Susan Cobey's Specialized Bee Classes Filled this Spring, But She's Offering Summer Classes in Washington State
Dec. 23, 2011
Susan Cobey at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
DAVIS--Susan Cobey’s spring classes at the University of California, Davis, on specialized honey bee classes to promote stock improvement are all filled, but more are being offered in Washington state.
Cobey, bee breeder-geneticist at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis and at Washington State University, draws students from all over the world to her workshops.
“We also will be offering these classes in the summer in Washington state, so those interested in registering can apply,” Cobey said.
More information on the workshops she teaches, including “The Art of Queen Rearing,” “Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding” and “Advanced Workshop on Instrumental Insemination” is available on the UC Davis Department of Entomology website.
Susan Cobey joined UC Davis in May 2007. Her research focuses on identifying, selecting and enhancing honey bee stocks that show increasing levels of resistance to pests and diseases. Cobey developed the New World Carniolan stock, a dark, winter hardy race of honey bees, in the early 1980s by back-crossing stocks collected from throughout the United States and Canada to create a more pure strain. Stock imported from the German Carnica Association has recently been added to enhance this breeding program.
In collaborations with Steve Sheppard of WSU, they are importing honey bee germplasm to increase genetic diversity in the U.S. honey bee gene pool. In addition, stock from the Republic of Georgia has been imported to re-establish the subspecies Apis mellifera caucasica, another dark race of bee that is not currently recognizable in the U.S.
SPECIALIZED CLASSES TO PROMOTE STOCK IMPROVEMENT
Instructor: Susan Cobey
Location: Harry Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.
UC Davis classes are full for 2012. Please inquire to get on the wait list, or for information on the WSU Classes offered in June at Mt. Vernon and Pullman campuses
1. THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The workshop provides hands-on instruction in rearing high quality queens. Beekeepers will be involved in the various steps: setting up cell builders; grafting; handling queen cells; establishing mating nuclei. A queen right and a queen less system will be demonstrated.
Registration: $150. Optional Queen Tour: $50. Link to Art of Queen Rearing Workshop for application
Optional Queen Tour, Wednesday, March 28, 2012.
Class participants will visit large scale commercial queen producers during their busy season. A diversity of techniques and systems will be observed. Tour: $50.
2. INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION & BEE BREEDING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 17, 18 & 19, 2012.
The class is designed for commercial beekeepers involved in a breeding program and for researchers requiring the skill. Instruction is hands-on with individual attention, facilitated with the use of live video. Various types of insemination instruments are displayed and reviewed. Demonstration materials, virgin queens and drones are provided for the class. Practical beekeeping and queen rearing skills are required. Provision of your own instrument is required. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request.
Registration: $500. Link to Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding Workshop for application
3. ADVANCED WORKSHOP ON INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION
Wednesday and Thursday, April 25 & 26, 2012
The class is focused on perfecting insemination techniques and solving related problems in the laboratory and in the field. Experience in Instrumental Insemination is required. Demonstration materials, virgin queens and drones are provided. Provision of your own insemination equipment is required. Microscopes will be provided for use upon request.
Registration: $425. Link to Advanced Workshop on Instrumental Insemination for application
Washington State University
These classes (above) also will be offered in June through Washington State University.
Please inquire for more information. firstname.lastname@example.org
THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Friday, June 8, 2012, Mt. Vernon, Wash.
THE ART OF QUEEN REARING WORKSHOP
Friday, June 15, Pullman, Wash.
INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION & BEE BREEDING WORKSHOP
June, 2012. ( Date to be announced)
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
UC Davis Department of Entomology