February Membership Meeting

February 21, 2021 at 6:45

Guest Speaker: Jerry Hayes - Nosema

Jerry Hayes started out in life as a High School teacher. He hated it. He went into another business where he worked with a beekeeper. Back many years ago Jerry knew about Honey Bees but nobody actually knew a ‘Beekeeper’, did they? Jerry asked him questions, picked his brain, became more interested and fascinated and started reading everything he could get his hands on about Honey Bees. He turned into the consummate backyard beekeeper. He did all the fun and crazy things backyard beekeepers do and built and experimented with. He wondered if he could get into the Beekeeping world and support a young family. So, with the support of his family he went back to school under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Tew, at Ohio State University. “Best thing he ever did”, Jerry said.

Years later he looks back on his opportunities as a Research Technician at the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab, Dadant and Sons Regional Mgr., Dadant And Sons New Product Dev., and AR Mgr., Chief of the Apiary Section for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Monsanto Honey Bee Lead, VP. of Vita Bee health North America and now Editor of Bee Culture magazine with awe ands amazement.