Beekeepers Plan Program

WESTON — The Back Yard Beekeepers’ Association is hosting a presentation by Paula Macedo on mite detection in honeybees. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, March 27, at 7:30 pm in the Community Room of Norfield Church in Weston. It is open to the public.

Paula Marcedo is a graduate student in entomology at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and has a degree in veterinary medicine. In June 1999 she began research, investigating the mechanism of fluvalinate resistance on Varroa mites.

In addition to that research she works in the area of the practical aspects of beekeeping. She devised what is now known as the “powered sugar” method of capturing Varroa mites without damage to honey bees. This technique is particularly useful to the hobbyist beekeeper. Her method enables beekeepers to assess the degree of infestation of a colony and still return the bees to the colony unharmed.

The Back Yard Beekeepers’ Association is a Fairfield County-based club of hobbyist beekeepers.

Prior to the presentation, there will be a meeting at 6:30 pm covering the basics of beekeeping.