From Danielle Downey
Apiculture Specialist
Hawaii Department of Agriculture/

The Hawaii Apiary Program is hosting expert collaborators to improve honey bee health in Hawaii. Please join us to hear about this work, there will be a public presentation this Tuesday at Maui Community College, 5pm in Ka Lama 103.

Hawaii Apiary Specialist Danielle Downey will describe Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s project with resistant stock, and introduce collaborating researcher Dr. Bob Danka, whose work has produced Varroa resistant stock, including the stock being evaluated in Hawaii. Dr. Danka is a Research Entomologist at the USDA-ARS Research Lab in Baton Rouge, he has studied Africanized Bees, honey bee pollination factors, and breeding bees with better pest and disease resistance, working with the industry to transfer this technology to beekeepers. 

Tom and Suki Glenn, of Glenn Apiaries, are also cooperators in this project with Hawaii Department of Agriculture and will be present for discussion. 

Read more about the work of Dr. Bob Danka: 

http://www.ars.usda.gov/pandp/people/people.htm?personid=1258

Read more about the work of Glenn Apiaries: 

http://www.glenn-apiaries.com/vsh_hawaii_queen_bees.html

Read more about the VSH bee, which is being evaluated and maintained to help Hawaii’s beekeeping industry:

http://www.extension.org/pages/30361/varroa-sensitive-hygiene-and-mite-reproduction

We hope you can join us, and please help spread the word.