Seeing impacts from your research can be a long, laborious and tedious process. But testing a hypothesis and discovering a fact that ends up impacting everyday people – that’s a crowning achievement for a scientist.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Assistant professor Cameron Jack was able to do just that. After years of research into how to protect honey bees from damaging pests, his work has led to a change in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pesticide labelling for oxalic acid to create a more effective pest management option for beekeepers.
Jack, a faculty member in the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department, said oxalic acid is used on bee hives to treat a parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, which can cause an entire honey bee colony to collapse.
The EPA’s pesticide label had previous stated that for the vaporizer method of applying oxalic acid, only 1 gram of oxalic acid dihydrate powder could be used per brood chamber. Now, up to 4 grams can be used, which his research showed to be effective at killing the mites without hurting the honey bees. EPA released a letter on June 24, confirming the label change.
“It was a long battle,” Jack said. “It was really meaningful to see that our research had a real-world impact on beekeepers’ lives and hive management practices.”
Moving forward, beekeepers will be allowed per EPA labeling rules to use the higher dose of oxalic acid, which helps better control these damaging mites.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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