New Queen Breeders to Work on Honey Bee Genetics

By   July 5, 2018

Mountain State Queens and Purdue’s CARE Grant trained and promoted new Queen Breeders in their second training event for 2018. At a time when poor queen quality has been a top concern nationwide, training of new breeders to improve honey bee genetics may be key to survival of future colonies of honey bees.

Having already jump started the season in March with an Advanced Class, the need became apparent for a second training for new queen producers wanting to learn the techniques.

The Dan O’Hanlon School of Instrumental Insemination hosted nine (9) new queen breeders for a class on June 25-27, 2018 at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, West Virginia.  The students enrolled came from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Hiawaii, Alabama, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The Cedar Lakes campus not only provided a rural setting for the students and honey bees, but lodging at the same building, Holt Lodge, where the training occurred.

Instructors for the class were Dorothey Morgan of Kentucky and Zelma Boggess of West Virginia.  After days spent in intense training, they inseminated queens and received certification. Judge Dan O’Hanlon, the founding President of the West Virginia Queen Producers Cooperative, founding member of the Heartland Honey Bee Breeders Cooperative and Honey Bee Queen Breeder presented each graduating class members with a Certificate, and Dorothey Morgan presented them with Certification Cards.  The students took home their inseminated breeder stock and all of the necessary supplies to continue their progress during this season.

Photos attached include those taken during the class and at the closing ceremony for certification.

Mountain State Queens kick starts the 2018 season with Advanced Instrumental Insemination

By   March 5, 2018

Mountain State Queens kick starts the 2018 season
with Advanced Instrumental Insemination

 

What can a small band of citizen scientists do to save the honey bees?  Through the efforts of retired Judge Dan O’Hanlon in West Virginia, a small band set out on a mission in 2008 to improve the survival rate of honey bee queens and drones and distribute the improved genetics. At the same time, other states were realizing the importance of local genetics and traits of honey bees that survived the varroa mite and the viruses they transmit.  

R1 Judge Dan O’Hanlon, founding President of Huntington, WV; Instructor, Garrett Dodds, USDA Biological Science Technician of Baton Rouge, LA; Bernard Svidergol, PA; Charles Walter, Shepherdstown, WV. R2 Dorothey Morgan, KY; Zelma Boggess, Ripley, WV; David Tackett, Milton, WV; Jamie Walters, OH; Steve May, St. Albans, WV; Joe Kovaleski, OH; Jason Bragg, Tioga, WV; Gabe Blatt, Huntington, WV

 

A high point event just occurred in Huntington, West Virginia the weekend of March 16-18th toward efforts to save the honey bees for the future of our food supply.  A group of citizen scientists from West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky gathered to learn improved honey bee queen breeding techniques through advanced skills in instrumental insemination.  

Mountain State Queens, aka West Virginia Queen Producers Cooperative, sponsored the Advanced Instrumental Insemination Training by bringing in Biological Science Technician, Garrett Dodds, from the USDA Bee Lab at Baton Rouge.  Garrett Dodds, an Ohio native son, shared current information about breeding programs and the ongoing work of the USDA ARS Bee Lab at Baton Rouge. He observed and assisted the attending queen inseminators with their skills and techniques to practice in their ongoing small farm operations.

Bernard Svidergol of Yellow Bear Apiaries, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania inseminating queen honey bees

Participant, Jason Bragg of Tioga, WV and owner of “New River Honey Bees” farming operation commented, “I was very excited to have completed the Advanced II training from the WVQP this past weekend!  Our instructor, Garrett Dodds (USDA ARS), did a wonderful job in our Advanced II class!  I learned lots of new concepts, a BUNCH more about the USDA VSH and Pol-line strains of Honey Bees, and lots more that will be very valuable to my breeding program.”  

Zelma Boggess of Ripley, WV and Jason Bragg of Tioga, WV

The class was held for those had trained and experience but wanted to advance their skills and to develop their own local farm systems for breeding to maintain desired traits in honey bee stock.  These inseminators were actively breeding honey bee stock on a small and regional scale compared to the large commercial operations. The goal was to equip them to apply the new knowledge in their local operations.  

Bernie Svidergol of Yellow Bear Apiaries in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania commented, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Advanced II class that Garrett Dodds presented.  You folks have a very special organization in the WVQP. Garrett was a fantastic instructor, the material he showed was great, I enjoyed every minute.  The fellow beekeepers attending the gathering were outstanding.  It felt like I was a member of a very special family.”       

