Bee Health Diet - Pollination

Honey Production Treatment Pesticides

Alternative Pollinators and

Native Bees

Pests and Diseases of Honeybees

Viruses and other Pathogens

Speaker bios and tentative schedule

Honolulu Oct 13-15 2016

Honeybee on Ilima E.M. Villalobos

After graduating with a BSc in Biology I started working in Professor Martin’s group at the University of Sheffield, UK.,studying Deformed Wing Virus in Hawaiian honey bees as at the time Varroa was spreading across the islands and significant colony losses were being felt. I worked on this project for 3 years, the results of which were published in Science (Martin et al 2012). I also worked with the University of Hawaii Bee lab to set up their molecular laboratory to study bee viruses. In 2014 started my PhD in Prof Martin’s group (University of Salford). My thesis examines how DWV and other RNA viruses are spreading and evolving in honey bee populations and their wider insect communities, as well as investigating potential resistance/tolerance mechanisms in surviving honey bee populations to try to find ways to help our bees survive Varroa and DWV.

Laura will also speak about “ Common Honeybee Diseases” on Oct 13 at 8:45 am.

Pests and Diseases of Honeybees

Laura Brettell, Ph.D. candidate University of Salford, UK

Dr. Stephen J. Martin University of Salford, UK

Varroa Mite on Honeybee E.M. Villalobos

“A Brief History of viral Pathogens” Oct 13 - 10:30 am

“The oldest Varroa tolerant population of European Honeybees - How do they do it?” Oct 14 - 9:15 am

Stephen has been involved in unravelling the complex Varroa mite-honeybee-viral interactions that has led to the global death of millions of colonies. Over ten years ago along with colleagues at UK-Rothamstead they demonstrated that it was a viral pathogen transmitted by the mite that was the main cause of colony collapse in the UK. Although initially controversial the key role of the virus infection in colony collapse has now become widely accepted. In 2009 & 2010, funding from a NERC Urgency grant and OECD travel fellowship allowed the spread of Varroa across Hawaii to be studied. This allowed a unique time-line of viral data to be collected and has shown how the presence of Varroa is permanently changing the viral landscape; directly by causing a massive loss of viral strain diversity and a significant increase in the viral load of selected viruses within honeybees. Stephen continues to track changes in viral diversity at a much more detailed level, to highlight the key changes associated with an emerging pathogen that are occurring in Hawaii compared to that has occurred in the USA, Brazil, and UK.

Jason Wong University of Hawaii

at Manoa

Ing. Agr. Yamandu Mendoza Spina, MS.

INIA-Uruguay

Scott Nikaido University of Hawaii

at Manoa

“Banking on the Future: Brood Mapping the Next

Generation of Bees

Oct 14 - 1:10 pm

“Small Hive Beetles in Paradise”

Oct 13 - 1:10 pm

Jason Wong is a Ph.D student in the UH Honeybee Project.  Born and raised in Hawaii, he obtained his B.A. in Microbiology and M.S. in

Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at UH Manoa.  His

research is on the small hive beetle, a pest of honeybees.

Scott obtained a B.A. in Psychology (2002) and a B.A. in Zoology (2006)

from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He became an integral part of Dr. Pat

Couvillon's lab at the Bekesy Laboratory of Neurobiology where he assisted researchers in a variety of learning

experiments on honeybees.  With the arrival of the varroa mite to the islands

in 2007, Scott's laboratory duties included mite sampling and organic

management techniques to combat mite infestations at the Bekesy lab.  In 2008,

Scott joined the UH Honeybee Project as a research technician.  Currently, he is a graduate student in entomology and his

research focuses on the impacts of viruses and pathogens on honeybee

larval development. Scott will also be presenting an

introduction to Honeybees in Hawaii Oct 13 at 9:00 am

Yamandu is a researcher at INIA- Uruguay. He has been working on pest and diseases of honeybees in South America since the last 10

years. His Master’s thesis focused on the interaction between the two

types of Nosema: N. ceranae and N. apis. He is responsible for research

and outreach dealing with practical solutions that can be implemented

by beekeepers in Uruguay.

