Mona Chambers

Biological Science Technician (Insects)

Mona Chambers

Biological Lab Technician (Insects)
Eastern Apiculture Society certified Master Beekeeper
Phone: 520-647-9293 

Mona Chambers is a Tucson native whose passion for honeybees has guided her career from the start. As a technician for over 19 years with the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, she is active in disease, nutrition, and overwintering research and collaborates regularly with commercial beekeepers, scholars, and scientists. She is the founder of See the Bees, whose mission is to raise awareness and provide education for children and adults on honeybees and their importance. With a drive to help underserved communities through beekeeping, she has volunteered at the Washington State Penitentiary and Pima County Juvenile Detention. She regularly presents at schools, museums, and other organizations. In 2018 Mona became the first Master Beekeeper in Arizona certified by the Eastern Apiculture Society. Besides working with bees, she trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and plays the cello. 

Beekeeping Speaking / Engagements

• Regular volunteer for University of Arizona’s Master Gardener youth program at the
  Pima County Juvenile Court (2018-present)
• Beekeeping for Eckholm Family Farm, Whidbey Island, WA (2016-current)
• Interview and presentation for independent radio station KXCI (91.3FM) International
  Clash Day: Clash for Climate (2020)
• Created and performed the “Singing Bee Circus” for the Museum of Contemporary Art,
  Tucson (2017)
• Taught course for incarcerated people at the Washington State Penitentiary on colony
  management and disease (2016)
• Interviewed for The History Channel and The Discovery Channel features on honey bees
  (2010)
• Presented a lecture and demonstration on the Honey Bee Morphometrics system for the
  American Honey Producers (2005) and the Apiary Inspectors of America
• Guest lecturer for the 12th annual Science and Mathematics through Native Eyes
  conference (2004)
• Created and taught the curriculum for a summer high school course Beekeeping Basics
  for the Pasqua Yaqui and Tohono O’odham Nations (2003)
• Represented USDA-ARS PWA for the Navajo Nation Career Seminars in New Mexico(2002)
• Guest lecturer for INTS 250 Intro to International Studies course at the University of
  Arizona. Topic: Beekeeping for Sustainable Development (2001)
• Provided beekeeping presentations and workshops for the following groups: The
  University of Arizona, Washington State Penitentiary, Pima County Juvenile Court, The
  American Honey Producers, Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens, Carl Hayden Bee
  Research Center, The Jewish Community Center, Saguaro National Park Rangers,
  Tucson Children’s Museum, Tucson Cyclovia, Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, St.
  Michaels young gardeners, Southern Arizona Workspace
• Provided beekeeping presentations to the following schools: The Armstrong Academy,
  Kino School, Khalsa Montessori Day School,The Academy of Tucson, Centennial
  Elementary School, Southwest Learning Center, St. Marks, Tanque Verde Elementary,
  and home schooled students
  

Honors, Awards, and Special Accomplishments:

• USDA-PWA Diversity in Action Outreach Award (2019)
• Eastern Apiculture Society: Master Beekeeper Certification (2018)
• Founded See The Bees, providing honeybee education and outreach to children and
  adults (2016)
• Administrator - Tucson Beekeepers, facebook group (2013)
• University of California, Davis - Instrumental Insemination and Bee Breeding Workshop
  with Sue Cobey (2007)
• Recipient of the USDA-ARS PWA Equal Employment Opportunity / Civil Rights Category II Employee Award (2004)
• USDA-ARS Certificate of Appreciation and individual cash awards (multiple years,
  1997-current)
• Cum Laude, University of Arizona, 2001
• General Dillingham Produce Scholarship, University of Arizona, 2000-2001
• USDA Certificate of Merit for the digital transfer of Agriculture Handbook #496
  McGreggor’s Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crops (1997)
• Regents Scholarship, University of Arizona, 1997-1999
• Cum Laude, Tucson High Magnet School, 1997
• United States Presidential Scholar, 1997
• National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) Level One Photography,
  1997
  

Other:

• Studies martial arts - Currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a black belt
  in Hiraido Mixed Martial Arts
• Teaches Women’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals at the Kodenkan Martial Arts
  Academy
• Accomplished musician - has toured the U.S, Canada, and Europe and recorded
  Professionally

Acknowledged for research participation in the following publications:

Johnson, Zaman, Decelle, Siegel, Tarpy, and Starks, 2005. Multiple Micro-Organisms in
Chalkbrood Mummies: Evidence and Implications. J of Apicultural Research 44(1): 29-32.
Lobo, Ton, Hill, Emore, Romero-Severson, Hunt, and Collins, 2003. Genomic Analysis in the
sting-2 Quantitative Trait Locus for Defensive Behavior in the Honey Bee, Apis mellifera.
Genome Research 13:2588-2593.

Schneider SS, LJ Leamy, LA Lewis and G DeGrandi-Hoffman, 2003. The influence of
hybridization between African and European honeybees, Apis mellifera , on asymmetries in wing
size and shape. Evolution 57: 2350-2364.

Schneider SS and G DeGrandi-Hoffman, 2003.The influence of paternity on virgin queen
success in hybrid colonies of European and African honey bees, Apis mellifera . Animal
Behaviour 65: 883-892.

DeGrandi-Hoffman G, D Tarpy and SS Schneider,2003. Patriline composition of worker
populations in honey bee ( Apis mellifera L) colonies headed by queens inseminated with semen
from African and European drones. Apidologie 34:111-120.

