The Big Bee Buzz - March 27th and 28th, 2022
The Big Bee Buzz brings information and special speakers for beekeepers of all levels of experience, from seasoned beekeepers to those just curious about beekeeping
Admission prices below, include Lunch will be provided on Saturday. are per person.
Early bird price (prior to 1/20/22) $65
Standard Member price (prior to 3//24\22): $75
Standard Non-Member price (prior to 3/24/22): $85
Door price (after 3/24/22): $90
Children 15 and under are free with paid adult admission
Payment is required at time of registration
Register Now!
Speaker Information:
1. Jessica Helgen
Jessica Helgen fell in love with beekeeping on a study abroad trip to southern India. She started working for the University of MN Bee Lab in 2006, then returned to India for a Fulbright fellowship to study Asian honey bees (Apis cerana). Jessica continued working for the Bee Lab and became one the first members of the UMN Bee Squad in 2010. In addition to managing colonies for research and outreach, Jessica is the coordinator and lead instructor for the Bee Squad Mentoring Apiary program, which provides hands-on training to hobby beekeepers. She is most proud of convincing new beekeepers to try glove-less beekeeping!
Jessica will speak on 3 separate topics including:
1. Updates on Propolis Research from the U of MN Bee Lab
2. Honey Bee Communication Part 1: Pheromones
3. Honey Bee Communication Part 2: Waggle Dance
2. Sarah Red-Laird
Sarah Red-Laird is the founder and Executive Director of the Bee Girl organization, a grassroots nonprofit centered on bee habit conservation through research, regeneration, & education. She is a graduate of the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation and the Davidson Honors College with a degree in Resource Conservation, focused on community collaboration and environmental policy. Sarah also serves as the “Kids and Bees” program director for the American Beekeeping Federation. To see her commitment to good policy and community collaborations realized, she also has served as president of the Northwest Farmers Union and Western Apicultural Society, and as a board member of the National Farmers Union. When she is not tirelessly working with bees, beekeepers, kids, farmers and ranchers, and policy makers, Sarah loves to read books while drinking coffee, ride her vintage 10-speed, run in the hills, and see new places, things, and people. To see her latest projects updates visit Instagram and Facebook @sarahbeegirl or www.beegirl.org.
Sarah will speak on 3 separate topics including:
1. 10 Ways to BEE a Hero
2. How to Teach Kids About Bees
3. Regenerative Bee Pasture
3. Dr. Michelle Flenniken
Dr. Michelle Flenniken is an Associate Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at Montana State University. She is a virologist investigating honey bee host–pathogen interactions, Co-Director of the Pollinator Health Center at MSU, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Project Apis m..
Michelle received a B.S. in Biology from the University of Iowa, then was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, before obtaining her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Montana State University.
She did postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco prior to becoming a faculty member at MSU. URLs: http://plantsciences.montana.edu/facultyorstaff/faculty/Flenniken/ , http://www.montana.edu/pollinators/
Dr Flenniken will speak on 3 separate topics including:
1. Bee Viruses
2. Impact of Viruses
3. Bee Antiviral
Schedule of Events
Friday Evening (March 27th, 2020):
6:00 - 6:25 p.m. Check-in & Registration
6:25 - 6:30 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks - Dane Strickland
6:30 - 7:15 p.m. Dr. Juliana Rangel -- The behavioral ecology of swarming
15 minute break
7:30 - 8:15 p.m. You Pick:
Beginner – Landi Simone -- Beginner Beekeeper Blunders
Advanced – Megan Mahoney -- Instrumental Insemination of Queen Bees
15 minute break
8:30 - 9:15 p.m. You Pick:
All Levels -- Kim Flottum -- 10 Rules for modern beekeeping (animal husbandry)
All Levels -- Dr. Reed Johnson -- Where do honey and pollen come from? Identifying floral sources with DNA sequencing
Saturday (March 28th, 2020):
8:30 - 9:00 a.m Donuts, Check-in and Registration
9:00 - 9:45 a.m Dr. Reed Johnson -- Pesticides: An overview of bee toxicology
15 Minute Break
10:00 - 10:45 a.m. Megan Mahoney – Save the Bees; Monitor for Pests and Disease!
15 Minute Break
11:00 - 11:45 a.m. You Pick:
Beginners – Landi Simone -- Reading the Frames
Advanced – Dr. Juliana Rangel -- The why and how of queen management
11:45 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:00 - 1:45 p.m. You Pick
Intermediate -- Kim Flottum -- Second season – (After Winter to Next Season)
Advanced -- Dr. Reed Johnson -- Developing novel Varroa controls
15 Minute Break
2:00 - 2:45 p.m. You Pick:
Intermediate – Dr. Juliana Rangel --The Biology of Mating
Advanced – Megan Mahoney --What the VSH? Observations from working on a specialized breeding program
15 minute break
3:00 – 3:45 p.m. You Pick:
All Levels (Open To The Public) – Landi Simone -- Honey Bees and Pesticides
Advanced – Kim Flottum -- The Business of Bees – advanced (starting a bee business)
15 Minute Break
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Joint Session: Q&A Panel with All Speakers
4:30 – 4:45 p.m. Close Silent Auction & Wrap Up