The educational materials listed on this page are about Bees.
Apiculture is the management of bees for the purpose of bee breeding, insect pollination and honey production. Honey bees, among other native and non-native bees, are important to agriculture because of their role in crop pollination. Bee pollinated crops will more readily flower and fruit. Aside from bees, there is an entire list of pollinators that aid in serving this important ecological function. One threat to bees are bee diseases. Honey bee diseases can overcome a hive when a pest is introduced, therefore bee pest control is critical. Bee parasites are another threat to bee health, so it is important to find honey bee information that is geared toward your region, climate and other environmental issues. To combat diseases and boost production, some producers have honey bee breeding enterprises to maintain healthy populations. Finally, one of the most important ways to help increase bee production is to grow plants for pollinators. Key practices include pollination, beekeeping, pollinator health, pollinator habitat, honey, cultural control, integrated pest management.
The Cover Crops Topic Room provides information on how to improve crop diversity in order to attract pollinators. Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects is a helpful bulletin to guide practices that utilize cover crops for multiple beneficial uses, including pollination. SARE’s book How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee is a resource that provides practical information on best practices for blue orchard bee management to increase orchard production. Managing Alternative Pollinators explains how to manage your farm or ranch to encourage pollinators other than the honey bee.
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Identifying Pollen to Improve Honeybee Health
HUDSON, North Carolina – Honeybees forage their nutrition from two key plant sources: nectar and pollen. And while nectar is important, it’s the quality of pollen that is linked to colony health and growth, and may be the key to managing some of the major pollinator health issues like varroa mites and Colony Collapse Disorder. […]
Texas Beekeeper Rethinking Bee Hive Boxes for More Honey and Better Bee Health
MABANK, Texas – Texas beekeeper Daniel Brantner has a simple and economical solution for increasing honey production and improving the health of honey bees: redesigning the industry-standard bee hive boxes. Brantner, owner of Texas Honey Company and a certified Texas master beekeeper, is using his skills as an architect to turn the typical standard 16”X22” […]
Imidacloprid Residue in the Soil Harms Wild Bees
ATHENS, Georgia- New research funded by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program and conducted at the University of Georgia shows that imidacloprid residue harms wild bees. In a first-of-its-kind study, Christine Fortuin, now a post-doctorate researcher at the University of Georgia, developed a more accurate understanding of the lethal and sublethal effects of […]
Artificial Nesting Sites Attract Native Pollinators
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – Artificial nesting sites for pollinators placed in apple orchards have shown to boost native bee populations, according to results of a Georgia Gwinnett College study. In a Southern SARE-funded On-Farm Research Grant project, researchers focused on nesting sites for mason bees and mining bees – the workhorses of the native bee world […]
Artificial Nest Sites Boost Native Bees in Apple Orchards
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – Researchers with Georgia Gwinnett College have found that creating artificial nesting sites for native bees helps to increase their abundance – a boon for producers looking to native bee species to pollinate their crops. For several years, zoologist and project coordinator Mark Schlueter and taxonomist Nick Stewart, have been surveying native bees […]
Biocontrol Methods for Protecting Honeybees Against Pests
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Research from Florida A&M University has found that fungal pathogens can effectively and economically control the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) – an invasive pest of honeybees – while maintaining colony health. The results pave the way for more environmentally friendly biological controls in a pest management program. Through a Southern Sustainable […]
Finding a Fit for Native Pollinators in North Florida Sustainable Farm Management
GAINESVILLE, Florida – Natural landscapes surrounding North-central Florida farms may influence native pollinator diversity along with on-farm vegetation management, according to preliminary results of a University of Florida study. The findings may be useful to farmers interested in encouraging the number and types of native bees that visit their farms. Rosalyn Johnson, a graduate student […]
Looking for the Right Bee for Your Apple Orchards? Say Hello to the Native Mining Bee
LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – Commercial Georgia apple producers looking for an alternative to the honeybee to pollinate their orchards can say hello to the native mining bee (Andrena crataegi). Georgia Gwinnett College researchers have named the mining bee Georgia’s “apple bee,” for its abundance in north Georgia apple orchards and its efficiency in pollinating blossoms. The […]