VIN EXOT101-0219: Bees and Veterinary Medicine 2019

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

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Presenter: Meghan Milbrath, PhD, MPH
Course Open: February 27-April 6, 2019
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2019; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

This basic course will be open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists actively interested in the role of veterinary practitioners, both veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists, in the supportive medical treatment of bees and bee colonies.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 22-31336)

Course Information:
This course is designed to provide veterinarians with basic information on honey bee health. We will cover basic honey bee biology, honey bee diseases, and how to manage and treat for mites. We will focus on the needs to keep bees in good health, how to recognize a healthy colony, how to identify common diseases and issues in the hive, and what treatments are necessary to bring a colony back to health. No previous beekeeping experience is necessary.

Week 1 (Real Time Session March 6, 2019): Bee Anatomy and Beekeepers
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath
Format: Audio (webinar)
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • describe honey bee anatomy.
  • identify key features of an individual honey bee.
  • understand basic guidelines for working with beekeepers.
Week 2 (Real Time Session March 13, 2019): Hive Handling and Colony Biology
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath
Format: Audio (webinar)
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • describe proper safety precautions for working with honey bees.
  • identify common hive types and beekeeping equipment.
  • discuss the key basics about hive hygiene.
  • understand guidelines for working with honey bees.
  • understand the biology of the colony super organism.
  • describe the different castes in the colony and their roles.
Week 3 (Real Time Session March 20, 2019): Diagnosing Honey Bee Diseases
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath
Format: Audio (webinar)
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • list the major diseases of honey bees.
  • identify signs of diseased adult bees.
  • identify healthy brood.
  • identify visual signs of brood disease.
  • list the field tests for diagnosis.
  • describe treatment options for disease.
Week 4 (Real Time Session March 27, 2019): Varroa Mites
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath
Format: Audio (webinar)
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the biology of Varroa destructor.
  • explain multiple methods of monitoring for the varroa mite.
  • understand basic principles of Integrated Pest Management.
  • diagnose Parasitic Mite Syndrome.
  • understand varroa population dynamics.
  • identify methods for varroa mite control.
  • diagnose a colony that has died from varroa mite associated disease.
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presenter(s):
Meghan Milbrath has been keeping bees for over 20 years. She runs a beekeeping business in Munith, Michigan, where she keeps over 200 colonies and breeds queen bees. Dr. Milbrath works as an academic specialist at Michigan State University where she specializes in pollinator research and extension. Her academic focus is on transmission dynamics of environmentally acquired infectious diseases.

Total CE Credit: 8

Tuition: Member $184 ($166 early bird special if enrolled by January 31, 2018)
Non-Member $292 ($263 early bird special if enrolled by January 31, 2018)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on March 6, 2019 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
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"This program (22-31336) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 8 CE Credits, with a maximum of 8 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Scientific, using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357