Request a Speaker

​We are happy to give talks about honey bees, the Bee Informed Partnership, Sentinel Apiaries, or any of the other topics listed below. Click on the Speaker's name/picture to contact them for requests.
Lab Member
Topics Covered
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Nathalie Steinhauer
BIP Updates
  • Public target: beekeepers (specify region and operation size of interest; specify program of utmost interest if any)
  • Description: The Bee Informed Partnership has a lot of projects going on! From the Tech Transfer Teams, to the Sentinel Apiaries Program, Loss and Management Survey and APHIS National Honey Bee Disease Survey, and even more! Our core mission is to collect data from beekeepers, and sharing that information back to beekeepers, so they can take informed management decisions in their operation. We do not divulgate any identifiable information, but summarize the data into regional and seasonal trends that are meaningful to all beekeepers, participants or not. BIP updates are the opportunity to share the newest results of our programs with our stakeholders.
  • Duration: ~1h (flexible)
Honey bee losses and declines
  • Public target: flexible on demand for beekeepers, master gardeners, farmers, high schools, researchers, public policy makers.
  • Description: No one will disagree that honey bees are not in the best of health; but their population is actually not declining in the US, contrary to general belief. In this talk, we will differentiate the notions of population declines, CCD, mortality rates and poor health. We will clarify the health status of honey bees, in the US and in the world, identify the major drivers of poor bee health, the concerns and possible consequences of status quo, and what can be done to improve the situation.
  • Duration: ~1h (flexible)
Honey bee pests and diseases
  • Public target: beginner and second year beekeepers; specify region of interest
  • Description: What does an unhealthy colony looks like? What are the signs of trouble to look for? Can some issues be monitored for before they become problematic? Learning how to recognize issues early, how to monitor for pests and diseases and how to react after a diagnosis is critical to maintain colonies in good health or nurture them back to good health. In this class, we will cover what are the most frequent pests, diseases and general enemies of the hive, how to check for and identify the issues as well as how to (try and) fix them.
  • Duration: ~1h30 (no less than 1h)
Pollinators and Pesticides
  • Public target: flexible on demand for beekeepers, master gardeners, farmers, pesticide applicators, high schools
  • Description: The risk of pesticides is one of the most contentious question of pollinator health. Honey bees are the most studied pollinator, so we have a lot of data on them. Still, there are a lot of questions left unanswered, but this is a topic that is in constant flux with new research reaching us constantly. In this talk, we start by explaining what a pesticide is, and the diversity of products behind this catch-all term. We will cover how pesticide risk is evaluated, both in terms of toxicity and exposure, and how many different aspects come into play, from the chemistry of the product, to its application method. If it is of interest to the group, we will learn how to read a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). We also cover the gaps in knowledge, and what are the most recent advances in that regard. (Disclaimer: I am not a toxicologist. I am a honey bee researcher who is trying to keep us by popular demand)
  • Duration: ~1h
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Rachel Anna Fahey
USDA APHIS National Honey Bee Survey
  • Description: The National Honey Bee Survey, in conjunction with the Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) and the USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is a comprehensive examination of colony health throughout apiaries in the United States.  The primary objective of the survey is to monitor for the presence or absence of invasive threats to honey bee colony health (Tropilaelaps, spp. and Apis cerana). Also, this survey takes an epidemiological approach to document honey bee diseases, pests, pathogens and in-hive pesticides.
  • Duration: 30-45 minutes
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Anthony Nearman
  • ​Understanding the Relationship between Honey Bee Physiology and Colony Loss
  • The Power to Predict Overwinter Loss
  • Drivers of Honey Bee Colony Loss
  • A History of Bees and Beekeeping
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Lisa Kuder
(Happy to do anything related to Native Bees and Habitat restoration for pollinators)
Landscaping to promote wild bees and other beneficial insects
  • Description: Learn about the habitat needs of wild bees and simple ways we can support them in our yards and communities
  • Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
Roadside Habitat Management Strategies that Promote Native Flora and Their Pollinators
  • Description: Preliminary results of a roadside pollinator habitat study -- minor changes to existing vegetation management strategies can have a big impact
  • Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
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​​Lindsay Barranco
The Importance of Bees - Honey Bees and Native Bees
  • Description: A brief history and biology of honey bee colonies, how honey bees are utilized in commercial agriculture for pollination in the United States, challenges honey bees face, a description of native bees (both ground nesting and tube nesting) and what individuals can do to enhance their environments through floral plantings and optimizing sites for native bee nesting.
  • Duration: 45 min
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Krisztina Christmon
Mites under the microscope
  • Entertaining talk on mites physiology and their resistance to miticide treatments. 
  • Duration: 45 mins
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Mark Dykes
UMD Bee Squad (please refer to separate request page)
umdbeesquad.com/education-opportunities/speaker-request/
  • Introduction to beekeeping
  • Honey bee biology
  • Pest and disease
  • Integrated pest management (IPM)
  • Organic pest control for bee colonies
  • Planting for honey bees
  • Varroa control
  • Annual hive management
  • Other topics upon request