollen, but others don’t. Learn about the flowers that bees like and how to provide necessary pollen and nectar for them all season. This talk will focus on a variety of plants, shrubs, and trees and some of the tricks to help them provide for the needs of your hive.

Session 3 Small Scale Queen Rearing: Many beekeepers want to raise queens, but become intimidated when they read about all of the options: Doolittle, nicot, swarm box, cloake boards, Miller methods, grafting, etc. In this overview discussion we will discuss the basic steps of queen rearing, demystify and describe the pros and cons of each option, and give you a start-ing place so you can try raising a few queens next year. Risk Assessment of Pesticides and Honey Bees: . Flowering plants for the late summer “dearth” August and early September are tough on a hive as the bees look for enough nectar to get through the winter. Plants that provide good nectar and pollen during these months are available. Learn what to plant, what meth-ods may help, and what practices will help your bees stay strong before the aster and goldenrods bloom. Hive Tracks: Bring your tablet or laptop and learn how to open a complimentary Hive Track account, set-up your hive configuration, and other tips to get your 2018 off to a great start.

Session 4 Sustainable Northern Beekeeping Using Late Season Nucs: Beekeepers should only buy bees once - when they are staring a new apiary. Yet, many beekeepers think that it is normal to buy bees each year, or to or stuck buying nucs and packages for re-placements. In this talk we will discuss how to keep bees more sustainably - making up your losses in your own yard, and getting off the treadmill of buying bees each year. The Future of Bee Friendly Agriculture: Monitoring for Sustainability: Learn how to monitor your bees for pests and diseases, before they reach critical mass in the hive. "Pushing" your Bees using Monitoring With moni-toring in hand we explore how to “push” your bees to attain your beekeeping goals. Whether you are looking to make more bees, honey, pollen, wax, etc. we will discuss why and how you can push your bees. Push-ing requires ingredients and timing. We will look at pushing recipes from yesteryear to today into tomor-row. By way of example we will look at feeding for star-vation, stimulation, and nutrition and how this applies to your seasonal calendar.

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Lunchroom

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Registration

Room

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Room 2

A U D I T O R I U M

Room 3

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OSBA Fall Conference 2017 Program

Tolles Career & Technical Center

Honey Judging will be ongoing throughout the conference - stop by and watch!

Drop off pre-registered Honey Samples at the Research Table

Ballots, which can be picked up at the OSBA Table, must be turned in by 11:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Registration

Coffee and Doughnuts, Visit the Vendors

8:45 - 9:30

President’s Welcome, OSBA Business, Awards

Auditorium

9:30 - 9:45 Visit the Vendors

Session 1

9:45 - 10:45

Auditorium: Dr. Meghan Milbrath: Gentle Beekeeping

Room 1: Dr. Reed Johnson: Where are the Bees Going?

Room 2: Christie Welch: Facebook Basics

Room 3: Alex Zomchek: Near Zero Hive Losses

10:45 – 11:00 Visit the Vendors

Session 2

11:00 - Noon

Auditorium: Jamie Walters: Bee Prepared- Second Year Beekeeping

Room 1: Dr. Jonathan Lundgren: Bio-Diversity and the Honey Bee Problems

Room 2: Christie Welch: Using Social Media to Market Your Business

Room 3: Macy Reynolds: Plants that provide nectar and pollen for honey bees

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Lunch

Noon - 1:00

Visit the Vendors

Session 3

1:00 - 2:00

Auditorium: Dr. Meghan Milbrath: Small Scale Queen Rearing

Room 1: Dr. Jonathan Lundgren: Risk Assessment of Pesticides and Honey Bees Room 2: Brad Hibbard: Hive Tracks

Room 3: Macy Reynolds: Flowering Plants for the Late Summer “Dearth”

2:00 - 2:15

Visit the Vendors

~ Refreshment Break provide by MEDIVET~

Session 4

2:15 - 3:15

Auditorium: Dr. Meghan Milbrath: Sustainable Northern Beekeeping Using Late Season Nucs

Room 1: Dr. Jonathan Lundgren: The Future of Bee Friendly Agriculture

Room 2: Peggy Garnes: Monitoring for Sustainability using the OSBA ADK

Room 3: Alex Zomchek: "Pushing" your Bees using Monitoring

3:30– 4:15

Awards, Election Results, Business Meeting

Remember to fill out the OSBA Fall 2017 Evaluation Forms and place them in the boxes by

the exit doors

Have a safe drive home and we’ll see you at the

2018 OSBA Fall Conference on November 3rd in Plain City

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Page 18 Meet the OSBA Fall Conference Speakers

