On March 20th at 9 a.m EDT (real early for the west coasters) Barb Bloetsher the state apiarist with the Ohio Department of Agriculture will be presenting a beekeeping webinar entitled "Protecting Honey Bees from Pesticides". She will be discussing ways beekeepers can prevent pesticide poisoning, and where to find diagnostic and informational resources.
In the past pesticide poisoning has often been improperly diagnosed or not reported so the scope of the problem was unknown. Over the last 10 years, despite the efforts of the agrochemical giants (Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, Dow and Dupont) to suppress knowledge of the adverse effects of pesticides (particularly the neonicotinoid pesticides) it has become absolutely clear that pesticides are a major threat to the world's bee population (Insecticides and Bees, Ban Neonicotinoid Pesticides, Neonicotinoids Kill Bees in Ontario, Pesticide Banned in France, Pesticide Suspect in Bee Deaths, Monsanto the Evil Empire). This is why support of your local, organic farmer is absolutely critical to the health of bees, the environment and ultimately us.
For those who have not partaken in a Ohio State University Webinar go to the following link Login at 8:55 a.m, March 20th and login as a guest. The O.S.U Webinar series are free and they are a great educational tool! The webinars are participatory so you may be asked questions and you may also ask questions. Here is the upcoming schedule of 2013 Webinars.
March 20: Barb Bloetscher, Protecting honey bees from pesticides
April 10: Dr. Jim Tew, Swarms and swarm management
May 15: Dr. Reed Johnson, Broodmapper: citizen science for beekeepers
June 19: Kim Flottum, Setting up the honey house (big and small)
July 17: Alex Zomchek, "Green" honey harvesting
August 21: Dr. Mark Headings, Skunk behavior in the bee yard
September 18: Dr. Thomas Janini, Beehive chemistry: hive communication
For those of you unable to make it to the webinar (i.e. west coasters still sleeping) fear not as they are recorded and available at the O.S.U Beelab here or in the Webinar section of our Beekeepers' Library. Enjoy!
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