Ellen Topitzhofer works for the Bee Informed Partnership, an innovative organization across the U.S. that works with commercial bee keepers to tackle some of their most pressing pest management issues.
In this episode, we discuss the unique pest issues in the Pacific Northwest, and explore the universal problem of varroa mites in bee colonies. We talk about how best to manage those pests, the relationship of the mites to the bees and pollination patterns, and more.
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“Some of the most beautiful places I’ve been to have been bee yards.” – Ellen Topitzhofer
Show Notes:
- What the Bee Informed partnership is and how it started
- How they educated commercial bee keepers
- What makes Pacific Northwest beekeeping different than other regions of the country
- An introduction to varroa mites
- How to treat for these types of mites
- What the tech transfer team does
- The logistics of sampling for mites
- Why varroa mites increase when colonies go into Pollination
- How mites move from an apiary to another
- How their research changes the way that commercial bee keepers operate
- Why some bees drift to different colonies
“We help bee keepers colonies by testing colonies, to assist commercial bee keepers in making management decisions about queen breeding, pests, and colony health. .” -Ellen Topitzhofer