Pollen Powers Colonies with Dr. Heather Mattila

Pollen provides honey bees with essential nutrients that support colony productivity. Dr. Mattila will discuss research that demonstrates the effects of pollen stress on the behavior of nursing and foraging bees, and the potential benefits of seasonal supplements to improve colony performance when pollen resources are scarce. Heather Mattila has been a Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College since 2009. Her research is focused on mechanisms of social communication and organization in honey bee colonies, including worker behavior, signal exchange, and the influence of genetic diversity, the microbiome, and nutrition on colony productivity. Recently, her research program has expanded to examine these topics in bumble bees, Asian honey bees, and giant hornets.

SPEAKER DETAILS:

Heather Mattila, Professor of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College

She completed her Ph.D. in 2005 at the University of Guelph (Canada), where her research focused on the effects of nutritional stress on colony health and productivity. She subsequently completed a four-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University (USA), where her research shifted to an examination of the mating behavior by honey bee queens and its impact on the colonies that they produce. Heather has been a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College since 2009. At Wellesley, her research continues to focus on mechanisms of social communication and organization, including honey bee behavior, the chemical ecology of colonies, the microbiology of queens and workers, and impact of nutritional stress on workers. Recently, her research program has expanded to examine these topics in bumble bees, Asian honey bees, and hornets. Heather teaches undergraduate classes at Wellesley College on the subjects of organismal biology, animal behavior, and social insect biology. In addition to teaching at the College, she is honored to receive opportunities to speak with beekeepers and other people around the world who are interested in learning about how to support the health and welfare of bees. Heather’s research program is supported by a dedicated group of Wellesley students, collaborations with colleagues from universities across North America, Europe, and Asia, and by the many colonies of bees that her lab maintains on the Wellesley College campus.