Image Analysis of Pupal Sex Ratio in Honey Bee Hives

Anna Tattelman ’27, Environmental Biology major Grace O’Brien ’26, Biology major Faculty mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology Our project analyzes honey bee hive development over time. We are specifically looking at drone comb production over a four-week period with varying hive conditions and treatments. It has become more difficult to manage bee hives due to parasitic mites, such as Varroa Destructor. A common method beekeepers use to protect honey bees against these threats is adding drone comb to attract then remove mites. Through drone comb analysis we can determine how honey bees are responding to the treatments by evaluating their behavior and population size. This provides beekeepers with important insight into honey bee hive health and development.