Great Plains Master Beekeeping

You're Invited to a Unique Hands-On Beekeeping Experience!

Join us after MO Bee Day 2025 MSBA News & Events at the Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks apiary in Springfield, MO, for an exclusive teaching session in the field.

Dr. Judy Wu-Smart from the UNL Bee Lab , along with Jeff Maddox, will be working the hives and sharing their unique approaches to beekeeping. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn directly from two experienced and knowledgeable mentors.

Location: Springfield, MO
Date: Sunday, June 22nd
Time: 830a-10a

Beekeeper Contact: Jeff Maddox
(call/text 317-698-8088 or email [email protected])
Must RSVP to attend and get the exact apiary address!

Great Plains Master Beekeeper participants are welcome to sign up for field exams required for program advancement and access to additional resources.

Not taking an exam? No problem, everyone is welcome to attend, observe, and learn from our experienced beekeepers in the field.

https://gpmb.unl.edu/open-teaching-apiary-test-out-and-hands-learning/

🐝 Time to sign up, Beekeepers! 🐝
Whether you're brand new to beekeeping or have years of experience, these upcoming Bee Fun Days are buzzing with opportunities to learn, connect, and grow your skills in community with others who love the bees just as much as you do.

👇 Here are three incredible opportunities this June from our dedicated partners:

📍 NEKBA Bee Funday 2025
Saturday, June 7th | Lawrence, KS
🔗 Register: http://www.NEKBA.org

📍 MO Bee Day 2025
Saturday, June 21st | Springfield, MO
🔗 Register: http://mobees.org

📍 Nebraska Beekeepers Association Bee Fun Day 2025
Saturday, June 28th | Lincoln, NE
🔗 Register: https://www.nebraskabeekeepers.org/bee-fun-day

🐝 Whether you’re coming for the education, the people, or the bees (or all three), we’d love to see you there. Let’s keep showing up, sharing knowledge, and building strong hives—together. 💛

Good morning! 🐝

What are you up to this Saturday? No plans? 😉

Jump on our zoom meeting this morning to learn more on spring management! :)

Time: 9 AM - 11 AM MST | 10 AM - 12 PM CST...TODAY (March 1st)

💻 Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81584840825?pwd=ipmTOXa52LQHrt8NvlTSs7hALtqdfN.1

Spring is just around the corner, and it's time to get our hives in top shape! Join us for an insightful discussion on spring hive inspections, necropsy identifications, and the latest findings on the mass colony die-off. 🌼🐝

We’ve teamed up with our fantastic GPMB Partners, High Mountain Pollinators and Bees, to bring you this free, informative session!

When: Saturday, March 1st TODAY

For more information about High Mountain Pollinators and Bees, check out their website here:
🌐 https://www.highmountainpollinatorsandbees.org/

This is an event you won’t want to miss! Let’s work together to help our buzzing friends thrive this spring. 🐝🌿👩‍🌾

m

Project Apis M had an update today. We were able to jump on and even ask some clarifying questions which was great. You can view the recording on their youtube site: https://www.youtube.com/

🐝 Here are the key takeaways:

1. There's no clear answer yet on what's driving these losses 🧐. It doesn't seem to be linked to mites or the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) we've seen in the past.
2. Analyzing the samples will take months to truly understand what's going on 🕰️.
3. The risk to pollination in the U.S. is through the roof ⚠️, which will directly affect food supply and crop prices 🍽️.
4. Due to new USDA policies, two of the top researchers in this field couldn’t join the nationwide call 🏛️.
5. This is the most critical situation our industry has ever faced 😔, and it has huge implications for food security. If you think grocery prices are high now, just wait until the growing season plays out! 📈
6. These numbers will likely rise as most Northern beekeepers who aren’t large-scale haven’t even had the chance to assess winter losses yet ❄️.

The situation is serious, and the future of our food supply depends on finding solutions. Let's stay informed and keep the conversation going! 🌻🍯

Sat in on the Project Apis m call today about the historic losses we are seeing in honey bees. Short take aways:
1. There is no indication from survey analysis as to what is causing these losses. This does not appear to be mite related losses and not related to CCD related losses like in the past.
2. Analysis of samples will take months to process and make sense of.
3. Pollination across the US is at a very high risk which will directly impact food availability and prices across crops
5. New USDA policies prevented their two leading researchers in this area from participating in this nationwide call.
6. This is the most precarious place our industry has ever been and has implications to impact our food security as a nation and if you think grocery prices are high now just wait till the end of growing season when all of this plays out.
7. And these numbers are likely going to rise because most Northern beekeepers that are not commercial scale have not even got out of winter to assess losses.

Join us TODAY for a free Public Webinar to Discuss Scale and Impact of Losses, led by Project Apis M.

When: Feb 28, 2025 11:00 AM CST

Where: Zoom--To register for the FREE informational webinar, go here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/U4vTOaX9S0m1b_3lWGQHJg #/registration

What: The sudden colony losses this year resulted in efforts to survey beekeepers regarding their losses, and scientists traveled to collect samples from colonies in the field. In this public, free webinar we will share information with stakeholders about our activities and progress analyzing the survey data and the samples taken.

For more information:
https://www.projectapism.org/events/i8yr94doxarjvh453lchfhr0xf3bvq

Just a little fun bee humor for your Monday morning
🐝😃

Join us for a discussion on spring hive inspections, necropsy identifies, and the latest on the mass colony die-off, with our GPMB Partners, High Mountain Pollinators and Bees.
Saturday, March 1st
9a-11a MST// 10a - 12p CST

Zoom link here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81584840825?pwd=ipmTOXa52LQHrt8NvlTSs7hALtqdfN.1

More information on HMPB, visit: https://www.highmountainpollinatorsandbees.org/

🐝 Important Update for All Bee Enthusiasts! 🐝

Over 1.1 million honey bee colonies have been lost this year, signaling a critical situation for our pollinators and agriculture as a whole. This issue affects us all, and we need to stay informed.

🌟 Join us for a FREE webinar to learn about the scale of this crisis and what’s being done to address it. Hosted by Project Apis M., this is an opportunity for beekeepers, farmers, and all those passionate about pollinators to get the facts straight from the experts.

🗓️ Date: February 28, 2025
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM CST
🔗 Where: Zoom (it's completely free!)

In this session, we’ll be discussing the recent surveys of beekeepers, research findings, and the steps scientists are taking to analyze the data and field samples. This webinar is a must-attend for anyone wanting to understand what’s happening with our bee populations.

🔗 Sign up for the free webinar here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/U4vTOaX9S0m1b_3lWGQHJg #/registration

For more information, visit:
https://www.projectapism.org/events/i8yr94doxarjvh453lchfhr0xf3bvq

Together, we can make a difference in protecting our bees and the vital services they provide! 🌻

Happy Monday!

Please see our bulletin for updates. Few things to note:
💘Hap-Bee Hour on Friday, February 14th . Chuck Dailey will be speaking about Spring Management, so definitely a session you do not want to miss! 530PM CST. Register for the zoom event here: https://unl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIscuChqTwvHtNpirlX4L2y5qxsE-OcT67v #/registration

🐝Some upcoming events:
February 22, 2025-Indiana Bee School (Muncie, IN)
March 7-8, 2025 - KHPA Spring Conference (Salina, KS)
June 7, 2025- NEBKA Fun Day (Lawrence, KS)

🐝To view our bulletin with the active links, go here (you must be a GPMB member to login and view):https://gpmb.unhosting.site/pluginfile.php/8093/mod_resource/content/1/2025.01_Bulletin_GPMB_24JAN2025.pdf