Thursday, November 20th, 2025 at 6:30PM – 8:30PM (EST)
This is a free event with donations optional. All proceeds go toward beekeeper education, future speaker events, and further development and outreach efforts of the SBGMI.
Join us for a free webinar with commercial beekeeper Bob Binnie as he discusses what he learned from evaluating multiple queen lines including crosses that averaged under one mite per wash and how those results are reshaping his management strategy. Rather than chasing one “magic trait,” Bob is adopting a mechanism-blind approach: washing every colony, identifying the 1–2% that consistently hold mites down, grafting from those standouts, and pairing them with strong drone sources in isolated yards to protect the genetics. He’ll share how investing labor into whole-apiary mite checks pays back by steadily lowering treatment needs, improving stock quality, and building durable lines that perform in the real world not just in theory.
This webinar will benefit beekeepers who want a practical, scalable path toward integrating mite resistance into day-to-day operations without compromising productivity or temperament. Register now to attend live and receive the recording.
Bob Binnie, along with his wife, Suzette, owns and operates Blue Ridge Honey Co. in Lakemont, Georgia and is currently operating approx. 2000 colonies of bees along with a sizable honey packing operation. Beginning his commercial beekeeping career in Oregon in 1981, Bob moved to Georgia in 1991 and has been president of several beekeeping associations including the Georgia Beekeepers Association. Voted Beekeeper of the Year in 2003, Bob is a frequent speaker at both local and national beekeeping organizations.