Discussing the Combination System of Breeding Garrett Dodds, Biological Science Technician, USDA ARS, Baton Rouge, LA

Charles Walter of Shepherdstown commented, “Excellent instruction, as well as an excellent facility conducive to learning. Kudos to the organizing committee and all of those who had active participation in making this top notch event come to fruition. This was absolutely top of the line.”

A few US universities are working toward improved honey bee genetics.  Among them, Purdue University’s Dr. Greg Hunt Bee Lab, has supported Judge O’Hanlon’s efforts to distribute genetics with controlled instrumental insemination through the formation of the Heartland Honey Bee Breeders Cooperative.  Judge O’Hanlon worked with breeders from other states to make this group a reality. Since formation, Dr. Greg J. Hunt, professor emeritus of Purdue University, continues to collaborate with state queen breeder groups through its annual Heartland Honey Bee Breeders Insemination Fest during June annually.  This enables state queen groups to distribute hygienic and mite fighting trait genetics to member queen breeders’ stock then on through naturally mated queens to each state’s local beekeepers.

Judge Dan O’Hanlon, Huntington, WV; Dorothey Morgan, Nancy, KY; Garrett Dodds, Biological Science Technician, Baton Rouge, LA, Instructor for the Advanced Training

Dorothey Morgan of Lavender Lane Farms, Nancy, Kentucky, attended last weekend’s training and commented, “This was a great experience. The West Virginia folks were friendly and caring. Garett Dodds gave an excellent workshop. I am very pleased that I attended.” Dorothey is President of the Kentucky Queen Breeders, Treasurer of the Heartland Honey Bee Breeders, and will be assisting with the Insemination Fest at the Purdue University Dr. Greg Hunt Bee Lab this summer. She will also be assisting Krispn Given at his insemination workshop in September at Purdue Bee Lab.

Zelma Boggess of Ripley, WV inseminating queen honey bees

The trainer for the Advanced II event in Huntington, Garrett Dodds, observed and advised these citizen scientists on ways to improve their insemination techniques.  Garrett started his career at Ohio State under the mentorship of Sue Cobey and has advanced as a scientist at the USDA Bee Lab. He now works with Dr. Robert G. Danka, of the Harbo, Harris and Danka famed team from previous USDA research.

The main research of the USDA ARS Bee Lab must focus on the large commercial pollination operations that migrate throughout the US for our food crops.  The smaller state and regional queen breeders such as the West Virginia Queen Producers and Heartland Honey Bee Breeders will provide a valuable niche for genetics and breeding on the local level to supply good genetics to the small farm and urban beekeepers.  Innovators, such as Judge O’Hanlon, have been at the forefront of this movement.

Garrett Dodds adjusts microscope for Joe Kovaleski of Steubenville, OH

Through his many efforts, Judge O’Hanlon hopes to fill the research gap between big commercial operations and farmers of small and medium scale operations.  

Judge O’Hanlon continues to collaborate and speak at organized honey bee regional and national events throughout the United States.  Dan and his wife, Dr. Kathleen O’Hanlon continue their own farm operation, New Wind Rising Farm. He works with many foundations and organizations focused on honey bees and agriculture.  His more recent venture is collaboration with the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective located in Southern West Virginia.

Garrett Dodds, Instructor, covering the Population Breeding System

This summer, June 25-28th, the “Dan O’Hanlon School of Instrumental Insemination” will be held at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center, at Ripley, West Virginia, announced Steve May, current president of the West Virginia Queen Producers Cooperative.

This new planned event will focus on teaching controlled instrumental insemination for more honey bee queen producers at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture training facility, Cedar Lakes Conference Center.  

Charles Walter of Walters Wholesome Goods, Shepherdstown, WV adjusting equipment

The March 16-18 Advanced Instrumental Insemination Training was coordinated by Zelma Boggess, owner of ZZnature LLC, Ripley; Gabriel Blatt of Blatts Bee Farm in      Huntington; and G. Steve May of BF May Honey Farm, St. Albans. They are also contacts for the planned Dan O’Hanlon School of Instrumental Insemination to be held in June.  All are West Virginia small farm operators and charter members of the West Virginia Queen Producers Cooperative.

David Tackett of Milton, WV setting up his Harbo Syringe

Judge Dan O’Hanlon, Jamie Walters of Ohio receiving Certificate and Certified Inseminator Card; Garrett Dodds, Biological Science Technician, USDA ARS

Dan O’Hanlon, Zelma Boggess with certificate, Garrett Dodds, Instructor

Founding President Dan O’Hanlon Thanking Instructor, Garrett Dodds

Dan O’Hanlon, Jason Bragg receiving Certificate, Garrett Dodds, Instructor