VIN EXOT106-0220: Honey Bees – Splits and Swarms

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

Enrollment is closed.
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath, PhD, MPH
Course Open: February 20-March 8, 2020
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Thursday, February 27, 2020; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to veterinarians and veterinary support staff interested in the management of honey bee splits and swarms.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians and veterinary support staff. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 22-38538)

Course Information:
Many beekeepers lose their bees to swarming because they are not ready for swarm season, or do not practice proper management at this time. In this session, participants will learn about swarm biology, including recognizing cues for swarming. We will discuss basic swarm management techniques, with a focus on splits.

Week 1 (Real Time Session February 27,2020): Splits and Swarms
Presenter: Meghan Milbrath, PhD, MPH
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Describe the actions of the colony preceding a swarm
  • Explain the environmental cues that drive swarm behavior
  • Identify visual clues that indicate the need for swarm management
  • Appraise different types of measures for swarm control
  • Describe the steps for basic colony splits
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:
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: 2

Tuition: Member $46 ($41 early bird special if enrolled by February 6, 2020)
Non-Member $110 ($99 early bird special if enrolled by February 6, 2020)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*Enroll in 2 or more Honey Bee courses on the same day and receive a 15% discount.
  • EXOT101-0120: Honey Bees - Veterinary Medicine
  • EXOT105-0120: Honey Bees - Hive Management in Northern Climates
  • EXOT106-0220: Honey Bees - Splits and Swarms
  • EXOT104-0320: Honey Bees - Queen Biology
  • EXOT107-0420: Honey Bees - Managing Bacterial Disease
  • EXOT108-0720: Honey Bees - Managing Varroa Mites
*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on February 27, 2020 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.
Enrollment is closed.

"This program (22-38538) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 2 CE Credits, with a maximum of 2 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Medical, 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