Dr. Jonathan Lundgren: Dr. Lundgren is an agroecologist, Director of ECDY-SIS Foundation, and CEO for Blue Dasher Farm. Lundgren’s research program focuses on assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for sustainable food systems. His ecological research focuses heavi-ly on conserving healthy biological communities with-in agroecosystems by reducing disturbance and in-creasing biodiversity within cropland. Dr. Meghan Milbrath Dr. Milbrath began working bees with her father as a child over 20 years ago, and now owns and manages The Sand Hill Apiary, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She studied biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and re-ceived degrees in public health from Tulane Universi-ty and the University of Michigan, where she focused on environmental and disease transmission risk. Meghan worked as a postdoctoral research as-sociate under Zachary Huang at Michigan State Uni-versity, studying nosema disease, and is currently an academic specialist at MSU, where she does honey bee and pollinator research and extension and is the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initia-tive. Meghan is active in multiple beekeeping organ-

izations, writes for multiple beekeeping journals, and speaks about bees all over the country. She current-ly runs the Northern Bee Network, a directory and resource site dedicated to supporting queen produc-ers, and she is passionate about keeping and pro-moting healthy bees. Peggy Garnes: pgarnes001@neo.rr.com Keeping bees for almost 20 years and realizing the gap for “needing queens” at the wrong time of the season, gave Peggy the incentive to raise a few har-dy queens at her apiary. Peggy is active in the bee-keeping world as our EAS Representative and West-ern Reserve Representative for OSBA, Past Presi-dent for Medina County Beekeepers for 5 years, 2 ½ years as Advertising Manager at a beekeeping mag-azine, giving lectures at local clubs, associations and schools/libraries, maintaining/sampling a Sentinel Hive and working with Queen Rearing Groups. Brad Hibbard: 419.467.0734 Brad owns Honey Blossom Farm, a 40 acre farm. On the farm he manages a 10 acre orchard and sells organic produce. The need for pollination led to his interest in beekeeping. In order to keep his business organized, he relies on software, like Hive Tracks.

(Continued on page 19)

Reid’s Apiary

&

“Bee-tique

reidapiary@bright.net

740.643.2925 BROODMINDER Broodminder.com

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Dr. Reed Johnson: johnson.5005@osu.edu Reed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University – Ohio Ag-ricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, Ohio. Dr. Johnson received a B.A. from Wabash College, a M.S. from Wake Forest University and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the Uni-versity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His re-search focuses on determining how bees are ex-posed to pesticides and what effect exposure to pes-ticides has on the health of honey bees and other pollinators. He has published over 25 peer-reviewed papers on bees and bee health. He teaches courses in pesticide science and beekeeping at OARDC. John Grafton– johngrafton654@gmail.com John graduated from the The Ohio State University (BS Agriculture Economics1977) and joined the Ohio Department of Agriculture retiring in 2008 after spending 32 years with the apiary inspection pro-gram. He started keeping bees in 1964 with a 4-H project and has had bees ever since. John has re-ceived the OSBA’s Ohio Beekeeper of the Year award and the Exceptional Service Award presented by the Apiary Inspectors of America. John has held various offices in OSBA and is an OSBA Past Presi-dent. Following his retirement John spent four years as an Agricultural Education Instructor with the Edi-son Local School District in Richmond, OH. He teaches beekeeping and lectures across the state to local beekeeping groups. Macy Reynolds: r2m2@yellowsprings.com After retiring from a teaching career, Macy Reynolds joined the Greene County Master Gardeners. As part of her education she also completed three state cer-tifications in weeds, trees, and insects. During this time she developed an interest in native plants and their benefits to native insects and honey bees. Her own native plant gardens are often on garden tours for the Midwest Native Plant Conference of which she is a founding member. She gives many talks to a variety of groups introducing them to the variety and beauty of these plants. In addition, she heads the group of volunteers who manage and weed the Yellow Springs Women’s Park that borders the Little Miami Bike Path and consists only of native plants. It draws visitors from many states and lures photogra-phers of flowers and butterflies. James Thompson: honeyjudge1@yahoo.com James is a Life member of OSBA and EAS, EAS Master beekeeper, and honey judge for the past 40 years.

Jamie Walters: Jamie is an Ohio State Master Gardener, Ohio Certi-fied Volunteer Naturalist, OSBA Life Member, CSAW Certified, Private Chemical Applicator Licensed, Ohio State Pollinator Specialist, Defiance County Apiary Inspector, and Queen Breeder in both open mated & instrumental insemination.

