Resources for beekeepers
Apiculture programs and resources from Michigan State University Extension
Getting started with beekeeping
Articles
- Drawn comb is gold
- Getting good help
- Establishing a honey bee colony: success in the first year
- Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices for honey bees
- Meghan's unbeatable 'three fire' method for lighting a smoker
- Understanding city beekeeping ordinances
- Using wax to preserve woodenware
Other resources
- Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices (GAAMPs) for the Care of Farm Animals 2025
- Maximizing wax production on new equipment
- This is going to be the year - beekeepers year chart
Beekeeping management resources
Articles
- Beekeeping smoker maintenance
- Dealing with deadouts
- Don’t be surprised by swarms
- Don’t panic, It’s organic! Or is it?
- Feeding honey bees
- Help! I need a queen!
- Help! My colony has ants!
- Sustainable Northern beekeeping: A method to improve survival and reduce replacement costs
- Swarms: The biology and control of swarms in northern states
- The greatest generation: Winter bees
- What to do if you suspect your honey bee colonies are harmed by pesticides
- Working with queen cells
Other resources
Beekeeping organizations
Michigan beekeeping associations
Regional beekeeping associations
- Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS)
- Heartland Apicultural Society (HAS)
- Western Apicultural Society (WAS)
National beekeeping associations
International beekeeping associations
- Apimondia - International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations
- COLOSS – honey bee research association
- Eva Crane Trust
Commercial beekeeping
- Beekeeping business and financial guides from Cornell University
- Pollination service contracts examples
- Farm management and financial resources from MSU Extension
Diseases and antibiotics
- Biosecurity in the bee yard
- Changes in honey bee antibiotic regulations
- Diagnosing and treating American foulbrood in honey bee colonies
- Do my honey bees need a veterinarian?
- 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
Varroa-related resources
- DIY varroa mite wash jars
- Keep Bees Alive
- Keeping your bees safe from the varroa mite
- Your bees don't have to die: How can we become treatment-free without killing our colonies?
- Varroa mite monitoring: Using a sugar roll to identify populations of Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies
- Why did my honey bees die? Learning to identify a common cause of winter death in northern climates
Beekeeping on farms
- Farm State of Mind campaign to expand impact in rural mental health
- Resources on managing farm stress from MSU Extension
- The Micro Farm Program: A USDA crop insurance program that can benefit beekeepers
Michigan-specific resources
- Michigan honey bee veterinarian contact list
- Michigan beekeeping rules and regulations
- Needs assessment of Michigan small-scale beekeepers
- Producing a value-added product on the farm: Liquid honey
- Rules and regulations for selling honey in Michigan
Webinars and videos
- Ag Around Michigan: Beekeeping with Ana Heck (4-H)
- Beekeeping Around the World: China with Dr. Zachary Huang
- Cabin Fever Conversations: Honey bees with Ana Heck
- MSU Apiculture Extension webinars and videos
- What spotted lanternfly means for beekeepers with Robyn Underwood
- Wild Spartans: All about honey bees with Ana Heck - 4-H Environmental & Outdoor Education