Kaitlyn Bresnahan ’25
The Effect of Integrated Pest Management on Honey Bee Behavior and Colony Level Health
Kaitlyn Bresnahan ’25, Biology major
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology
Poster Presentation: Wednesday, April 24, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Honeybees face threats from many directions, but the most pressing is the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. The most popular methods to treat mite infestations are insecticides that can affect bee products taken form hives, and there is a growing interest in organic pest control methods. Drones are male bees, and the favored bee of incubating mites. By removing drone brood before it hatches, a beekeeper can remove a large portion of the mite population, but can also cause nutritional stress. My research examines how drone comb removal for mite management affects the health and foraging behavior of honey bee hives.
