News

Texas Master Beekeeper Program Graduates First Class of Apprentice Beekeepers

April 30, 2015 by Rob Williams

The first group of Apprentice Beekeepers. Submitted photo.

BRENHAM, Texas — Sixty-eight beekeepers around the state are now getting closer to becoming Master Beekeepers as the Texas Master Beekeeper Program recently held its exam day for the Apprentice Beekeeper level at the Washington County Fairgrounds on March 27^th.

The day-long event was the first time the testing was administered in Texas. The Texas Master Beekeeper Program (TMBP) consists of 4 levels (Apprentice, Advanced, Master, and Master Craftsman). The day was divided into a review session in the morning and then a written and practical exam in the afternoon.

Texas Apiary Inspection Service Chief Apiary Inspector Mark Dykes speaking to beekeepers during the review session before the exam

Mr. Dykes, Chief Apiary Inspector and TMBP board member, said that the review session in the morning was not a replacement for the training materials that are studied beforehand.

“This review session is not designed to be the only study needed to pass the exam and is more to reinforce what the participants should have already learned,” he said.

The exam included a practical, hands-on section with the hives and other equipment where the participants are tested on their skills in bee husbandry and practical beekeeping while the written portion tested the students’ knowledge of various beekeeping topics.

Once the students pass the exam, they are required to complete five public service credits in addition to their studies before they take the next level’s exam. The credits could come from such events as hosting bee-related lectures/workshops to non-beekeeping groups, holding an office in a local beekeeping association, or assisting members of a youth organization with project work.

“The Apprentice Beekeepers act as bee ambassadors to the non-beekeeper public,” he said. This in turn becomes a force multiplier for our educational efforts.”

“The Texas Master Beekeeper Program is designed to push beekeepers to become more informed in all areas of beekeeping (i.e. biology, ecology, husbandry, etc.) Education is mostly through self-study of required and suggested materials,” he said. “We hope, as the program develops, to provide many more educational opportunities for program participants”

Dykes was very pleased with the turnout and was excited about the future of the program.

“We were very happy with the turnout of the first class,” Dykes said. “Being a new program you never know how it’s going to go but the beekeepers were very interested in the program. We had 68 people test and we currently have over 200 people on the mailing list. Good numbers for a new program I think.”

For more information about the Texas Master Beekeeper program, visit the website at http://masterbeekeeper.tamu.edu.

Students Recognized During Banquet, Parents’ Weekend Convocation

April 24, 2015 by Rob Williams

Adrienne Brundage at the podium. — Dr. Adrienne Brundage speaking. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The stormy weather did not stop families and friends from celebrating the achievements of our Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences students at the 19^th annual Undergraduate Student Recognition Banquet on Thursday, April 16.

Students were treated to a buffet style dinner and desserts as members of the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences (AFISO) and the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization (UESO) led the event. Dr. Adrienne Brundage provided a motivational talk about discovery of one’s career path based upon her life experiences and decisions, and provided sage advice to students. Drs. Kevin Heinz and Pete Teel announced the recipients of the Department’s suite of scholarships. The recipients for this year are:

Ryan Selking and Dr. Pete Teel — Ryan Selking receiving the certificate for the Burrus McDaniel Systematics Scholarship. Photo by Rob Williams

Ryan Selking – Burrus McDaniel Scholarship
Shelby Kilpatrick and Katrina Hicks – Len P. Quattrochi Memorial Scholarship
Mya Gates –Fowden G and Katherine G Maxwell Scholarships
Domingo Monjaras– Roger Gold Outstanding Faculty Scholarship
Travis Faris – Dial and Eva Martin Scholarship
Qifan Lin – Perry L. Adkisson Scholarship
Andrew Graf – Manning A. Price Memorial Scholarship
Judd Hatler and Adrianna Juarez– Paul Truman Riherd Scholarship
Andrew Evans – Dr. Roger Walker Meola Memorial Scholarship
Bryce Phelps- Honorah A. Doré Scholarship
Jeremy Arnold, Christopher Hibbert, and Riley McBroom– Department of Entomology Scholarships

Students receiving certificates — The Entomology Scholars Society members standing with Dr. Kevin Heinz and Dr. Pete Teel. From left to right: Dr. Heinz, Shelby Kilpatrick, Andrew Graf, Jakalynne Gosnell, and Dr. Teel.

