Nancy Ostiguy Ph.D.

Department Focus Areas:

Ecological Applications

Research Interests:

Honey bee and native pollinator health, Integrated Pest Management; Impact of pesticides on non-target species; Sampling strategies.

Teaching:

• ENT 202, Insect Connections
• ENT 313, Introductory Entomology
• ENT 597G, Applied Statistical Techniques

• E R M 210, Environmental Factors and Their Effect on Your Food Supply

Research Activities & Interests:

My interests are in the area of sustainable and organic agriculture. The current focus of my research is in the area of environmental consequences of pest control strategies, including non-pesticidal approaches to pest control (IPM), pesticide residues in foods and other products, risk communication, and sublethal effects of pesticides on non-target organisms.

We are investigating the impact of in-hive pesticide use on behavior and survivorship of honey bees during all life stages. Our investigations also focus on methods to prevent the Varroa mite from reaching lethal levels using novel combinations of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tactics. Included in our tactics are genetic, physical and cultural control techniques, with a focus on environmental factors that influence mite levels and the use of advanced statistical methods to control for multiple influences on mite population levels. Other work relating to IPM tactics to control maladies of the honey bee include the development of beekeeper friendly methods to measure mite levels in colonies.

In collaboration with Dr. Diana Cox-Foster we are looking at the relationship between Varroa mites and endemic viruses in honey bee colonies. This work has found that viruses are found in all life stages of the honey bee - adult, pupae, larvae and egg - and in all three adult stages - queen, worker and drone. We are investigating the relationship between the lethality of the normally non-pathogenic viruses and mites.

In collaboration with Galen Dively and Dan Gruner we are looking at new control methods, including entomopathogenic nematodes, for the small hive beetle, a recently introduced honey bee pest. We are also investigating the role this beetle may have in the transmission and maintenance of honey bee viruses in a colony.

I am interested in pesticide residues in food, especially honey and beeswax. We are looking at long and short-term residues from the application of fluvalinate and/or coumaphos in honey bee colonies.

Relevant Publications:

Williams, Geoffrey R., Richard E.L. Rogers, Abby L. Kalkstein, Benjamin A. Taylor, Dave Shutler, Nancy Ostiguy. Deformed wing virus in western honey bees (Apis mellifera) from Atlantic Canada and the first description of an overtly-infected emerging queen. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. (in press)

Ostiguy, N., D. Cox-Foster, A. Kalkstein, O. Thompson. Are There Sublethal Impacts from Deformed Wing Virus in Honey Bees? (submitted).

vanEngelsdorp, D., J. Steinhauer, R. Underwood, J. Bobb, M. Thomas, D. Woodring, S. McDonald, N. Ostiguy. An Evaluation of Alternative Treatments for the Control of Varroa Mites. Journal of Economic Entomology (in preparation).

vanEngelsdorp, D., J. Steinhauer, R. Underwood, J. Bobb, M. Thomas, D. Woodring, S. McDonald, N. Ostiguy. Use of Apiguard® for Varroa Control. Bee Culture (in preparation).

Plymale, R., M. Grove, D. Cox-Foster, N. Ostiguy, K. Hoover. 2008. Plant-mediated alteration of the peritrophic matrix and baculovirus infection in lepidopteran larvae. Journal of Insect Physiology. 54: 737-749.

Motch, S. M., H. W. Harpster, S. Ralston, N. Ostiguy, N. K. Diehl. 2007. A note on yearling horse ingestive and agonistic behaviours in three concentrate feeding systems. Applied Animal Behavior Science 106:167-172.

Ostiguy, N. 2007. Organic certification of pesticides: From philosophy to practice. Crop Protection for Organic Agriculture: Environmental, Health, and Efficacy Assessment. Editors: Felsot A. S. and K. D. Racke. ACS Symposium Series 947, American Chemical Society. Pages 34-44.

Ostiguy, N., D. Cox-Foster, A. Kalkstein and O. Thompson. 2007. The Continuing Story of Honey Bee Viruses. American Bee Journal 147(5):441.

Kevan, P.G., M.A. Hannan, N. Ostiguy, and E. Guzman-Novoa. 2006. A Summary of the Varroa-Virus Disease Complex in Honey Bees. American Bee Journal 146:694-697.

Koide, R. T., B. Xu, J. Sharda, Y. Lekberg, and N. Ostiguy. 2005. Evidence of species interactions within an ectomycorrhizal fungal community. New Phytologist 165(1):305-316.

Shen, M., L. Cui, N. Ostiguy, and D. L. Cox-Foster. 2005. Intricate transmission routes and interactions between picorna-like viruses (Kashmir bee virus and sacbrood virus (SBV) with the honey bee host and the parasitic varroa mite. Journal of General Virology 86:85-93.