Profile

As a beekeeper form childhood I dedicated myself into study of bee biology and beekeeping technology. I finished undergraduate (1988) and master studies (1992) in Biology at Ljubljana University Slovenia. The main research topic was waggle dance communication in honeybees with focus on followers behavior. Ph.D. was obtained at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge USA (1996) studying physiological background of recruitment of honeybees to foraging activities. Studies included juvenile hormone hemolymph sugars and biogenic amines role in arousal and excitement of the bees involved in recruitment behavior. In later years I was involved in the studies of ethanol effects on honeybee learning and communication based on cooperation with Charles I. Abramson (Oklahoma State University USA starting in 2003). In recent years I cooperate with research groups at Biotechnical faculty to study sublethal effects of pesticides and nanomaterials. Along scientific work I’m involved also in extension work for Slovenian beekeepers. Part of that is working in groups of experts to prepare different kind of development programs related to the beekeeping and also active involvement in education of beekeepers currently as a president of examining committee for beekeeping masters under small business chamber of Slovenia. In addition part of my time is dedicated to practical beekeeping as well development of beekeeping technology among that also spreading knowledge of using Slovenian type of hives (AZ) which has brought some extra attention in beekeeping community worldwide in recent years.