2009 Report to the Virginia General Assembly Two-Year Report on the Progress Toward The Recommendations of the Study of the Plight of Virginia’s Beekeepers VA_Beekeeping_Report_6-30-09.pdf (507 KB)
Celebrating 90 Years of Promoting Knowledge and Fellowship Among Beekeepers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Proclamation by Governor Tim Kaine Virginia Beekeeping Report Report filed in June with the Virginia General Assembly by Dr. Rick Fell (Dept. of Entomology, VPI & SU; and VSBA Executive Secretary). The report was required by law in relationship to the “Study of the Plight of the Virginia’s Beekeepers”. VA_Beekeeping_State_Report.pdf 2010 VSBA Spring Meeting The Virginia State Beekeepers Association will hold their next meeting April 16-17, 2010, at Wytheville Community College, Wytheville.  Additional information is at MEETING.
	Ronnie Henk receives Langstroth Achievement Award from Alan Fiala
Virginia Master Beekeeper Program Qualified Beekeeper Guidelines A new Master Beekeeper Program is being initiated in Virginia. Beekeepers will receive training to improve the management and productivity of their beehives. The Master Beekeepers in turn will provide an enlarged pool of experts to recruit and train beekeepers. Education is a key element of the Master Beekeeper program. Improving a beekeeper’s knowledge of apiculture improves successful management of honey bees. The Virginia plan proposes a 3 level program, Qualified/Certified/Master Beekeeper. Guidelines to the requirements for the Qualified Beekeeper level are provided in the link above. The Master Level would be equivalent to the EAS Master Beekeeper with an added emphasis on practical beekeeping experience and service. The Master Beekeeper program will be administered be Virginia Cooperative Extension with assistance from the beekeeping specialist at Virginia Tech, the State Apiarist, the VSBA, and local beekeeper groups. Updated draft copies of the proposed requirements for the program are available in HTML and PDF format. Beekeeper input is being sought to finalize the requirements for the Master Beekeeper program. Some comments have already been received. Responses to these comments are also available in HTML and PDF format. Additional comments should be sent to Dr. Rick Fell at Virginia Tech. Plight of Beekeeping The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently completed a report on "Study of the Plight of Virginia's Beekeepers". In response to the recommendations in the report the General Assembly appropriated $250,000 for developing integrated pest management programs, queen production, Africanized honey bee response, and pollination promotion in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The programs will be overseen by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. The VSBA appreciates the efforts of Senator Harry Blevins (Virginia Beach), Senator John Chichester (Fredericksburg), and their staff for their support and diligence in successfully moving the funding bill through the Senate and House of Delegates. VSBA is also thankful to the many beekeepers that sent letters, made phone calls, and emailed their representatives in the General Assembly in support of the programs. Your efforts were instrumental in obtaining appropriation of these funds. BeeQuiz Test your knowledge and beekeeping skills with the BEEQUIZ. This new feature from the VSBA will challenge both novice and expert beekeepers. There are hundreds of questions in the quiz database. Each quiz consists of a different set of questions. Have some fun and amaze your friends while learning more about managing honey bees. If your browser is blocking active or script files the quiz will appear as a blank box in the middle of the page. You will need to reset the Advanced Internet Options of your browser to allow active content in order to view the questions. This may be done temporarily through the security alert bar that should appear above the quiz webpage.
ALERT!!! Hives containing Africanized honey bees have been identified in several states throughout the south and southwest. A map of the AHB distribution in the U.S. is on the USDA website Queen and package producers in states known to contain AHB infestations must provide proof of European Honey Bee certification before shipping to Virginia.	Bioterrorism Act - Registration Information	Visitor Counter