RD198 - Report on the Progress Toward The Recommendations of the Study of the Plight of Virginia’s Beekeepers


Executive Summary:
Funds provided by the General Assembly to Virginia Tech through Cooperative Extension have been used to initiate implementation of the recommendations contained in the Study of the Plight of Virginia Beekeepers (Virginia Senate Document Number 20). Four initiatives were identified in the document and recommended for funding; the development of a pest management program for colony management, the development of a queen breeding program, the development of an Africanized honey bee response program, and the development of a pollination program. This report describes the progress made in each of the four areas during the first year. Program development and implementation has been a collaborative effort of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University/Virginia Cooperative Extension (VT) and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).