Beekeepers

As this website grows, we will send updates through the Michigan Beekeepers Association mailing list.  Sign up for the MBA mailing list.

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Apiculture Extension update from Michigan State University Extension - November 2022

Getting started with beekeeping

• Is Beekeeping Right for Me? free, online course
• Thinking about becoming a beekeeper?
• Getting started with beekeeping in Michigan
• Starting and Keeping Bees in Michigan: Rules and Regulations
• List of Recommended Resources for Beekeepers

Beekeeping resources 

• Send MSU beekeeping questions through Ask Extension
• List of Recommended Resources for Beekeepers
• Michigan Beekeeping Rules and Regulations
  • Rules and regulations for selling honey in Michigan
  • Producing a Value-Added Product on the Farm: Liquid Honey
• How to Help Your City Change Regulations about Bees
• Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for the Care of Farm Animals 2022
• Generally accepted agricultural and management practices for honey bees explanatory article
• Problem and Unwanted Bees
• What to do if you suspect your honey bee colonies were damaged by pesticides
• List of labs that will test honey for pesticides
• Changes in Bee Antibiotic Regulations
• Michigan Beekeepers Association
• Learn about and follow the Michigan Sentinel Apiary Project
• Northern Bee Network (local queens and nucs)
• Pollinator policy advocacy resources
• Varroa Related Resources
  • Why Did My Honey Bees Die?
  • Varroa Mite Monitoring
  • Keeping Your Bees Safe from the Varroa Mite
  • Towards Treatment Free Beekeeping
• Getting started with beekeeping
  • Lighting a smoker
  • Establishing a honey bee colony: success in the first year
  • Maximizing wax production on new equipment
• Swarms and queens
  • Swarms biology and control in Northern states
  • Help! I need a queen!
• This is going to be the year - beekeepers year chart
• Feeding honey bees
• Help! My Colony has Ants!
• Diagnosing and treating American Foulbrood in honey bee Colonies
• Sustainable beekeeping using late season nucs
• Dr. Meghan Milbrath's American Bee Journal Beekeeping Basics Column
  • The Greatest Generation: Winter Bees
  • Do my Honey Bees Need a Veterinarian?
  • Dealing with Deadouts
  • Don’t be Surprised by Swarms
  • Drawn Comb is Gold
  • Getting Good Help
  • Help I need a Queen!
  • Working with Queen Cells
  • Biosecurity in the beeyard
  • Don’t Panic, It’s Organic! Or is it?
  • Using Wax to Preserve Woodenware
• Special collection of scientific articles on honey bee research from the Journal of Insect Science
• The Micro Farm Program: A USDA crop insurance program that can benefit beekeepers
• Identifying and mitigating foulbrood in honey bee colonies and reducing the use of antibiotics information for beekeepers and veterinarians from the Honey Bee Health Coalition
• Needs assessment of Michigan small-scale beekeepers

Webinars and videos

• MSU Apiculture Extension webinars and videos 
• Wild Spartans: All About Honey Bees with Ana Heck - 4-H Environmental & Outdoor Education
• Ag Around Michigan: Beekeeping with Ana Heck (4-H)
• Cabin Fever Conversations: Honey bees with Ana Heck
• What Spotted Lanternfly means for Beekeepers with Robyn Underwood
• Beekeeping Around the World: China with Dr. Zachary Huang

MSU Apiculture social media

• Michigan State University Honey Bees Facebook Page
• Michigan Pollinator Initiative Facebook Page

Resources on dealing with farm stress

• Resources on managing farm stress from MSU Extension
• Farm State of Mind campaign to raise mental health awareness among the farming community 

Resources for commercial beekeepers

• Commercial beekeeper monitoring program with the Bee Informed Partnership
• Financial and management guides from MSU Extension
• Business resources for beekeepers from Cornell University
• Examples of pollination contracts

Please submit beekeeping questions through the Ask Extension.