Dr. Ramesh Sagili is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He obtained his PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University in 2007, specializing in honey bee research. His primary research focus at OSU is honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. His appointment also includes extension and hence he also works closely with the stakeholders. He initiated the creation of Oregon Master Beekeeper Program in 2010 and chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Pollinator Health in 2014. He has strived to establish a vibrant and dynamic honey bee research and extension program at OSU to cater the needs of beekeepers and producers. He has authored several important research and extension publications. In 2017 he received the Entomological Society of America’s Pacific Branch Research Award and also the Eastern Apicultural Society’s Outstanding Research Award.

Listen in as we talk about honey bee nutrition, what beekeepers need to know about nutrition supplements and sterols, and what Ramesh has learned about controlling varroa mites.

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“There is a lot we don’t understand about the role of sterols in the honey bee diet”. – Dr. Ramesh Sagili

Show Notes:

• How much is currently known about honey bee nutrition
• The importance of the sterols in the honey bee’s growth
• What Ramesh’s research on sterols and honey bees has shown about larval growth
• The role that protein supplement can play in the health of your hive
• How bees can get their necessary nutrients and sterols with artificial feed
• What kinds of problems varroa mites present, and Ramesh’s research into mitigating their effects
• Some of the questions surrounding varroa mites, and what we know about them
• What “mite drifting” is, and how population density plays into it

“We had low density areas and high density areas of hive and we watched how Varroa mite infestations changed over time. This allowed us to quantify the migration of mites among apiaries.  [Preliminary findings were] that mite levels almost doubled in the high density areas. It was a real eye-opener”. – Dr. Ramesh Sagili

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about Oregon State University’s Honey Bee Lab and Oregon Master Beekeeper Program
• Watch how sampling for Varroa mites is done through OSU Extension
• Find out more about Ramesh’s favorite things:
  • Ramesh’s favorite book, “Honey Bee Democracy” (Seeley, 2010)
  • Learn more about the Frame Perch
  • His favorite bee (scandalously), the elegant Bumble Bee, and learn how to rear bumble bees
• Connect with Dr. Ramesh Sagili at Oregon State University