Kelley’s 2013 Field Day, An Overview
By Camilla Bee, Editor
Over 30% of the managed hives didn’t make it through the winter of 2012-13. That’s one out of every three.
Is that substantial loss rate the “new normal,” or just a reflection of an awful year? And what do we do about it? Dr. Dewey Caron, keynote speaker at Kelley’s Field Day on June 1, addressed that topic in the opening presentation. We’ll be covering more of this industry expert’s insights in future issues, but wanted to share a key point Dr. Caron made about the losses.
“Talk with other beekeepers,” Caron urged strongly. “Find out what they did, and why; what worked for them, and didn’t. Communicate with each other so we can find ways of reducing these losses.”
“Communicating” was a guiding, underlying principle of 2013’s Field Day, which brought experts from all facets of beekeeping together to educate, share, and collaborate. If you were one of the 400+ friends of bees from all over the US who attended, once your head stopped swarming with all the knowledge you gained, and your shoes dried out from the drenched grass and occasional showers, you were likely delighted to be part of the swarm, sharing in the knowledge, fun, and camaraderie.
In future issues we’ll be overviewing more of 2013’s Field Day events, and featuring some of the knowledge shared that day.
Until then, pictures are worth thousands of words. Here are some reflecting the fun and informative day.
We hope to see you next year!