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North Carolina Master Beekeeper Program

North Carolina State Beekeepers Associaton

Program Area: Applied Insect Ecology and Pest Management (Apiculture)

EXTENSION (50%)

Director of the North Carolina Master Beekeeper Program, the oldest continuous program of is kind     in the country. As part of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association, the purpose of the MBP     is to provide training to beekeepers so that they may ascend through increasing levels of expertise in     apiculture. The program also extends the knowledge of its members to other beekeepers in the     general public through various outreach programs.

Coordinator of beekeeping workshops in Basic Beekeeping, Queen Rearing, and Bee Breeding.

Webmaster of an internet-based apiculture site, devoted to the dissemination of information and     knowledge pertaining to honey bees and bee management.

RESEARCH (30%)

My current research interests are to determine the relationship between disease and the genetic diversity of colonies as a consequence of their mating system. Specific pests of interest are American foulbrood, parasitic mites (Varroa and tracheal mites) and chalkbrood. A better understanding of these interactions will potentially help beekeepers by controlling the prevalence of parasites and pathogens within and among commercial colonies.

Other research interests include:

• Queen rearing and instrumental insemination.
• Mating behavior and reproductive success of queen bees
• Regulation of pollen foraging
• Competition and lethal fighting among virgin honey bee queens
• Understanding the genetic structure of social insect colonies using PCR-based molecular techniques particularly microsatellites
• Behavioral ecology and evolution of social insects.

Teaching (20%)

ENT 203 An Introduction to the Honey Bee and Beekeeping [webpage]
Introduction to honey bee biology and a fundamental understanding of beekeeping management including crop pollination by bees. Examination of the relationships between honey bees and humans from prehistoric through modern times and the behavior andsocial system of one of the animal world's most complex and highly organized non-human societies.
Course Offerings: Fall semester. Enrollment: 180 students.

ENT 401/501 Advanced Beekeeping [webpage]
Preq: ENT 203
A hands-on course in honey bee management including bee pollination of selected crops based on an understanding of bee biology, bee behavior, bee pathology, and bee botany.
Course Offerings: Spring semester, odd years. Enrollment: 15 students.

ENT 601/801E Social Behavior of Insects [webpage]
Graduate-level discussion of eusocial insects and other social groups.
Course Offerings: Spring semester every third year.

Publications
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