Prof Stephen Martin - UK Bee Researcher visit

We have agreed to host a talk at the Showgrounds Mens Shed by Prof Stephen Martin on the Varroa Mite and its impact on Bee management.  This is a flying visit to Perth and he is only available on the afternoon of May 30th.  The timing of the talk is still uncertain but we expect it will be for about 2 hours early afternoon.

The talk will be open to the wider bee community in Perth so places will be limited.

Stephen has studied social insects (bees, wasps, termites and ants) for most of his career. His areas of specialisation are the ‘hornet ecology’, ‘pest and diseases of honeybees’ and ‘chemical ecology of ants’. He holds a Chair in Social Entomology in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at Salford University, Manchester. Prior to that he spent 12 years working at Sheffield University, 7 years with the National Bee Unit and 7 years in Japan conducting research into hornets.
Stephen is best known for his work on the Varroa mite a global parasite of honeybees and its association with viruses, especially the Deformed Wing Virus, but more recently his expertise in hornet biology is in demand, both nationally and internationally. His research funded in part by beekeepers aims to understand why some honey bee colonies have become naturally tolerant to Varroa and see if this information can provide beekeepers with a long-term solution to their mite-problem.

The following link below provides one of his talks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa56mUJSApQ