Shelby Kilpatrick, Andrew Graf, Jakalynne Gosnell, and Dayvion Adams were announced as the latest cohort of the Entomology Scholars Society. These students will be enaged in a series of activities at the university, college and departmental levels assisting prospective students with campus visits, assisting new students during summer conferences with class scheduling, and by planning/conducting special programs in conjunction with departmental faculty and staff.

Dr. Micky Eubanks, right, receiving the Professor of the Year from UESO member Shelby Kilpatrick, left.

Dr. Micky Eubanks was recognized as Professor of the Year. This award is given annually to the professor that does an outstanding job at instruction to the Department’s students. Elizabeth Lem was recognized as the AFISO Member of the Year, and Shelby Kilpatrick was recognized as the UESO Member of the Year award.

The organizations recognized Chelsea Holcomb as the Most Outstanding GraduateTeaching Assistant of the Year in Forensics and Emily Boothe for the Most Outstanding GraduateTeaching Assistant of the Year for Entomology. The AFISO 2015-16 officers were announced:

Emily Grimshaw-President
Whitney West-Vice President
Stephanie Stratta – Treasurer
Denise Carlos – Secretary
Adrianna Tirloni – Activities Coordinator
Melissa Espinoza – Treasurer

The UESO 2015-16 officers were announced:

Andrew Graf – President
Ryan Selking – Vice President
Robin Callahan – Treasurer
Jakalynne Gosnell – Secretary
Catherine Collins – Historian
Shelby Kilpatrick – Outreach Coordinator
Melissa Espinoza – Webmaster

Kelsey Muniz, center, standing with Dr. Bill Dugas ,left, and Dr. Mark Hussey. Photo by College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Senior Forensic and Investigative Sciences majors Kelsey Muniz and Caitlin Otto received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Senior Merit Awards for 2015 during the Spring Awards Convocation on Saturday, April 18.

A native of Giddings, Texas, Muniz is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Forensic and Investigative Sciences major with the Law Emphasis Track. She is currently a member of the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization. As a member, she has helped with the organization’s annual bake sale fundraiser and volunteered with The Big Event in 2011. She also has been involved in several activities through her undergraduate experience, including volunteering for the Lee County Food Pantry and various functions for St. Paul Lutheran Church. In summer of 2014, she interned with the Austin Police Department as a Crime Scene Unit Intern, where she observed and assisted crime scene technicians with processing non-evidentiary items in the lab using Cyanoacrylate fuming, black powder and dye stains.

Caitlin Otto, center, standing with Dr. Bill Dugas, left, and Dr. Mark Hussey. Photo by College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Otto, a native of Houston, Texas, is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Forensic and Investigative Sciences major with the Science Emphasis Track. During her career at A&M, she was a member of the Leggett Hall Council and served as its President from 2013-2014, as well as its Treasurer and Vice President in 2012-2013. Otto has been a member of the the Residence Hall Association and the Presidents Council from 2013-2014. She has also been involved with Relay for Life and has served both as a participant and as a Team Co-Leader for three years.

First-Ever Student-Edited Electronic Journal Released

April 15, 2015 by Rob Williams

screenshot of website — A screenshot of the new Instars electronic journal that was launched recently

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Students in the Department of Entomology now have another place to showcase their research as assistant lecturer Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s Entomology 481 Science Writing course released its first-ever online journal this month.

The journal, named “Instars: A Journal of Undergraduate Research,” is an open-access journal that features a compilation of research project papers that have been done by former and current undergraduate students both in the department’s Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs.

