MPhil/DPhil Helping the Honey Bee in Urban Areas

Start date: flexible April or October 2010

Project Supervisor Prof Francis Ratnieks  f.ratnieks@sussex.ac.uk

Project Abstract

There is currently much public interest in helping honey bees. For example, the 2009 national resolution of the Women's Institute was SOS for the honey bee.  But how can the general public and public institutions help? One way is to make Britain more bee friendly by increasing the number of flowers that provide food (nectar and pollen) for honey bees and other pollinating insects. Urban areas are significant in terms of land use comprising 9% of UK land area (and 80% of the population). The research will determine which garden/park plants are especially attractive to honey bees. It will do this in two ways: 1) by surveying existing garden and park plants, including trees and shrubs, to quantify honey bees and other insect visitors; this project will be sub-divided into projects focusing on park and garden: a) trees, b) shrubs, c) summer-flowering herbs and flowers, d) flowering ivy; 2) by counting bees on experimental plantings to determine which are especially good (e.g., comparing varieties of lavender already grown in gardens, so that recommendations can be given as to especially good or bad varieties).  In addition, part 3 of the project will carry out research to facilitate keeping hives in urban areas, such as allotments and gardens. It can be challenging for beekeepers to find urban apiary locations. The research will investigate the efficacy of hedges or lattice fences around an apiary in reducing stinging, by forcing bees to fly high, thereby reducing collisions with humans. A key aim of this research is to provide information that will allow honey bees to be kept in allotments, thereby providing urban beekeepers places to keep hives and at the same time providing pollination. It is intended that some of these projects will also result in collaboration with other organizations, such as the Brighton & Hove Parks Department, Downderry Nursery (suppliers of lavender plants), Kew Gardens and others. The research will be broken down into sub-projects, which will result in either an MPhil or DPhil thesis and c. 2 or 6 research publications, respectively.

The student will be part of an active and friendly group based at the Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects in the School of Life Science at Sussex University. www.sussex.ac.uk/lasi

The project will be linked into the "Sussex Plan for Honey Bee Health & Well Being", in particular to Project 2.

Qualifications: BSc (2.1 or 1st) or MSc in Biology, Horticulture of related topic. The project is best suited to a person who enjoys field work and has some experience with insects and/or plants and horticulture. The studentship will provide an ideal opportunity for a person who is interested in applied biological research and conservation and who wants to do research that will make a difference.

Funder: The Body Shop Foundation

Funding is currently available for an MPhil project of up to c. 15 months (i.e, one academic year + 1 term). However, it is anticipated that, subject to satisfactory performance, the project will receive additional support from the funder and so will be upgraded to a 3-year DPhil (=PhD). The student will receive a stipend at the level of a typical Research Council studentship, plus fees at UK/EU rates, travel to conferences, and research materials.

Note: non UK/EU applicants will only be considered if they are able to demonstrate that they can pay the difference between UK/EU and Overseas fees for the duration of their study.

PLEASE APPLY using our online application system at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/   (apply for MPHIL BIOLOGY  and include project title in the academic interest section of the application) Project enquiries should be sent to the project supervisor Prof Francis Ratnieks by email to f.ratnieks@sussex.ac.uk   (please include CV).

Application enquiries to pglifesci@sussex.ac.uk