Our speaker will be Benjamin Powell of Clemson University. The topic will be Murder, She Wrote — but what she got is way worse!, discussing invasive new pests like the Asian Giant Hornet and Yellow-legged Hornet.

Ben is the apiculturist for Clemson University and runs the university’s Honey Bee Lab and Clemson’s Apiculture and Pollinator Program (CAPP), which conducts honey bee research and extension across South Carolina. Ben has over ten years experience keeping bees and manages the University’s demonstration apiaries. In addition to providing beekeeper training and pollinator education, his program is currently studying infectious honey bee diseases in South Carolina, assessing new treatments for Varroa mites, and testing novel materials for use in bee hives, and he is working with beekeepers on the front lines of the yellow legged hornet invasion. Ben works intimately with the SC Master Beekeeper Program to provide training and curriculum to foster a culture of public service in the beekeeping community and support new and experienced beekeepers. A naturalist and ecologists at heart, Ben is experienced at habitat restoration, managing pollinator habitat test plots and helping SC residents to rebuild critical pollinator and wildlife habitats at all scales, from small gardens to large farm and forest tracts.