Ron Bitner

With a Ph.D. in Entomology from Utah State University, Ron has over 30 years of experience with management of pollinators and crops requiring bee pollination. As the Partner/Pollination Consultant with International Pollination Systems (IPS), Ron worked to develop pollination and integrated pest management programs for alfalfa seed and hybrid canola seed grown in Australia. Ron has been President of the Pollination and Pest Management Consulting Services since 1981, and is the owner/operator of Bitner Vineyards, a 15-acre vineyard of premium wine grapes. Ron blends his love for bees - specifically the Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee - with his work on the Vineyard, where he plants cover-crops to provide bee habitat and adorns bottle corks with images of leafcutters.