UT entomology professor to give honeybee talk on Feb. 5

A University of Tennessee professor will discuss honeybees and pollinators during a Thursday talk at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

John Skinner is a University of Tennessee entomology professor, Extension apiculturist, and Extension coordinator. His talk is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5.

According to the UT Institute of Agriculture website: “A nationwide network to monitor and maintain honey bee health is the aim of the Bee Informed Partnership, a five-year, $5 million program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Penn State University is the lead institution, with the University of Tennessee providing IT support for the Partnership.”

The issue of honeybee’s health is one of great importance because of their vital role in agriculture and horticulture. About a third of foods in Western nations rely on these bees. Bees contributed more than $15 billion to U.S. crop production, according to a National Geographic 2013 article. Colony Collapse Disorder severely affects the ability of these bees to survive and thus pollinate plants.

This is a free program offered by the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center and the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. Roane State Community College Oak Ridge is located at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge.

To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.

For more information on the lecture, call the Arboretum at (865) 483-3571.