Students served as peer editors during the planning stages last fall. Brundage said they were placed in small groups of two to three and tasked with reviewing each submission for proper content, format and grammar by using a standardized rubric for submitting papers professionally.

After the review, each group then submitted a written article analysis on each submission, basing their critiques on grammar, style and content. The article analysis was then passed onto three different groups with a final publication decision after the third review. She said that at the end of the semester, the students voted on 15 to 20 papers that were submitted to the journal as their final project.

Some of the articles in the inaugural edition featured research projects including population survey of Haematobia irritans flies on cattle, mosquito surveillance in Brazos County, ticks, and several papers on forensic entomology topics. The papers were submitted by both current and former students of ENTO 423, ENTO 208, and FIVS 435 courses.

Brundage was very pleased with the launch and is looking forward to working on the next edition.

“I’m really excited that this came together,” she said. “It shows a huge amount of work from the students, and I know that each student was very proud of what he or she contributed to this journal. I anticipate that the journal will continue to grow each semester, and I look forward to inviting submissions from any student in any of our classes.”

She also appreciated the students’ hard work and was proud of what they have accomplished during the class last semester to make the publication possible.

“The students worked very, very hard on this journal. Since it was the first issue, they had no model to follow, and had to figure out a lot of the problems themselves,” she said. “This shows how dedicated they were to this process and how much they wanted to make this product a success. I hope they are proud of their work.”

The journal can be found at https://journals.tdl.org/instars/index.php/instars

Insect Judging Clinic Helps Increase Youths’ Interest in Insects

April 7, 2015 by Rob Williams

Dr. Teel teaching — Dr. Pete Teel speaking to leaders during a concurrent session for leaders only. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –A total of 98 high school and junior high students learned the basics of entomology and insect identification during the Department of Entomology’s annual Insect Judging Clinic on March 28.

This is the fifth year that the Department has hosted the event that helps students to work on refining their insect identification skills and learn about science and about Texas A&M University.

Volunteers graded practice exams for the "Ultimate Challenge." Photo by Rob Williams — Volunteers graded practice exams for the “Ultimate Challenge.” Photo by Rob Williams

The half-day-long clinic featured various demonstrations on topics such as the basics of identifying and collecting insects and recognizing features of problem insect orders that could appear in the upcoming 4-H and FFA contests, as well as interactive breakout insect viewing stations where students could ask questions.

Dr. Pete Teel, right, talking to Christian Dieterich, center, and Tina Dieterich about entomology. Photo by Rob Williams.

Dr. Pete Teel opened the clinic and introduced himself to students during the welcoming session. He briefed them on the overview of the event’s activities and discussed with them why this clinic is important.

“This clinic is to help you compete better and learn about the insect orders, as well as to help build on your programs back home,” Teel said.

Teel also said that what the students learn from today’s clinic can also be used as a teaching tool for the younger generations that will be in future contests, as well as help them learn in science classes.

Ordom Huot helping a leader with an insect identification. Photo by Rob Williams.

“The nice thing about this clinic is that you will be able to teach and engage younger members into learning entomology,” he said. “You will then become a legacy in your group.”

Students and leaders were then divided up and sent to three concurrent sessions that included basic insect identification, pinning and collection techniques, and a leaders-only workshop on how to build reliable resources for success as an entomological team.

Students then had the choice of visiting five insect identification sessions where they could view insects in various orders with microscopes or by hand and ask the volunteers questions. The stations included the most common insects in Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, as well as the most commonly missed insect orders.

IMG_3172-smaller — Shelby Kilpatrick, left, and Derek Woller showing participants various insects that can be collected. Photo by Rob Williams

Throughout the day, students could also test their newly-learned skills during the “Ultimate Challenge” quiz and ask questions during the student panel discussion led by both the Department’s undergraduate and graduate students.

