I work to improve the health of both managed and wild pollinators through research, education, and outreach. At UVM, I conduct research on bee disease, teach beekeeping courses, and direct the Vermont Bee Lab. Our lab also offers disease diagnostic services for beekeepers and we manage Vermont's involvement with the National Honey Bee Survey.
Samantha Alger
Publications
S. Alger, D. Snyder, J. Disorda, R. Scott; 2023. Joining the Monarch Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurance: A CaseStudy with Vermont Electric Power Company. 13th International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Proceedings.
Lurie, C., Alger, S., LePore, S., McCandless, C., 2022. Considerations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Pollinator Programs on Airports. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26680.
P. Alexander Burnham, Alger, S.A., Case, B., Boncristiani, H., Herbert-Dufresne, L., Brody, A.K., 2021. Flowers as dirty doorknobs: Deformed wing virus transmitted betweenApis mellifera and Bombus impatiens through shared flowers. Journal of Applied Ecology.
Alger S.A., Burnham P.A., Brody A.K., 2019. Flowers as viral hot spots: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) unevenly deposit viruses across plant species. PLoS ONE 14(9)
Alger S.A., Burnham .P.A., Boncristiani H.F., Brody A.K., 2019. RNA virus spillover from managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) to wild bumblebees (Bombus spp.). PLoS ONE 14(6)
Alger, S.A., Burnham, P.A., 2019. Commercially grown milkweed as habitat and forage for monarch butterflies and other pollinators, 2018 Milkweed Production Trials-Combined Report. University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program.
Alger, S.A., Burnham, P.A., Lamas, Z.S, Brody, A.K., Richardson, L.R., 2018. Homesick: Impacts of migratory beekeeping on honey bee pests, pathogens, and colony size. PeerJ.
Associations and Affiliations
- Immediate Past President of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium
- Scientific Advisor, Board of the Vermont Beekeepers Association
Areas of Expertise and/or Research
Pollinator Ecology, Habitat Restoration and Conservation, Public Outreach, Data Collection and Analysis
Education
- Ph.D. Biology, University of Vermont 2018
- B.A. Biology, University of Rhode Island, 2009
- B.S. General Business, University of Rhode Island, 2009
Contact
Courses Taught
Introduction to Beekeeping PSS 195
Hands-on Beekeeping PSS 195