Lower Eastern Shore Beekeepers Association

09/08/2026

🐝🍯 THIS MONTH’S LESBA MEETING — LET’S TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE IN THE HIVE! 🍯🐝

Tolerance vs. Resistance… What’s the difference, and why does it matter to your bees?

Join the Lower Eastern Shore Beekeepers Association this Month's meeting Wednesday September 9th for an important and thought-provoking discussion:

🎓 **“The Difference Between Tolerance and Resistance — and How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Darwinian Beekeeping”**

What happens when we select bees that *tolerate* a problem versus bees that are actually *resistant* to it? And how can our management decisions unintentionally create problems in the hive?

This presentation will take a closer look at **Darwinian beekeeping**, natural selection, colony survival, and the fine line between allowing bees to adapt and simply allowing problems to persist.

Whether you’re a brand-new beekeeper, a seasoned apiarist, or simply fascinated by honey bees, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

Come learn, ask questions, share experiences, and continue building a stronger beekeeping community here on the Eastern Shore.

📅 **September Meeting**
Wednesday Sept 9th 2026
Doors open 630pm - meeting starts at 645pm
🐝 **Lower Eastern Shore Beekeepers Association at the Wicomico County Extension Office Salisbury Maryland Old Quantico road
📍 Come join us and bring your questions! Free to attend! Encouraged to join and support our nonprofit!

**Let’s talk bees, genetics, management—and what it really means to build resilient colonies.**

Bring a fellow beekeeper. Bring a question. Bring your curiosity.

See you at the meeting! 🐝

08/12/2026

GUEST SPEAKER TONIGHT! 🐝 Free for all bee enthusiasts to attend!

We’re excited to welcome Matt Gagle as our guest speaker tonight!

📣 Calling all teachers and educators! You will NOT want to miss this meeting! Matt will be sharing his knowledge and experience, and it’s sure to be an informative and engaging evening.

🐝 Matt will also be bringing a limited selection of products for sale at tonight’s meeting, so be sure to come early and check them out!

We can’t wait to see everyone tonight 630pm meeting begins at 645pm at the Wicomico County Extension Office on Old Quantico Road in Salisbury! Happy keeping! 🍯🐝

Matthew Gagle (Matt Gagle) is a Maryland-based beekeeper, maker, and educational beekeeping tool designer who runs Aperture Apiary. He is active in the local beekeeping community as the Carroll County representative for the Maryland State Beekeepers Association and has won awards for his innovative hive-monitoring and pest-management gadgets.

Aperture Apiary: Matt's creative outlet where he designs, photographs, and builds unique educational tools and gear for beekeepers.

Award-Winning Designs: He won first place in the Beekeeping Gadgets category at the Maryland State Beekeeping Association honey show for an integrated pest management teaching tool.

Community Leadership: He serves on the executive board for the Maryland State Beekeepers Association representing Carroll County and works professionally as a director of programs for Montgomery History.

08/03/2026

Fantastic Maryland representation at the Eastern Apicultural Society meeting held in Kentucky this year! Looking forward to next year in Ohio!

08/02/2026

Everyone be on the look out!

State agriculture officials are warning about an invasive species that poses a growing threat to honeybees, honey production and crop pollination.

08/02/2026

https://www.lowershorelandtrust.org/post/honey-we-need-to-talk

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I'm a beekeeper. It’s a simple title for a job that is often anything but simple. Most people immediately picture a jar of honey, a bee suit, and maybe someone running away from a cloud of angry bees—but the reality is far more fascinating and rewarding....

08/02/2026

Congratulations Thomas Babcock for your award winning entries at EAS Kentucky this past week! We are lucky to have you in our orbit.

07/15/2026

🐝 Summer heat can be tough on bee colonies. A July 25 UMES workshop will teach hive inspections, mite checks and winter prep. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, [email protected].

07/15/2026

🍯 **Amazing speakers, incredible vendors, hands-on learning, and so much more!**

We can't wait for this fall's **2026 VSBA Fall Conference** on **October 16–17** at **Germanna Community College in Culpeper, Virginia**. Join beekeepers from across the Commonwealth for two days of education, inspiration, networking, and fun.

Whether you're just getting started or have years of experience, this is an incredible opportunity to **connect, learn, and grow** with Virginia's beekeeping community. We can't wait to see you there!

07/15/2026

Whats everyone seeing in their apiaries?

With the heat coming back strong, don't be surprised to see those beards return over the next few days!

Stay cool everyone!