From SABA and NY Bee Wellness: Dr. Gard Otis discusses the biology of winter bees and how beekeepers can keep them healthy to improve the colony’s winter survival.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7:30 PM until 8:30 PM

This is an external webinar hosted by NY Bee Wellness.  There is no cost to attend, but you must register in advance by clicking on the following link:  Webinar Registration

About the Event

Gard Otis talks about the interconnections between Varroa mites, “winter bees,” and colony mortality.

In the late 1990s, Otis designed studies to find out when winter bees were produced by colonies.  He reasoned that for colonies to be relatively strong in spring when brood-rearing commences, survival of winter bees would have to be excellent. Depredation by mites and viruses reduces the longevity of individual bees, thereby weakening or even killing colonies during winter.  Therefore, beekeepers should treat their hives with miticides before winter bees are produced.

About the Speaker

Dr. Gard Otis is a Professor Emeritus of the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph.  He specialized in butterfly ecology and behavior, as well as honeybee behavior and forest entomology.