Jennifer Berry is Apicultural Research Coordinator and Lab Manager at the University of Georgia. She’s actively involved in all aspects of honey bee research and education for the state of Georgia. Her primary areas of research have been a queen breeding program and Integrated Pest Management work for varroa mite control. The breeding project is a long term program in which resistant stock is continually selected for as well as traits for honey production, brood production and gentleness.

Jennifer travels extensively and speaks to local, state, national and international beekeeping associations. She was last year’s EAS president and successfully held the 2006 meeting in Young Harris, Georgia. She writes a monthly article for Bee Culture magazine.

Thesis title and abstract:

Effects of comb age on honey bee colony growth, brood survivorship, and adult mortality

This research was designed to test the effects of comb age on honey bee colony growth, brood survivorship, and adult mortality. Experimental old combs were of an unknown age but were characteristically dark and heavy similar to combs one or more years old. New combs were produced just prior to the beginning of the experiment and never before had brood reared in them. Either old or new combs were installed into each of 21-24 nucleus colonies in each of three years of field study. On average, colonies with new comb had a higher area (cm²) of brood, area (cm²) of sealed brood, and weight (mg) of individual young bees. Brood survivorship was the only variable significantly higher in old comb. Laboratory assays suggested that mortality of adult bees was lower when adults were housed on comb of an age class similar to that in which they were reared as immatures.

Publications:

1. Berry, J.A. & K.S. Delaplane. 2000. Effects of top- versus bottom-supering on honey yield. American Bee Journal 140(5): 409-410  PDF file
   
   
2. Berry, J.A. & K.S. Delaplane. 2001. Effects of comb age on honey bee colony growth and brood survivorship. Journal of Apicultural Research 40(1): 3-8  PDF file
    
   
3. Ellis, J. D., Jr., K.S. Delaplane, C.S. Richards, R. Hepburn, J.A. Berry, & P.J. Elzen. 2004. Hygienic behavior of Cape and European Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) toward Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) eggs oviposited in sealed bee brood. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97(4): 860-864  PDF file
   
   
4. Delaplane, K.S., J.A. Berry, J.A. Skinner, J.P. Parkman, & W.M. Hood. 2005. Integrated pest management against Varroa destructor reduces colony mite levels and delays economic threshold. Journal of Apicultural Research 44(4): 117-122  PDF file
   
   
   

Personnel/Facilities / UGA Honey Bee Program / UGA Entomology Department