Guest Speakers
Honey bee and native bee health is declining worldwide with record loss rates in honey bee populations becoming routine (higher than 40% annual losses reported for 2018). These insects are so integral to crop production that challenges to their health threaten food security worldwide.
As he closely examines the biology of honey bees, their associated parasites, and related threats, he considers how discoveries can best be made available to everyone. Dr. Ramsey firmly believes that educating the public about this issue is key to solving it. Further, his strategies operate within the framework of Integrated Pest Management to use as little chemical insecticide as possible. This holistic methodology propelled him to Thailand to study the Tropilaelaps mite which is widely regarded as the next global threat to honey bee populations.
Dr. Ramsey strives to understand the behavior and biologies of these threats in isolation while developing preventative and emergency measures to preserve honey bee species at home and abroad. His current work, aptly named the Fight the Mite Initiative, was funded largely by generous support from the beekeeping community in response to his work in rehabilitating the industry.
Dr. Ramsey award-winning research on Varroa destructor has changed the standing paradigm on how the parasite feeds upon, and ultimately kills, honey bees. At the forefront of this scientific inquiry, he has had many opportunities to share his work internationally. Dr. Ramsey firmly believes that the ability to articulate one’s findings to anyone who wants to hear them is just as important as the skills needed to reach important findings in the lab. This conviction is evidenced by his engaging scientific presentations and his contagious excitement in supporting the entomological community.
Cameron grew up around honey bees and beekeeping, often helping his grandfather with hive inspections and honey extraction. He obtained his B.S. degree in biology from Southern Utah University in 2012 and completed his Master’s degree at Oregon State University under the mentorship of Dr. Ramesh Sagili in 2015. There he conducted research on the honey bee gut pathogen Nosema ceranae. He then traveled across the country to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Florida under the mentorship of Dr. Jamie Ellis where he began investigating methods to control the devastating pest Varroa destructor.
In 2018, Cameron was hired on as a teaching faculty at the University of Florida’s Entomology and Nematology Department. He has been obsessed with creating a premier educational program that prepares students for the many challenges associated with beekeeping and to train those interested in entering the beekeeping workforce. Cameron currently teaches 10 honey bee-related courses and has created an online Beekeeping Certificate Program at both the undergraduate and graduate level at UF. In 2021, he transitioned into an Assistant Professor position where he continues to teach and conduct research focused on honey bee toxicology.
Most recently his projects have involved studying the efficacies of different chemical treatments to Varroa in field trials. Notably, his work on oxalic acid vaporization has been of interest to beekeepers around the world. He is also involved in a large-scale collaborative project screening a wide variety of untested chemicals for their toxicity towards Varroa and their effect on honey bees. As often as possible, Cameron tries to support undergraduate and graduate students with their research questions and helps them conduct meaningful studies that contribute to the overall scientific body of knowledge.
Tennessee’s Bees specializes in quality Bee Genetics, Pure Tennessee Honey, and Honeybee Education.