Dr. Frank D. Rinkevich is a Research Entomologist at the USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory in Baton Rouge, LA. Frank has extensive training in insect toxicology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. The goal of Dr. Frank's research is to provide a basic understanding of pesticide toxicology that is relevant to field conditions in the commercial beekeeping industry. The major focus of Dr. Rinkevich’s research is amitraz resistance in the honey bee parasite, Varroa destructor. This project determining the prevalence and distribution of amitraz resistance in Varroa destructor, developing an international cooperative network for resistance monitoring with bioassays and genotyping, understanding the amitraz use patterns that lead to amitraz resistance, evaluating management practices to overcome amitraz resistant Varroa, and identifying new miticides.

Other research interests include evaluating the effects of pesticide exposure on colony survivorship in commercial beekeeping operations, assessing metabolic detoxification of insecticides, establishing the effects of fungicides on colony health, and evaluating the performance of honey bee stocks selected for low Varroa populations in commercial beekeeping conditions.