We were fortunate enough to get Dr. Phil Lester from New Zealand for our March Meeting speaker. A next-generation biopesticide for Varroa management: gene silencing and the use of dsRNA with Dr. Phil Lester. Varroa destructor is a global pest that has developed resistance to synthetic pesticides. In this talk, I’ll discuss a novel, next-generation approach to varroa control using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to silence gene expression in these mites. Our research has shown that this method can halt varroa reproduction. I will present data from our field trials and on potential non-target effects. This biopesticide shows considerable promise as a valuable addition to our toolbox for varroa management. Like this:Like Loading…