The Varroa destructor mite continues to be the biggest driver of colony losses. It’s easy to think that you don’t have varroa, as 70% to 80% of the mites are hidden beneath wax capping in the brood nest. Hidden out of sight, the varroa feed on developing bees when they are most vulnerable. To combat this beekeeper enemy #1, it is important that you understand as much as possible about them.

Dr. Kirstin Traynor (see more about her below), of Flickerwood Apiary in Maryland, is an avid beekeeper, scientist and author. In her presentation, Varroa Biology, Control and Virus Transmission, she will show detailed photos of varroa, highlight how varroa spread viruses, and how your colony can pick up mites from the neighborhood. To help stay on top of varroa, she will describe simple methods of monitoring varroa levels and how to control escalating infestations.

Additionally association members and seasoned beekeepers Dr. Vincent Aloyo and Mark Antunes will demonstrate how they make up nucs and splits.

More about Dr. Kirsten Traynor:

Fascinated with the social complexity of a honey bee hive, Kirsten earned her PhD in biology from Arizona State University. While a grad student, she spent almost a year in Avignon, France in the lab of Dr. Yves Le Conte as a Fulbright Fellow. She then investigated how pesticides impact honey bee health as a post doc at the University of Maryland in the lab of Dr. VanEngelsdorp. From 2015-2017 she edited Bee World, published by the International Bee Research Association. She edited American Bee Journal, a monthly magazine published since 1861 that is devoted to educating beekeepers. She recently has been a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin, Germany.