Skip directly to: Navigation for this section | Main page content

Laidlaw Facility / People

Photo: Susan Cobey

Susan Cobey at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Susan Cobey (now of Washington State University)

Susan Cobey, a bee breeder-geneticist, shared a dual appointment with the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis and Washington State University. Her research continues to focus s on identifying, selecting and enhancing honey bee stocks that show increasing levels of resistance to pests and diseases. Cobey developed the New World Carniolans stock, a dark race of honey bees, in the early 1980s by back-crossing stocks collected from throughout the United States to create a more pure strain.  “Over time, it has proven very productive, winter hardy, well-tempered and more resistant to pests and disease,” she said. Genetic diversity, the raw tools for selection, is critical “in maintaining colony fitness and resisting pests and diseases,” she said. Cobey teaches advanced courses on queen bee rearing and queen bee insemination, drawing students from throughout the world. For more information, contact her at scobey@mac.com

Bee Breeder-Geneticist Susan Cobey Accepts Dual Appointment: UC Davis and WSU

Building a Better Bee: New World and Old World Unite

Curriculum vitae

Instruction: 2012 specialized classes
"The Art of Queen Rearing Workshop" on March 27, 2012
"Instrumental Insemeniation and Bee Breeding Workshop" on April 17, 18 and 19, 2012
"Advanced Workshop on Instrumental Insemination" on April 25 and 26, 2012
Due to the high interest, spring 2012 classes are full. We also will  be offering these in Washington state, so please send in the application and let us know of your interest and if you would like to attend a summer class in Washington.

Photos from the "Art of Queen Bee Rearing" class, March 23-24, 2011 ~ Class in Laidlaw Facility ~ Tour of Koehnen & Sons, Glenn ~ Tour of Strachan Apiaries, Yuba City

Contact:
Susan Cobey

Bee breeder-geneticist
Email: scobey@mac.com