His doctorate thesis is titled “Factors associated with the differential

virulence of the ectoparasite V. destructor in Apis mellifera in Uruguay”

“Beekeeping in Uruguay”

Oct 14 - 1:50 pm

Bee Health In this section we include a diversity

of topics such as queen breeding, diet, Varroa mite treatments, hive

management strategies, agro-ecology tactics that are pollinator friendly.

Dr. Elina Lastro Niño UC Davis

Zhening Zhang

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Through her extension activities, Dr. Niño works to support beekeepers and the beekeeping industry.Her lab offers a

variety of beekeeping courses and educational opportunities for beekeepers, future beekeepers and the general public. Dr. Niño’s research interests encompass

basic and applied approaches to understanding and improving honey bee health and particularly honey bee queen

health. Ongoing research projects include understanding the synergistic

effects of pesticides on queen health and adult workers in order to improve

beekeeping management practice, as well as testing novel biopesticides for efficacy against varroa mites. If you

would like to learn more about the E. L. Niño Bee Lab you can visit http://

elninobeelab.ucdavis.edu/

Elina L. Niño is an Assistant Specialist in Cooperative Extension in Apiculture, UC ANR UCCE located in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC

Davis.

“From Queens to Varroa: What we've been up to in the E. L. Niño Bee Lab”

Oct 14- 3:35 pm

Zhening Zhang (also known as “Ning”) is from Harbin, China,

where bees hibernate under thick snow in winter. He obtained his

degree in Bee Science from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University

in 2012. He then joined the Honeybee Project in the Fall of 2013

and is now working on his PhD degree of Entomology in UHM

where he found out he is alergic to the bees. Currently he is interested in

honeybee colony dynamic change and pollination. Long time

observation on colony dynamics in Hawaii makes him the “Dear Abbie"

of these local bees. 

Ning will also talk present about “Farming with Bees” Oct 13

“The Hungry Bees and The Busy Hive”

Oct 14- 11:30 am

Honeybee collecting pollen E.M. Villalobos

Mariangela is an agronomist by training that has been working with

bees for the last few years at the CINAT institute- a center dedicated to Apiculture in Costa Rica. In her

official role, Mariangla is responsible for conducting research on all

aspects of bee health and providing outreach support to local

beekeepers. As part of CINAT Mariangela frequently conducts training for rural communities in

diverse areas of Costa Rica.

James Wilkes is a beekeeper, farmer, college professor, and entrepreneur.

He owns and operates Faith Mountain Farm, a family farm (wife

and eight children) that includes about 100 honey bee colonies, a

baking operation, cut sunflowers, pastured poultry, eggs, and produce.  His paying job is as Professor and

Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. In this role he is also the Information

Technology Lead for the Bee Informed Partnership. Lastly, James

is co-founder of Hive Tracks, an intelligent hive management

software system for beekeepers.

Bee Health

Dr. James Wilkes Appalachian State

University, NC and co-founder of Hive Tracks

“The Path to an Intelligent Hive

Management System”

Oct 13 - 11:20 am

Lic. Mariangela Ramirez Montero

CINAT Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica

“Mortality of Varroa Mite in Capped Worker Brood

Cells of Africanized Honeybees After Formic

Acid and Thymol Application”

Oct 14- 1:30 pm

Eric is the Emeritus Extension Apiculturist from the University of

California, housed in the Entomology and Nematology Department at the UC Davis campus. After receiving BS degree

in entomology in New England, he completed his MS and PhD in MN.,

while focusing on honey bee diseases. In his position as Extension Apiculturist at UC Davis, he conducted limited basic research while mainly organizing and

delivering various extension programs to beekeepers and others interested in honey

bees and crop pollination for 39 years. He published a bimonthly newsletter

beginning in1976, with issues since 1994 available on his webpage, called Bee

Briefs. He has been a member of many professional, academic and beekeeping

associations.

“Pesticices and Bees*”

Oct 13 - 3:20 pm

* Tentative Title

Dr. Eric Mussen U.C. Davis

Bee Health

Prof. Enrique Luciano Bedascarrabure INTA - Argentina

Dr. Ethel M. Villalobos

University of Hawaii at Manoa

“Latin-American Web for Innovation and

Cooperation towards the Development of

Apiculture” Oct 13 - 1:25 pm

Ethel was born and raised in Costa Rica. She obtained her Doctorate from UCLA where she worked on mating systems of bees and wasps. Her academic interests

include animal behavior, pollination, plant-animal interactions, and bee health. Ethel is

in charge of the research and outreach activities of the UH Honeybee Project. The current lab projects include examining bee

diet in a sub-tropical climate, honeybee colony dynamics, pests and diseases, and

viral spillover.

