Hi, I’m Milly, I’m originally from Cornwall and have just finished a Masters by Research at the University of Bristol researching the Western honey bee Apis mellifera. I was looking at how damage to their wings affected foraging performance and how experimental and natural wing damage impact foraging of lifespan. Following this I have joined the University of Southampton to continue by research on bee species, completing a PhD project with Bumblebees.
Project title: The Effect of Sound on Bee Behaviour and Pollination Efficiency
University: University of Southampton
Supervisors: Dr Chaitanya Paruchuri and Dr Dan Stabler
Briefly, what is your PhD project about?
I will be working with Bumblebees looking at how sound effects their pollination behaviour and foraging performance.
Why is it important to do this research?
This research could be applied to the use of drones in agriculture, and it is important to understand the behaviour of bees and how this might affect crop pollination and biodiversity of species.
What drew you to studying this PhD?
I was wanting to continue my study of insects, and I really was drawn to the idea of working across multiple disciplines and learning new skills and understanding different fundamentals and applications of the science I do and into areas of interest.
What does a Sustainable Sound Future mean to you?
To me it means contributing acoustic based research in a way that has positive applications and provides meaningful data to support improvements in various industries and for a multitude of different people and places.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I was studying at the University of Bristol, completing a masters by research.
What do you do on a typical PhD day so far?
So far it consists of reading literature, answering emails, fulfilling online training and meetings with supervisors and peers.
Tell us a fun acoustic fact!
Many bee species use concentrated thoracic vibration to aid their pollen collection at a flower, it is known as buzz pollination.