Coconut Oil to Treat Varroa Mites?

Is coconut oil effective in treating varroa mites, those nasty little mites that plague our honey bees?

The facts aren't in, and research is ongoing.

Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty, will discuss his research, “Coconut Oil - Varroa Treatment or Food Ingredient?” at the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) convention, set Nov. 16-17 in the Embassy Suites, San Luis Obipso.

He'll address the crowd on Tuesday, Nov. 16. (To read more about honey bees, check out his newsletter, from the UC Apiaries, and his Bee Briefs on his website.

Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey will address the conference on "Honey Bee Stock Improvement: Challenges and Options" on Thursday, Nov. 18.

In addition, she'll speak Nov. 16 at Cal Poly's Horticulture and Crop Science Department on  “Mating is Risky Business and the Benefits Of Being Promiscuous." That talk is part of the  Dow AgroSciences Seminar Series:  “New Advancements in Biotechnology and Sustainability of Crop Science."

The CSBA is headed by Roger Everett of Porterville, who is also a member of the California State Apiary Board.

CSBA’s purpose is to “educate the public about the beneficial aspects of honey bees, advance research beneficial to beekeeping practices, provide a forum for cooperation among beekeepers and to support the economic and political viability of the beekeeping industry.”