Some of the topics that were discussed included careers in entomology, a day in the life of a college student at A&M, and entomology in general.

Ph.D. student Lue Cuttiford worked with several of the students with identifying insects in the order Diptera. She loved the fact that the clinic is a great event for helping them to learn about science and entomology.

“This is great and a great opportunity to reach out to the students,” Cuttiford said.

Denton County 4-H parent Tina Dieterich also said that this was a great learning experience for all the participants, including the adult leaders.

“This is a great activity, especially for those who want to learn more about entomology,” she said. “We learned a great deal on the different ways on how to collect insects and it was a lot of fun.”

Termite School Trains Pest Management Professionals on Latest Techniques

March 26, 2015 by Rob Williams

Professor and Endowed Chair in Structural Entomology Dr. Ed Vargo teaching a class — Professor and Endowed Chair in Structural Entomology Dr. Ed Vargo leading a classroom lecture on the basics of termites

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–Twenty-one pest management professionals convened at the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Center to learn the latest termite control techniques at the Philip Hamman Termite Control Training School on March 24-26.

The three-day-long event was held to allow pest control and other professionals interested in termite control to receive the proper training in the latest techniques on how to treat and control termites in structures.

Each session included various hands-on demonstrations and classroom lectures that allow the participants to learn how to properly apply the appropriate technologies and proven methods to protect structures from being infested by termites.

Chris Keefer demonstrating equipment to crowd — Chris Keefer demonstrating various equipment pest control professionals use to treat termites.

Some of the hands-on demonstrations included conducting a walkthrough of various structures that could be encountered in termite treatment and inspections, how to properly drill through different surfaces to treat termites, and proper applications of termiticide, baiting, as well as safety precautions.

Participants also had the chance to do a hands-on inspection walkthrough using various tools and learn how to properly report their findings with the right documentation. On Thursday afternoon, participants were then given a written exam and received a certificate of completion, along with several continuing education units upon completion.

Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist Dr. Robert Puckett stressed the importance of having these trainings for the pest management industry.

“Termite treatment strategies and available termiticides are constantly evolving. Additionally, treatment strategies often involve very ‘invasive’ procedures that can be very stressful for property owners,” he said. “As a result, pest management professionals must be precise in their diagnosis of termite infestations, the identification of termite species involved, and in the implementation of control strategies. Additionally, they must operate with the safety of their clients, themselves, and non-target organisms in mind at all times.”

The trainings also allow pest management professionals the chance to see all aspects of how to properly manage termites and to ask questions if needed about changes, Puckett said. Also, the trainings satisfy the eight-hour minimum state requirements needed for termite technicians and helps people to prepare for the Texas state category exam.

“Our comprehensive training provides pest management professionals exposure to all aspects of termite management in an environment in which they are encouraged to communicate openly with instructors and colleagues,” Puckett said. “As a result, attendees build their level of competency and confidence with regards to the proper management of termite infestations.”

“Everything has been great and there are a lot of great hands on demonstrations,” said Alberto Gonzalez of Frio Pest Control and Landscaping in Leakey.

Puckett enjoyed working with the participants and said it is a great opportunity for both Extension and the Urban and Structural Entomology program.

“Teaching classes like this is one of the most satisfying components of my position with Texas AgriLife Extension and at the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility. This is an impactful course, and I know that the attendees leave with a refined knowledge of the safest and best termite management practices,” he said. “They begin to think of our laboratory and the Department of Entomology as a resource that they can depend on for information and assistance.”

Professor and Endowed Chair in Structural Entomology Dr. Ed Vargo was very pleased with this year’s turnout.

“Our first Philip J. Hamman Termite Control Training School at the new Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility was a great success,” he said. “The new facility, with its stylish conference room and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, provided a relaxed and stimulating environment for the participants to expand their knowledge and technical skills in subterranean termite management. We look forward to the next termite training school.”

For more information on the Philip Hamman Termite School, see http://termiteschool.tamu.edu