Schneider, SS and G DeGrandi-Hoffman, 2002.The influence of worker behavior and
paternity on the development and emergence of honeybee queens. Insectes Sociaux 49:
306-314.

DeGrandi-Hoffman, G. & J.C. Watkins, 2000. The influence that honeybees and wild Bees
foraging together have on sunflower cross-pollination and seed set. Am. Bee J. 137:565-566.

DeGrandi-Hoffman, G. & Hagler, J., 2000. The flow of incoming nectar in a honeybee ( Apis
mellifera L.) colony as revealed by a protein marker. Insectes Soc. 47:302-306.

EDUCATION:

Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ 85709, UDA
Supplemental courses 2004, 1997

University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85719
Bachelor of Arts, 2001
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies - International Relations
Honors: Cum Laude

Instituto Falcón
Guanajuato, Gto 36000, Mexico
Spanish language course, 1999

 

• Publications

  • (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)
  • Do diet and Fumagillin treatment impact Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. (Microspora: Nosematidae) infections in honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and improve survival and growth of colonies overwintered in cold storage?-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    
    
  • The survival and growth of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies overwintered in cold storage: the effects of time and colony location -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Corby-Harris, V.L., Graham, R., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Chambers, M.L., Snyder, L.A. 2023. The survival and growth of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies overwintered in cold storage: the effects of time and colony location. Journal of Economic Entomology. 116(4):1078-1090. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad103.
    
  • The importance of time and place: Nutrient composition and utilization of seasonal pollens by European honey bees (Apis mellifera L. -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Corby-Harris, V.L., Carroll, M.J., Toth, A., Gage, S., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Graham, R.H., Chambers, M.L., Meador, C., Obernesser, B. 2021. The importance of time and place: Nutrient composition and utilization of seasonal pollens by European honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Insects. 12(3). Article 235. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12030235.
    
  • Can supplementary pollen feeding reduce varroa mite and virus levels and improve honey bee colony survival? -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, Gloria D., Corby-Harris, Vanessa L., Chen, Yanping, Graham, Henry, Chambers, Mona L., Watkins De Jong, Emily E., Ziolkowski, Nicholas F., Kang, Yun, Gage, Stepanhie L., Deeter, Megan E., Simone-Finstrom, Michael, De Guzman, Lilia, I. 2020. Can supplementary pollen feeding reduce varroa mite and virus levels and improve honey bee colony survival?. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 82:455-473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-020-00562-7.
    
  • Connecting the nutrient composition of seasonal pollens with changing nutritional needs of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Gage, S.L., Corby-Harris, V.L., Carroll, M.J., Chambers, M.L., Graham, R.H., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Calle, S.N., Meador, C.A., Snyder, L.A., Ziolkowski, N.F. 2018. Connecting the nutrient composition of seasonal pollens with changing nutritional needs of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. Journal of Insect Physiology. 109:114-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.07.002.
    
  • Population growth of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in colonies of Russian and unselected honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) stock as related to numbers of foragers with mites-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Ahumada, F., Danka, R.G., Chambers, M.L., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Hidalgo, G. 2017. Population growth of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in colonies of Russian and unselected honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) stock as related to numbers of foragers with mites. Journal of Economic Entomology. 110:809-815. doi:10.1093/jee/tox069.
    
  • Honey bee gut microbial communities are robust to the fungicide Pristine® consumed in pollen-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Corby-Harris, V.L., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G. 2016. Honey bee gut microbial communities are robust to the fungicide Pristine® consumed in pollen. Apidologie. doi:10.1007/s13592-016-0478-y.
    
  • Population growth of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in honey bee colonies is affected by the number of foragers with mites-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Ahumada, F., Zazueta, V.E., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G., Watkins De Jong, E.E. 2016. Population growth of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in honey bee colonies is affected by the number of foragers with mites. Experimental and Applied Acarology. doi: 10.1007/s10493-016-0022-9.
    
  • Effects of oral exposure to fungicides on honey bee nutrition and immunity-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Chen, Y., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G. 2015. Effects of oral exposure to fungicides on honey bee nutrition and immunity. Journal of Economic Entomology. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov251.
    
  • Honey bee colonies provided with natural forage have lower pathogen loads and higher overwinter survival than those fed protein supplements -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Hoffman, G.D., Chen, Y., Rivera, R., Carroll, M.J., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G., Watkins De Jong, E.E. 2015. Honey bee colonies provided with natural forage have lower pathogen loads and higher overwinter survival than those fed protein supplements. Apidologie. doi: 10.1007/s13592-015-0386-6.
    
  • EFFECTS OF HONEY BEE (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE) FORAGING ON SEED SET IN SELF-FERTILE SUNFLOWERS (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L.)-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    DeGrandi-Hoffman, G., Chambers, M. 2006. Effects of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Foraging on Seed Set in Self-fertile Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.). Environ. Entomol. 35(4): 1103-1108.
    
  • DESCRIPTION OF AN INTERMORPH BETWEEN A WORKER AND QUEEN IN AFRICAN HONEY BEES APIS MELLIFERA SCUTELLATA (HYMENOPTERA: APIDAE)-(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    DeGrandi-Hoffman, G., Chambers, M., Hooper, J.E., Schneider, S.S. Description of an intermorph between a worker and queen in African honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 2004. 97:1299-1305.
    

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