Ethel will also present a short talk on bee behavior on Oct 14- 11:10 am

“Individual Decisions - Social Outcomes”

“Hawaii’s Wintering Bees”

Oct 13- 9:40 am

Honeybee collecting pollen E.M. Villalobos

Beth Conrey President of the Colorado

Beekeepers Association

Enrique is a researcher at the National Institute of Technology in Argentina

(INTA). He is also a Apiculture Professor at the Universidad Nacional del Centro. He was responsible for the organization and coordination of the National Program on

Bee Health (PROAPI) since 1991 until 2011. Enrique was also the Director of the Center

for Agro-industry Research from 2011 to 2014. He is currently the research leader for the new platform aiming to foster apiculture as a development tool in Latin America and the Caribbean (FONTAGRO -IICA- BID)

and the project FONTAGRO-AVINA which aims to foster development in the Gran

Chaco Americano region. http://www.redlac-af.org/

Beth Conrey is president of the Colorado State Beekeepers Association as well as past president of the Western

Apicultural Society and the Northern Colorado Beekeepers

Association.  She is a Board member of the Pollinator

Stewardship Council and co-chair of People and Pollinators Action

Network, a pollinator policy

“There is Money in Honey”

Oct 13- 9:40 am

“Queen Bee Production in

Hawaii”

Oct 13 - 11:00 am

Natalia obtained her “Licenciatura” in Biodiversity in 2004, and her Doctorate

Degree in Biological Sciences in 2011. She is now a researcher in agriculture with a specialization in entomology at INTA

EEA Rafaela, Argentina. She is part of the National Apicultural Program (ProApi) with emphasis in bee health. She participates as member of

INTA in the National Bee Health Commission (CONASA) of SENASA.

Member of COLOSS (Prevention of honey bee COlony LOSSes). Coordinator

of the Module “Bee Health” of new research project aimed at reducing the

impact of environmental and production changes. Natalia also administers the

agreement for the production and commercialization of varrocides of INTA-

APILAB E-mail:bulacio.natalia@inta.gob.ar

Lauren Rusert had her first experience with bees extracting honey when she was 15 years old in California. Her increasing fascination in bees continued and she began collecting honey from every state and country she visited. Years later she attended Penn State University where she worked as the Apiary Field Technician for three years in the Frazier/Mullin

Pesticide Research Lab. Before graduating from Penn State, Lauren traveled to Brazil and worked at the University of Sao Paulo with Africanized bees, creating nutritional diets for them. Upon finishing her studies from Penn State in 2011 with a

B.S. in Agricultural Sciences, Lauren moved to Hawaii to work with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture where she is still currently employed. Lauren is now the Apiary Section Chief for the Hawaii State Apiary Program (http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/ppc/apiary-program-hawaii-beekeepers-registry/), traveling the Hawaiian Islands to certify queen breeders, work on bio-

security, conduct surveys, atteoutreach and education events, and much more.  In her free time, Lauren enjoys traveling, hiking, paddling outrigger canoe, and training for triathlons.   

Lauren Rusert MSc. Hawaii State Apiary

Program

“Risk factors associated with the Prevalence and Interactions of Common

Bee Diseases in Sub-tropical and Temperate regions of Argentina”

Oct 14- 9:25 am

Dr. Natalia Bulacio Cagnolo

INTA, Argentina

Feral Bee Colony

Honeybee collecting pollen E. M. Villalobos

Dr. Ana Cubero SENASA Costa Rica

Cathy Tarutani MS. University of Hawaii

Stephen Chiang University of Hawaii

Additional Speakers

Dr. Patricia Couvillon University of Hawaii

A

Jessika Santamaria University of Hawaii

at Manoa

Dr. Jonathan Koch University of Hawaii at Hilo

I'm currently a Master's student, researching alternative pollinators and their interactions with honey

bees. My research focuses on urban environments, such as decorative

gardens and backyard fruit growing plots. It is in these mini-habitats that non-honeybees and honeybees may be exchanging diseases as they share

food sources.

