Anderson continues biotechnology, life sciences seminar series

Troy Anderson
Troy Anderson

"Honey Bee Health Risks of Acaricide Exposures: A Rationale for Alternative Chemistries for Varroa Mite Management," will be presented by Troy Anderson of Virginia Tech at 4 p.m., Oct. 29 in E103 Beadle Center. The seminar is free and open to the public.

Bee decline is a nationally recognized problem, demanding attention from both the apiculture and agriculture industries. The varroa mite is a major pest of managed bee colonies and is considered to be a primary driver for the periodical losses of bee colonies in the U.S. The varroa mite requires bees for food and reproduction and, in turn, elicits physiological deficiencies and vectors infectious diseases that compromise the health status of bee colonies. If varroa mite infestations are not effectively controlled, the number of bee colonies available for crop pollination services in the apiculture and agriculture industries will continue to decline.

The apiculture industry has become reliant on standard acaricides for varroa mite management and often without regard to infestation levels. The excessive use of standard acaricides is implicated in the reduced number of bee colonies available for crop pollination services in Virginia. There are several gaps in our knowledge with respect to these acaricide exposures and the health status of bee colonies. In this seminar, Anderson will summarize his research findings related to the nutrition and immune health of bee colonies and the risk of standard acaricides exposures to these colonies in Virginia. These data are being used to not only address knowledge gaps with regard to the conditions that are either favorable or unfavorable for the health of bee colonies exposed to standard acaricides, but are assisting our efforts for the target-site discovery of resistance-breaking acaricides for varroa mite management.

The Beadle Center is located at 1901 Vine Street. The complete schedule of seminars may be found at http://biotech.unl.edu/.