Mitey Kate joins LASI’s outreach effort

Mitey Kate joins LASI’s outreach effort

Sussex’s Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects received an unusual Christmas present to support its outreach programme.

Millennium FX , makers of props and prosthetics for the TV and film industries, produced a giant model varroa mite to highlight the problems facing honey bees.

The disturbingly life-like mite was created by Kate Walshe, whose credits include Doctor Who, Being Human and The Fattest Man in Britain.

The beastie - affectionately christened Mitey Kate - will be taken into schools and colleges by Karin Alton who hopes it will bring home to pupils the horrors of parasitism.

Alton says: ’When Kate approached me last February with a view to obtain some dead bees for reference material for a project for an existing client, I had no idea that our collaboration would lead to the production of such a valuable outreach tool.

"Being a great Who fan, I was inspired by an episode which featured a ’time beetle’ situated on the back of Who’s assistant, Donna Noble.

"I thought a model of a Varroa mite, made to scale, would make a great visual aid when describing the dangers of these mites to our honey bee colonies.

"Kate generously agreed, and I am very grateful to both Kate and to Millennium FX for their time and expertise in producing Mitey Kate, and for letting me visit their exciting workshops."

To create a new creature, a scale model or maquette is first produced. Once the design is agreed, a full-size sculpture is produced and used to form a mould. The finished item can then be cast in latex and painted.

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By: Karin Alton
Last updated: Tuesday, 3 January 2012

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