My other interests include keeping an amateur insect collection,

outreach with children, and guinea pigs.

Prior to studying invasive flies, he studied the effects of lava flow age and

habitat diversity on pollinator communities on Mauna Loa Volcano.

During his graduate career at Utah State University, he applied GIS

techniques to thousands of natural history and contemporary specimen

records to estimate bumble bee decline in the United States. The results of his graduate work has

been instrumental in providing evidence for the national decline of

bumble bees across the United States. His 2012 publication, a Guide to the Bumble Bees of the western United

States, co-authored with James Strange and Paul Williams has been named a

notable government publication by the American Library Association.

“The Value of Natural History Collections in

Bee Conservation” Oct 13- 2:05 pm

Dr. Jonathan B. Koch is a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. As an NSF Fellow he currently seeks to identify the ecological and evolutionary mechanism that have enabled a significant agricultural pest, Drosophila suzuki,to invade and adapt to the mosaic of ecosystems found in Hawaii.

Alternative and Native Pollinators Bumblebee - Montana.

E.M. Villalobos

“The Mite-y Mess! Evidence of Varroa

mitigated viral spillover in Hawaii"

Oct 14- 9:05 am

Dr. William Haines Hawaii Department of Land

and Natural Resources

Kamehameha Butterly - Nathan Yuen

Dr. Karl Magnacca Oahu Army Natural Resource

Program, Hawaii

Karl Magnacca has been studying the evolution, ecology,

and systematics of native Hawaiian insects for 20 years, working with USGS, NPS, the

University of Hawaii at Hilo, and the Oahu Army Natural

Resources Program.  He has described 64 new species, including 13 native bees.

"Reintroducing native bees to their former

range: possibilities and challenges"

Oct 14 - 9:45 am

Bolstering native pollinators in Hawaii:

conservation of the Kamehameha

butterfly (Vanessa tameamea)

Oct 14 - 10:50 am

Will Haines studies the ecology and conservation of

Hawaiian insects. He manages a recently

established captive rearing facility for the Hawaiian

Invertebrate Program at the Hawaii Department of Land

and Natural Resources,

Dr Ingrid Aguilar CINAT

Universidad Nacional Costa Rica

Dr. Jason Graham University of Hawaii

Ingrid is a researcher at CINAT, a center for apiculture and

meliponiculture at the University Nacional in Costa Rica.

She is in charge of the Meliponiculture program at

CINAT and frequently travels around the country sampling

stingless bee colonies and providing outreach to local

beekeepers.

Stingless bee flying to nest Costa Rica- E.M. Villalobos

Jason Graham earned his MS and PhD in Entomology and Nematology at University of

Florida in the Honey Bee Research and Extension

Laboratory. His broad interests include pollinator conservation, bee biodiversity, sociobiology,

nest ecology, bee pests and pathology.

Jason is currently a researcher at University of Hawaii developing conservation

management methods to reverse the decline of endemic

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees.

"Conservation of the endangered Hawaiian

Yellow-faced Bee.”

Oct 14 - 10:30 am

Leafcutter bee on sun hemp- E.M. Villalobos

“Meliponiculture in Costa Rica: Progress

and Challenges”

Oct 13 - 2:50 pm

“New Insights into Old Questions” University of Hawaii and Hawaii State Apiary Program host the

Western Apicultural Society 2016 Conference Speaker Presentation Schedules

Day 1 7:00 - 8:15 am Registration 8:30 - 9:00 am Welcome and Introductions 9:00 - 9:20 am “Honey Bees in Hawaii” - S. Nikaido 9:20 - 9:40 am “Common Bee Diseases” L. Brettell 9:40 - 10:00 am “Hawaii’s Wintering Bees”- Dr. E.M. Villalobos

10:00 - 10:30 am Coffee break

10:30 - 10:50 am “A Brief History of Viral Pathogens” Dr. S. J. Martin 10:50 - 11:00 am Short video presentation about Deformed Wing Virus and Varroa 11:00 - 11:20 am "Queen Bee Production in Hawaii" L. Rusert - State Apiary Program 11:20 - 11:40 am “The Path to an Intelligent Management System” Dr. J. Wilkes 11:40 - 12:00 pm “Bee Learning*” Dr. P. Couvillon (* Tentative title pending confirmation)

