This month we will be hearing from master beekeeper Ron Stillwell on robbing behavior in honeybees. Ron manages numerous colonies in a variety of settings around suburban Henrico and Richmond City which make up Twin Oaks Apiary. He is dedicated to furthering the cause and practice of localized sustainable beekeeping, where community-based beekeepers produce quality queens and bees for themselves and others, minimizing the need for importing inferior-quality, out-of-state queens and colonies.
Ron’s interest in beekeeping piqued many years ago when traveling through Bavaria, Germany, sampling regional honey and engaging in fascinating conversations with seasoned apiarists. Years later, his beekeeping journey began in earnest, when in 2013 he purchased a jar of local honey from an elderly Lakeside beekeeper. Now, as a retired health care chaplain, beekeeping is Ron’s primary vocation.