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Dr. Jeff Pettis left the USDA some time ago to pursue other avenues of research. His current work is studying issues with queens, primarily longevity, affect of pesticides, virus interactions, shipping problems and more. Relatedly, he is working with...
Dr. Jeff Pettis left the USDA some time ago to pursue other avenues of research. His current work is studying issues with queens, primarily longevity, affect of pesticides, virus interactions, shipping problems and more. Relatedly, he is working with drones, which of course play a big role in how queens produce. He’s looking at sperm issues, affects of pesticides, mating problems, heat stress and mating success.
He’s also working with varroa resistance to miticides, affects of miticides on queens, workers and drones and essentially what is working, and what isn’t and why.
In-between research projects, he is expanding his beekeeping operation with his son, running up to 75 colonies, doing some local pollination work, and producing and selling his honey at local outlets.
In his 'spare' time... he has been serving as the Bee Health Commissioner for the International Beekeeping Association Apimondia for the past 8 or 9 years, and in 2019 was the first American Elected President of that group. His goals are to establish better communication between the group and the worlds beekeepers and to concentrate on global honey fraud, a major issue everywhere.
Listen in and learn much more about Apimondia and what the future holds as the first American President takes over with a new and exciting agenda.
Websites and Linked mentioned in this episode –
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ensure that they produce strong and health colonies by increasing brood production and overall honey flow. Global offers a variety of standard patties, as well as custom patties to meet your specific needs. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!
We want to also thank 2 Million Blossoms as a sponsor of the podcast. 2 Million Blossoms is a new quarterly magazine destined for your coffee table. Each page of the magazine is dedicated to the stories and photos of all pollinators and written by leading researchers, photographers and our very own, Kim Flottum.
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Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of The Beekeeping Today Podcast. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com
Thank you for listening!
Podcast music: Young Presidents, "Be Strong"
PhD, Research Scientist and Consultant, Pettis and Associates LLC
As a research scientist and consultant at Pettis and Associates LLC, Dr. Pettis has focused his area of expertise on improving colony health by limiting the impact of pests, diseases and pesticides on honey bees. Dr. Pettis has worked with both the EPA and FDA to bring new products through the registration process for bees and beekeepers.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Dr. Pettis served as the research leader of the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, MD. His research areas include IPM techniques to reduce the impacts of parasitic mites and disease, effects of pesticides, pathogens, and temperature on queen health and longevity, host-parasite relationships and bee behavior.
Dr. Pettis has consulted with several international committees or organizations, including the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). With more than 40 years of research experience in more than 15 countries, he is frequently tapped by the media for his opinions on the worldwide decline of pollinator populations and honey bee health. Dr. Pettis received his doctoral degree in entomology from Texas A&M University and holds undergraduate and MS degrees from the University of Georgia.
