Elizabeth Capaldi

I am a behavioral biologist who studies the relationship between insect behavior and brain structure. One goal of my research is to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of ecologically relevant behaviors. I focus my research on honey bees, but I also study other bees found in temperate and tropical habitats. I am interested in how insects find their way in the world and in how social behavior is shaped by the environment. My work fits within the integrative discipline of neuroethology, which combines field research using insects in nature with laboratory studies of learning and the brain.

The Fountain: Bee Behaviors, Minds, and King Solomon’s Ring an update on cutting edge research on the cognition of bees
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Grand Ballroom

This presentation will explore learning, memory, and the nature of animals “minds.”

How to Help Engage Children in K-6 Schools with Bee-related Themes/Activities
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
4:20-5:10 p.m.
Oakdale Room

Participants at this session will explore a lesson plan for children based on bee biology.  Beekeeping experience not required.

Demonstration of the Honey Bee Dance
Thursday, August 8, 2024
1:00 – 1:50 p.m.
Apiary

Participants at this session will examine dancing bees and learn how to determine the foraging range of the foragers.

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Sam Droege

Sam Droege grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland, and has always been interested in Nature. He has worked at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center since 1978 and now works to support research on native bees and stem some of the losses to wild things that come with population growth, wealth, and disconnection from Nature

How Bees native and non split up the plant world for foraging
Thursday, August 8, 2024
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom

Everyone is well aware that there is competition between native and honey bees. There is also brewing acrimony surrounding that topic. Should there be? We will dive into the details for a smidge of clarity, nuance, life history, and plenty of qualifications.

Taking high resolution stacked photos of bees using Common SLR Equipment
Thursday, August 8, 2024
1:00 – 1:50 p.m.
Crystal Room

Nerd out and talk equipment, DIY, expenses, photoshopping, aesthetics, and bee primping. Hands on and interactive. Bring your own gear and tricks to share.

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Michelle Flenniken

Michelle Flenniken, PhD is an associate professor in the Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology Department at Montana State University (MSU). 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.

The Impact of Viruses on Honey Bee Health at the Colony, Individual Bee, and Cellular Levels
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

This talk will include information on the most common honey bee infecting viruses and the relationship between Varroa destructor mites and viruses.

Honey Bees and their Viruses
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
2:00-2:50 p.m.
Amphitheater

Dr. Michelle Flenniken will give a short presentation on the viruses that infect bees, and facilitate a question, answer, and discussion session.

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Jeff Pettis

Dr. Jeff Pettis, Research Scientist and Consultant, Pettis and Associates LLC

My name is Dr. Jeff Pettis and I have always been a naturalist.  As a child I loved the outdoors and enjoyed playing with ants and spiders.  I grew up in rural Georgia and my first job was “chopping” cotton and working on a farm. As I grew older and wanted to pursue a degree in biology. I thought I wanted to be a botanist as I love plants and trees. However, when I got to the University of Georgia as an undergraduate, I enrolled in an entomology program and took a course in Honey Bee Biology that changed my life.  I fell in love with honey bees. My Professor, Dr. Al Dietz was a great instructor and after that first course I became his technician while still finishing my BS and MS degrees.   Bees opened not only a new love of apiculture, the keeping of bees but also a love of social insects.  And lastly, bees have taken me all over the world.  For my master’s degree I got to travel 8 months to Brazil and Argentina looking at Africanized bees and then 6 months in Mexico to study tracheal mites.  I then went on to a PhD program at Texas A&M and from there a post-doc with Dr. Mark Winston of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.  I then took a job with USDA-Agricultural Research Service as a research scientist in Beltsville, Maryland.  I worked on many aspects of bee health in my 20+ years with USDA-ARS including parasitic mites and the effects of pesticides on queen and colony health.  I left USDA in 2016 and moved to Bern, Switzerland for one year and then returned to the US to start a consulting business on bee health.  I also run a small beekeeping operation with about 150 hives with my wife Marianne and son Kevin, in Salisbury Maryland, USA.  I currently serve as the president for an international beekeeping organization, Apimondia.  We hold a worldwide beekeeping congress every two years and bring together beekeepers and scientists to talk bees and beekeeping.  I am an Entomologist who specializes in Apiculture and honey bee health.  My research areas include: IPM techniques to reduce the impacts of parasitic mites and disease, effects of pesticides, pathogens, and temperature on queen health and longevity, host-parasite relationships and bee behavior. I am the current President of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeeper’s Associations and I serve on several international committees including the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) I have more than 40 years of research experience conducted in more than 15 countries, and I am frequently interviewed by the media for my opinion on worldwide pollinator declines and honey bee health. I received undergraduate and MS degrees in Entomology from the University of Georgia and his doctoral degree in Entomology from Texas A&M University in 1992.

Recognizing a good vs bad colony
Thursday, August 8, 2024
2:00 – 2:50 p.m.

A bee colony can tell you all you need to know about how it is doing, if we only can read the signs.  This workshop will show some of the clues that we as beekeepers need to be in tune with as we examine colonies.  Is this colony OK or do I need to help it?  Join us in the apiary.

Coming to an apiary near you?  The threat of new pests, hornets, mites and more
Thursday, August 8, 2024
4:20 – 5:10 p.m.
Crystal Room

Beekeepers have been dealing with Varroa, Small hive beetle and more in recent years.  Times continue to change as the recent introduction of two exotic hornets into the US has demonstrated.  We are not alone.  We can learn from how these new pests have been affecting others around the globe and not have to reinvent the wheel.

Beekeeping in a changing world
Friday, August 9, 2024
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Grand Ballroom

The world around our bees is changing.  Climate change with erratic rains and shifting blooming times makes our old beekeeping calendar a bit obsolete.  We as beekeepers need to read what is happening in the colony and the environment in order to best manage our colonies.  An overview of some of these challenges will be discussed.

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Tammi Horn-Potter

After serving as the Kentucky State Apiarist for almost a decade, Dr. Tamara Potter began a new position with Kentucky State University in 2024. In her new role as the Beginner Beekeeper and Autoclave coordinator, she coordinates grant funds, provides inspections, organizes demonstrations, and oversees management skills for beekeepers throughout the state. In addition, she is an author of four books related to U.S. and international apiculture.

Flower Power: Establishing Pollinator Habitat

Since 2013, the Honey Bee Health Coalition has positioned itself as a science-based intermediary between commercial agriculture and apiculture, building bridges in an effort to reduce hive mortality and promote best management practices.  Many tools developed by the Honey Bee Health Coalition are much-beloved among EAS beekeepers: the Varroa Mite Decision Tree, the Varroa Mite Management Guide, as well as the crop-specific best management practices for soybeans, corn, canola and most recently, apples.   As EAS representative to Honey Bee Health Coalition, Tammy Horn Potter will talk about its most recent projects, including the HBHC Honey Bee Nutrition Guide, just published January 1, 2024.