INVITATION TO UTBA MEETING
Time: April 2, 2024
6:30PM – 8:30PM

All of our meetings are Hybrid!  They are held on the first Tuesday of each month
In person at the Stop at Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Toronto, ON
Zoom invitations are sent out in the week before the meeting by email.


Topics
  The Beekeeping Calendar with Marion Whittam:
1. Tips to diagnose a hive loss if you have one.
2. A reminder about the importance of monitoring varroa mite levels regularly throughout the season and treat as necessary
3. Brief summary of the following hive diseases with references to OMAFRA website and the Ontario Beekeeper's Association document Diseases and Pests of the Hove
Varroa Mites
American Foul Brood
European Foulbrood
Chalkbrood
Nozema

  Measuring honey bee colony mite and disease resistance - Kaira Wagoner, PhD
Kaira Wagoner, PhD, is the co-inventor of the UBeeO TM  Assay, a pheromone-based tool
for measuring honey bee colony mite and disease resistance. UBeeO TM tests a colony’s
ability to detect and remove unhealthy brood from the hive, a heritable trait known as
hygienic behavior. Research indicates that colonies with higher UBeeO TM scores have
fewer mites, higher survival, and lower virus, Nosema, and chalkbrood loads. In 2023,
Dr. Wagoner was recognized in Copenhagen, Denmark as a finalist for the BII & AAAS
Science Prize for Innovation for her work with UBeeO TM . Dr. Wagoner currently serves
as CEO of Optera, a honey bee health company based in Greensboro, North Carolina,
which manufactures UBeeO TM . She also works with pollinators in her role as a Research
Scientist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Dr. Wagoner’s
doctoral research at UNCG focused on honey bee chemical communication and
hygienic behavior, which led to the development of UBeeO TM . When not in the lab or
apiary, Dr. Wagoner enjoys traveling, playing games, and spending time in the great
outdoors with her husband and three nature-loving boys.