Please join the New River Valley Beekeepers’ Association at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, August 13th at the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Building at 210 Pepper St., Christiansburg when Jackson Means will talk on varroa mite monitoring.
Monitoring is the first step in any control program for Varroa destructor, a serious pest of the European honey bee. When properly informed, a beekeeper can apply treatments in an intelligent and efficient manner, and control Varroa without causing undue harm to their bees. Jackson will speak on the three main methods of monitoring for V. destructor, his research on the subject as a masters student at Virginia Tech and some current advances in our understanding of this important pest.
Jackson Means has been beekeeping for four years as part of his graduate education at Virginia Tech. He recently completed his masters on Varroa monitoring and the development of a sustainable Varroa control program. This past spring semester Jackson taught the undergraduate course Bees and Beekeeping at Virginia Tech as the instructor of record. Currently he is working towards his PhD in millipede taxonomy (an admittedly large change from bees) and would be happy to discuss millipedes as well as bees!
We will also have our monthly equipment raffle, information on what we should be seeing in our hives this month, and suggested management techniques for the summer.
Please consider bringing a snack or drink to share.
New River Valley Beekeepers' Association 