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Dr. Shelley Hoover

Fiat lux (or, why honey bees are practically magic)

Honey bees can live nearly anywhere on Earth, they increase the amount and nutritive value of our food crops, and they make hive products that are eaten, used in medicine, cosmetics, dentistry, waterproofing, lubricants, polishes, ornamentation and art, cooking, sewing, metal casting, sealing documents, and yes, literally to produce light. With their complex social structure, behaviours and communication, it is no wonder they have fascinated people for as long as we have had records of what fascinates us. Join Dr. Shelley Hoover as she explores honey bee biology, current challenges they face, and our relationship with honey bees in Canada.

Dr. Shelley Hoover is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. She studies bees, their interactions with one another, with other organisms, and with their environment. The Hoover lab has ongoing research in diverse areas related to this theme, including how parasites alter bee behaviour, the honey bee microbiome, the breeding and management of honey bees, the role of pheromones in social structure, pollination and how environmental change affects the interactions between plants and pollinators. Previously, Dr. Hoover was the head of the Apiculture Program for the Province of Alberta and held research associate positions at the Universities of Canterbury and British Columbia. Shelley is also the past president of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists and the Entomological Society of Alberta.