Randy Oliver sees beekeeping through the eyes of a biologist. He now helps his sons to run a commercial beekeeping operation of around 1500 hives in the foothills of Northern California, managing them for migratory pollination, nuc sales, and queen and honey production -- freeing Randy to engage full-time in beekeeper-funded research projects. Varroa continues to be the number one problem for beekeepers. In his own operation, they’ve successfully managed varroa, without the use of synthetic miticides, since 2001. They’ve tried most every control option, and share what they’ve found to work (including selective breeding). An effective mite management plan must be based upon the understanding of the biology of the mite. Randy presents important biological concepts to help beekeepers to plan effective mite management strategies tailored to their own operations.