1:00 - 1:10 pm Announcements 1:10 - 1:25 pm “Small Hive Beetle in Paradise “ J. Wong 1:25 - 1:45 pm “Latin-American Web for Innovation and Cooperation towards the Development of Apiculture” Prof. Enrique Luciano Bedascarrabure. 1:45 - 2:05 pm “Apiculture in Costa Rica*” Dr. Ana Cubero 2:05 - 2:25 pm “ The Value of Natural History Collections in Bee Conservation” Dr. J. Koch

2:25 - 2:50 pm Coffee Break

2:50 - 3:20 pm “Meliponiculture in Costa Rica” Dr. I. Aguilar 3:20 - 3:40 pm “Pesticides and Bees*” Dr. E. Mussen (* Tentative title pending confirmation) 3:40 - 4:00 pm “Pollinator Health and Changes in Pesticide Registration*” C. Tarutani MS 4:00 - 4:20 pm “Farming with Bees in Hawaii” Z. Zhang

Lunch Break

Hoverfly- E.M. Villalobos

Day 2

8:00 - 8:30 am Registration 8;30 - 8:45 am Welcome 8:45- 9:05 am “ The Oldest Varroa Tolerant Population of European Honeybees - How Do They Do It ?” L. Brettell. 9:05 - 9:25 am “The Mite-y Mess! Evidence of Varroa mitigated viral spillover in Hawaii”iJ. Santamaria. 9:25 - 9:45 am “Risk factors associated with the prevalence and interactions of common bee diseases in Argentina” Dr. N. Bulacio Cagnolo 9:45 - 10:05 am “Reintroducing native bees to their former range: possibilities and challenges” Dr. K. Magnacca

10 -10:30 am Coffee Break

10:30 - 10:50 am "Conservation of the endangered Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee.” Dr. J. Graham 10:50 - 11:10 am “Bolstering native pollinators in Hawaii: conservation of the Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea)” Dr. W. Haines 11:10 - 11:30 am “Individual Decisions - Social Outcomes” Dr. E. Villalobos 11:30 - 12:00 am “The Hungry Bees and The Busy Hive” Z.Zhang.

1:00 -1:10 pm Introduction 1:10 -1:30 pm “Banking on the future - Brood Mapping the Next Generation of Bees” S. Nikaido 1:30 -1:50 pm “Mortality of Varroa mite in capped worker brood cells of Africanized bees after formic acid and thymol application” Mariangela Ramirez MS. 1:50 - 2:10 pm “Beekeeping in Uruguay” Dr. Yamandu Mendoza Spina 2:10 - 2:30 pm “Fly Pollination and Tropical Trees” TBA 2:30 - 2:40 pm “Orchid Bees” TBA

2:40- 2:55 pm Coffee Break

2:55 - 3:15 pm “There is Money in Honey” B. Conrey 3:15 - 3:35 pm “Agribusiness Incubator Program” S. Chiang 3:35 - 3:55 pm “From Queens to Varroa - What we’ve been up to in the Niño Lab” Dr. Elina Lastro Niño 3:50 - 4:10 pm “Queen Rearing in Hawaii” TBA 4:10 - 4:30 pm “Outreach and Education in Hawaii” UH Honeybee Lab 4:30 -4:45 pm Announcements

Lunch BreakSolitary Bee- E.M. Villalobos

Day 3

Educational Workshop

7:30 - 8:00 am Registration 8:00 - 8:15 am Welcome 8:15 - 10:15 am Plenary Presentation by Anne Machalinski, a journalist and scientist, from the Alan Alda Center for Science Communication

10:15 - 10:30 am Coffee Break

10:30 - 12:30 pm Small Group Activities (There will be 4 subgroups - participants will be assigned to a sub-group based on their interest and target audience. Each participant will get to participate in 2 different activities and attend the plenary and final discussion)

• Pollinator biology and ecology for young audiences • Pollinator biology and ecology for older students • Forests, Gardens, and Farms - speaking to adults about pollinator

conservation • Art and Pollinator Conservation - Integrating Science and Art

into the Curriculum

12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch Break

1:30 - 3:30 pm Small Group Activities

3:30 - 4:00 pm Coffee Break

4:00 - 4:30 pm Group Discussion and Summary

Little Bee- E.M. Villalobos