American Foulbrood Disease American Foulbrood is popping up again in nearby states. Our state bee inspector, Brooke Decker, has sent along the following recommendations for Vermont beekeepers this fall:    AFB is a reportable disease. Beekeepers should always be inspecting their colonies for brood diseases.  If beekeepers find any concerning brood, they should immediately contact the apiary program for an inspection. Do not buy bees without first asking for (and receiving) a state issued health inspection certificate. Not all states require inspection prior to sale, But Vermont requires it for colony sales in-state and for imports coming into VT from out-of-state.  Never reuse old equipment from an unknown source (yard sale, marketplace sale, etc.) or even a known source, it’s just not good practice. Just because we have not detected any AFB in VT in the past couple years, does not mean that it’s not lying dormant in some equipment somewhere. Beekeepers are the primary source of spreading AFB through equipment transfer. Be diligent!

 

Act 182 Public Hearing Preparation Session Dear VBA Members, As you know, Vermont made history last year by passing Act 182— phasing out the use of toxic neonic pesticides. VBA members played a critical role in securing this win, and once again, your voices are essential. Right now, the Agency of Agriculture is drafting the rules that will bring this law to life. These rules — focused on Best Management Practices (BMPs) for allowable uses of neonics — will determine whether Act 182 truly delivers on its promise to protect pollinators. If the rules aren’t strong, they could weaken or even undermine the law’s intent. That’s why it’s so important that the Agency hears from beekeepers. Public hearings are underway, and we want to make sure VBA members are ready to speak out. To support you, VPIRG and VBA are hosting a virtual training to help beekeepers prepare comments and make their voices count.

📅 Monday August 25th, 7:00 pm 🔗 Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83471550535?pwd=iRW58kgT1sbAaoD6P1f4RUbKf9OAyM.1

Agenda: Update on Act 182 rulemaking Overview of proposed BMPs What to expect at a public hearing Tips for making a powerful comment Together, we can make sure Vermont’s pollinator protections are as strong as they need to be. Best,  Andrew Munkres

 Tunbridge World’s Fair

September 11-14, 2025

The VBA Fair Committee is once again soliciting honey and other bee-related products to be sold at the Fair. This activity is the largest annual fund-raiser and promotional event for VBA. Last year 31,000 people were in attendance, and we won Second Prize Concession for our booth. Please support our organization by selling some of your honey and/or bee-related products at the fair.

 

Find out more on the VBA website www.vermontbeekeepers.org

 

If you have any questions contact Mary Stoddard 914-391-6441

Thank You,

Your Tunbridge Fair Committee

 The VBA encourages you to participate in the Agency of Agriculture’s Public Hearings on Best Management Practices for the Use of Neonicotinoid Treated Article Seeds and Neonicotinoid Pesticides

Dear VBA member, 

We all know that our bees are struggling. Climate change, disease, pesticides, etc. are all putting pollinators at risk. We can’t afford to stand by. Fortunately, right now, we have a real chance to help.

Last year, VBA helped to pass legislation to phase out the use of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. Now, Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture is writing the rules that will determine how the law is enforced—and they want to hear from you.

The Agency of Agriculture is in the process of drafting rules that will define the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for growers using neonicotinoid pesticides. If these rules are written too weakly, they could allow for the continued widespread use of neonics—putting the health of our pollinators at serious risk.

That’s why your voice is so important.

Over the next few weeks, there are several opportunities to speak at or attend public hearings. Your firsthand experience—and your vision for a more pollinator-friendly future—can help inform the Agency’s decisions and make clear just how much is at stake.

Public Hearing Opportunities

August 12, 2025     5:00 – 7:00 PM     Location: Virtual Only

August 14, 2025     5:00 – 7:00 PM

Location: Bixby Memorial Free Library (2 Main St, Vergennes, VT  05491)

August 2025     5:00 – 7:00 PM

Location: Poulin Grain (3916 US-5, Derby, VT 05829)

August 27, 2025     4:30 – 6:30 PM

Location: St. Albans Free Library (1 Maiden Ln, St Albans City, 05471)

September 3, 2025     5:00 – 7:00 PM

Location:  Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main St, Brattleboro, 05301)

If you’re able to commit to speaking at a hearing, please send us an email and we will outline some of the requirements when speaking at a public hearing.

The full schedule and virtual attendance options can be found here.

If you’re unable to make one of the hearings - send a quick comment urging the Agency to adopt strong rules that protect pollinators and support farmers in transitioning to safer, more sustainable practices. 

Comments should be submitted via email to PHARMRules@vermont.gov

 Women in Beekeeping Workshop Kickoff!

In-field Varroa Monitoring and Hive Tool Hygiene with the Vermont Bee Lab

UVM Horticultural Research Farm

65 Green Mountain Dr.             South Burlington, VT

Saturday, August 16                        3:00–5:30 PM

Join us for the very first Vermont Women in Beekeeping workshop at the beautiful UVM Horticultural Research Farm! This hands-on session is all about getting up close and personal with one of the biggest challenges in beekeeping today—Varroa mites.

We'll gather at one of the Bee Lab’s research apiaries to learn how to monitor for Varroa using the alcohol wash method and make informed Varroa management decisions. Additionally, we will learn about proper hive tool hygiene to reduce the risk of disease spread in your apiaries.

Whether you're a new beekeeper or have years under your veil, this is a great opportunity to build skills, connect with other beekeepers, and have some fun in the field. Kids are welcome with a bee suit, and all genders are warmly invited to attend.

Stick around after the workshop for light refreshments and informal networking—because good company is just as important as good beekeeping.

Class is limited to 30 people. Check the VBA website for full details.

 VBA Summer Meeting Thanks

The Bennington County Beekeepers Corp would like to thank everyone who participated in the State Beekeepers Conference held July 20, here in Bennington.   The event was a great success.  From the folks who were registering people in, VBA support team, the vendors, the speakers, our local team, and the Mt Anthony High School man who held us all together, and of course, the folks who came.  We truly appreciate you all.  We are hoping that you learned something new or was reminded of something that will help with your beekeeping.  If you are new to the idea of beekeeping, we hope that you found the information useful.  

If you have any praise-worthy comments, thoughts or concerns, please let us know. 

You can email us at:

Frenchmansgarden@gmail.com

 Bee Yard Visit POSTPONED until Saturday, June 21 at 5 pm

Unfortunately, the June 14th visit to John & Melany Letourneau's bee yard had to be be postponed, due to cold weather. The new date and time will be next Saturday, June 21, at 5 pm. The same logistical information applies: attendees can park at the Apple Barn on Route 7; the yard is in the field down the hill from the parking lot. Please bring yourself, any interested friends, and your gloves and protective clothing (remember: it's good bio-security practice, as well as a friendly gesture, to wash your gloves & suit in unscented detergent the day before visiting someone else's bee yard, as keeping clothes clean reduces the risk of spreading pathogens between yards). Please do not bring your own hive tools, smokers, or other equipment in order to further reduce the risk of pathogen spread.

This delay does not affect our Club's planning meeting on June 26, starting at 6:30 pm at the Bennington Free Library, in advance of the upcoming Vermont Beekeepers' Association Summer Meeting on July 19 here in Bennington. Please see our previous message for details on the planning meeting.

Please stay tuned for further news from us, and we hope to see you at the bee yard visit and the planning meeting.