Profile

I am a mechanical engineer by trade and a serious hobbyist beekeeper on the side, maintaining +/- 50 colonies.

I am five years into a treatment-free beekeeping experiment utilizing feral stock from near my home in Western Kentucky, USA.

To date, I have done very little in terms of selection, but have simply housed local swarms and trap-outs. Once hived, I diligently record data concerning colony performance and varroa mite interactions- specifically quarterly 72 hour mite drop counts and an annual review of mite damage assays with an endoscope in an attempt to both quantify and qualify the resistance mechanisms and determine a possible path forward for stock improvement. Based on Dr. Martin's recent work, I intend to add uncapping/recapping assays to the evaluation matrix this year.

The colonies are maintained in Langstroth equipment utilizing foundationless comb and are allowed an unlimited broodnest and the ability to rear as many drones as they wish.

I have generally had good survival- this year we had four losses (two summer queen failures and two winter deadouts) so a total annual loss for the year of 10%.

I admire and have been following closely the work of the COLOSS effort and believe there is much we could improve upon here in the US by emulating some of the efforts underway in the EU.