Renowned bee expert joins Terra Vera

Ryan Boetel, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·2 min read

May 20—Just in time for World Bee Day.

Albuquerque-based agriculture technology company Terra Vera announced last week that renowned entomologist Jeff Pettis, who is an expert on honey bees, has joined the company.

Pettis formerly led a U.S. Department of Agriculture bee research laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland. He will be and advisor and consultant to the Albuquerque company.

Terra Vera specializes in crop management solutions to replace traditional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which have been linked to the decline in bees and other pollinators. It is currently seeking approval from the Environmental Protection Agency for an acid-based product to be used against mites, which are a threat to honey bees across the world, according to a Terra Vera news release.

"It is an honor to have someone as highly esteemed and knowledgeable in bee health and preservation as Dr. Jeff Pettis on the Terra Vera team," Carlos Perea, the CEO and cofounder of Terra Vera, said in a statement. "Our company was founded on the mission to provide scalable agricultural solutions to minimize loss while optimizing yield in ways that are cost-effective, eco-friendly and safe for bees and other essential pollinators needed to sustain global food supplies and the at-risk ecosystems we rely on."

The announcement that Pettis is joining the Albuquerque company coincides with World Bee Day, which is today. Terra Vera said in a news release that the honeybee population dropped 30% from 1989-2008.

Pettis' research has focused on improving bee colony health by limiting the impact of pests, diseases and pesticides.

"I've dedicated my entire career to studying honey bees and identifying viable solutions to address the various threats to their health and survival," Pettis said in a statement. "Until Terra Vera, I had yet to come across a transformative technology that can dramatically improve colony health and survival rates both safely and sustainably — something that is not only crucially important to beekeepers, but also invaluable to the wellbeing of our ecosystems and global food security. I am impressed with the organic nature of the Terra Vera product, as we need more organic options to use in beekeeping."