The Georgia Beekeepers Association is excited to launch our first annual Winter Webinar Series! We are thrilled to have Dr. Garett Slater as the presenter at our first session, and Dr. Joerg Mayer will be our GBA host. Attendance is free to GBA members, but registration is required.
Session topic: All about Honey
Honey is more than just a sweet product of the hive. Each honey has unique characteristics influenced by the floral sources bees visit and how the honey is produced and stored. Understanding these differences can help beekeepers evaluate honey quality, improve their products, and better communicate their value to consumers. In this session, Garett Slater will discuss what makes honey unique, the properties that influence its quality, and how laboratory testing can help beekeepers better understand their honey. He will also discuss the importance of sensory evaluation and how combining laboratory results with sensory characteristics can provide a more complete understanding of honey quality and value.
Dr. Garett Slater is an Assistant Professor and Apiculture Extension Entomologist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, based in Overton, Texas. He leads the statewide apiary program, delivering education, outreach, and applied research to support sustainable beekeeping and stronger honey bee colonies across Texas. He coordinates the Texas Master Beekeeper Program and works closely with beekeepers through workshops, courses, and field-based training. His research focuses on honey bee breeding and genetics, with an emphasis on developing practical tools to improve queen quality, colony health, and productivity. Dr. Slater also leads the new Texas Honey Bee Diagnostic Lab, which provides beekeepers with diagnostic services in areas such as honey bee health, genetics, pathogens, nutrition, and honey quality. Dr. Slater earned degrees from North Dakota State University and Purdue University and completed postdoctoral research with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Session topic: Honey Bee Pheromones
Dr. Ramesh Sagili is a Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University and leads the OSU Honey Bee Lab. He obtained his PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University specializing in honey bee research. His primary research focus is honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. Ramesh initiated the creation of Oregon Master Beekeeper Program, chaired the Oregon Governor’s Task Force on Pollinator Health and currently serves on the national Pollinator Subcommittee. His research program addresses both basic and applied questions to improve honey bee health and nutrition, and hence majority of his research projects are collaborative efforts involving stakeholders. He has authored several important research and extension publications. OSU Honey Bee Lab is at the forefront in critical honey bee nutrition research, and their Oregon Master Beekeeper Program is one among the top bee extension programs in the nation. Ramesh has received several awards including the Entomological Society of America’s Pacific Branch Research Award, Eastern Apicultural Society’s Outstanding Research Award, OSU’s Excellence in Post-Doctoral Mentoring Award and OSU Outreach and Engagement Award.
The Georgia Beekeepers Association is excited to launch our first annual Winter Webinar Series! This new educational initiative will bring beekeepers together during the winter months to learn from industry leaders, share ideas, and prepare for a successful year in the apiary.
VSH is a fascinating genetic trait that allows worker bees to detect female mites that are reproducing beneath a capped cell. It's likely the bees detect reproductive mites by smell. The life cycle of the mite is disrupted by the natural resistance mechanisms, as opposed to using chemical miticide applications. It's not that VSH bees have no mites, but they naturally keep the mite population in check and very often well below a treatment threshold. In addition to mite resistance, the VSH bees are highly hygienic and are highly resistant to many brood issues, including American Foulbrood.
Cory Stevens comes to us from his 27-acre farm in Bloomfield, Missouri, which he manages for wildlife and pollinator habitat. Cory and his wife Jaime own Stevens Bee Company, where they have selected a VSH line of bees they call "Missouri Mite Hunters." Cory is a Past President of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. He was certified as a Master Beekeeper by the Eastern Apicultural Society in 2013, and earned an MS in entomology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He was trained by Sue Cobey in 2014 to instrumentally inseminate queen bees. Cory slips bees into random conversations with strangers and annoys his wife by constantly talking about bees.
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