Welcome to Bee Proactive. This website is here to help you, as a fellow bee keeper and others willing to learn, to understand how and why veterinarians belong in the world of bee keeping.
Beekeeping
In 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined honey bees to be livestock. This determination then made honey bee colony losses eligible for indemnity (government money to replace lost livestock) if the honey bees were lost due to disease or natural disaster. Under this same decree, the USDA made funds available for honey bee habitat improvement.
Having said that… Beekeeping is an amazing hobby. Please realize that there are folks who do beekeeping commercially (almond growers, for example) and make a living from it. However, the majority of beekeepers in the USA are backyard hobbyist.
I am talking about beekeeping as a hobby. Read here for some interesting honey industry facts as reported by the National Honey Board.
Read the statistics for the 2016 Honey Crop here. This report was published by Bee Culture on 24 April 2017. Bee Culture and the American Bee Journal are two of the most important magazines dedicated to honey bee keeping.
Veterinary Medicine
Antibiotic Resistance is one of the top concerns of Human medicine world wide. Follow this link to read more from the World Health Organization WHO Antibiotic Resistance Fact Sheet.
Alternatively, follow this link to the Center of Disease Control in Atlanta, GA to read more about USA antibiotic / antimicrobial resistance.
In 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture declared that Honey Bees would be considered “livestock”. Honey Bees are eligible for indemnity from the USDA.
On 1 January 2017, the Food & Drug Administration declared that all drugs, specifically antibiotics would be prescribed and used under the supervision of a veterinarian regardless of species of animal. Antibiotics put into animal feed would require a Veterinary Feed Directive. While antibiotics administered to animals via drinking water would require a written prescription.
The American Veterinary Medical Association published a press release (7 August 2017). This press release made the call for more veterinarians to become educated about honey bees and bee keeping. Remember, most bee keepers are hobbyist. These veterinarians could very easily become more involved with bee keepers who are in their own neighborhoods.
Here is an example of a veterinarian reaching out to her internet and local audience to announce herself and her services.
LINKS
Honey Bees 101 for Veterinarians – brought to you by the American Veterinary Medical Association
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm – A bee supply company
Betterbee A bee supply company run by Bee Veterinarians – They are very helpful and very knowledgeable.
Dadant – Beekeeping supplies since 1863
Blue Sky Bee Supply – A bee supply website with a virtual catalog
The Flow Hive – I am a Founding member of this crowd sourced project out of Australia
Wood’s Beekeeping Supply & Academy – This is my local bee store that I frequent.
Jones’ Apiary – Farmington, CT. Mr. Ted Jones is my mentor.
Connecticut’s Beekeepers Association – I am a member of this association
Eastern Connecticut Beekeepers Association – I am a member of this association
Hivekeepers – One of the three smartphone beehive management applications I use for my bee farm. Keeping track of your hives is important. Hivekeepers offer a 30-day free trial of the Smartphone app. If you sign up, please use “BlkHallB” in the code box. This way Simon will know that I sent you!!!
Bee Proactive 