Christie Welch: welch.183@osu.edu Christie has been with the Ohio State University South Centers Business Development Network since 2003. She has worked with a variety of small busi-nesses to provide information and education in the 3 main areas of business; money, marketing, and management. She served as a Small Business De-velopment Center Counselor, the Program Manager for the Ohio Cooperative Development Center at the OSU South Centers from Oct. 2013 through Dec. 2014, and the farmers’ markets specialist. Currently she serves as the Direct Agricultural Marketing Spe-cialist for OSU Extension where she leads a team to provide information and education on direct agricul-tural marketing to Ohio’s farmers and producers. Christie has a strong interest in the economic devel-opment of rural Ohio and is especially interested in family farms and agribusinesses within this region. Alex Zomchek: ohiohoney@woh.rr.com Alex is the Apiculturist at Miami University; Re-searcher, Instructor, Lecturer, Speaker, OSBA Re-gional Director, President of Butler County Beekeep-ers Association; Founder/Director – Apis Laboratory; Lifelong Beekeeper. Topics of interest: Honey Bee biology & behavior; Colony management; Honey properties; Bee gadgets; Futurist. Current topics of research: Instrumental insemination; Drone sperm cryogenic banking; Bioinformation; Soy Bean Polli-nation; Winter Hive Café Storage.

Meet the OSBA Fall Conference Speakers

OSAB Apiary Diagnostic Kit

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Bee Hive Thermal Industries, Breaking News, Saving Honey Bees Organically

An organic and noninvasive solution in targeting and killing Varroa Mite infestations, that are killing honey bees, was developed by the joined forces of, Bee Hive Thermal Industries (www.beehivethermalindustries.com) and OVEN Industries (www.ovenind.com), experts in temperature control.

Even if you’re not in the bee keeping business, commercially or as a Hobbyist, you may have heard that, “honey bees are in trouble”. There are a few main reasons that we could list in this dilemma and most experts will most likely agree that the Varroa Mite is near or at the top of that list. Bee Hive Thermal Industries designed this Ther-mal System utilizing an industrial grade heater blanket and electron-ic controls which are easily installed and removed from the hive. The end goal of the product is to raise the temperature of the hive to a programmed temperature, killing the mites & hive beetles with-out harming the bees based on studies done in Europe & US. To see the game changing product in action, click the link and view the vid-eo. https://youtu.be/D3I4G2Ws91o

In the fight against today’s Varroa Mites, beekeepers are often, if not always, resorting to pesticides as the solution. Bees have many other predators and hardships to endure, includ-ing weather related issues such as cold temperatures, moisture and diseases. The effect of the Mite on the overall colony is paralyzing to both general activity and honey production within the hive. This revolutionary product is showing positive results in killing and control-ling mites and hive beetles, with only three applications annually. For show listings click here https://www.beehivethermalindustries.com/events/

Bee Hive Thermal Industries, located in beautiful Pageland South Carolina, is to be recognized as a global leader in the design, development and distribution of organically suitable prod-ucts for the bee industry globally. The company strives daily to provide unique and safe solu-tions for bee keepers everywhere, providing them with high quality, value and reliability. Caring for our bees is very important to the mission of Bee Hive Thermal Industries. Click here to visit our website www.beehivethermalindustries.com

Ohio Sales Rep. Joe Pristash Lynn Williams President Bee Hive Thermal Industries lynn@beehivethermalindustries.com 440-666-4374 803-504-9313 joe@beehivethermalindustries.com

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Where are Your Nectar Gaps?

Sourwood Zone 5-9 Jul-Aug

American Linden Zone 3-8 Late June

Little Leaf Linden Zone 3-7 Early

June

Black Locust Zone 3-8 May

Seven Sons Tree Zone 5-9 Aug-Sept

Korean Bee Bee Tree Zone 5-8 July-Aug

Northern Catalpa Zone 4-8 Late June

Southern Catalpa Zone 4-8 Early

June

Tulip Poplar Zone 4-9 May

Tree Lilac Zone 3-7 May-June

Glossy Abelia Zone 5-9 May-Frost

Summersweet Zone 3-9 July-Aug

Japanese Pagoda Tree Zone 4-8 July-Aug

Golden Rain Tree Zone 5-9 June-July

Black Gum Zone 4-8 May-June

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Antler Ridge Beekeeping Supplies

Bastin Honey Bee Farm

Bee Calm & Hive On

BeeHive Thermal Industries

Beepothecary

Bellas Bee Supply LLC

Betterbee

Blue Sky Bee Supply

Broodminder

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

Buckeye Queen Producers

Ernst Conservation Seeds

Honey Run Apiaries

International Mating Nuc, Inc

Kelley Bees

Koepke Insurance Agency

Mann Lake Ltd.

Mockingbird Meadows

My Bee Supply

O'Keefe Electronics

Oxyvape

Pollinator Stewardship Council

Reid's Apiary & 'Bee-tique'

Rockbridge Trees

Simpsons Bee Suply

Stratford Ecological Center

Strong Microbials Inc.

Superior Bee

The Bee Barn of SE Ohio

The Bee Corp

Wicwas Press

A Special Thank You to Medivet

Providing your afternoon refreshment break

Vendors at the OSBA Fall Conference