Auburn University Bees

If you are in town, come hang out with us! Otherwise, participate on your own in your neck of the woods!

👇🏼 Join the count on Saturday, August 22!!
There will be pollinator specialists to answer your questions & walk you through the census.
More information about the census at https://gsepc.org/

Our review of the Tropilaelaps mites is hot off the press and is free to read here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2026.07.002

Learn about what we know, and don't know, about this rapidly expanding honey bee parasite.

Thanks to our great group of authors from North Dakota State University, PHIRA-Science, ม.แม่ฟ้าหลวง Mae Fah Luang University and Universität Hohenheim, and to support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

College of Agriculture at Auburn University Alabama Extension American Honey Producers Association American Beekeeping Federation

Congrats to Dr. Rogan Tokach, now at North Dakota State University, but formerly our PhD student for publishing another chapter from his dissertation!

He examined winter varroa treatment options (Apivar, Aluen CAP, and homemade OA pads) here in the southeast.

The article is open access here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218839.2026.2697125

Thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Project Apis m. for funding this work.

One of the Bee Center's amazing undergraduate technicians was recently featured on the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering's Podcast!

Listen now to hear about Dylan's experience at the Bee Center and the connections between honey bee research and engineering.

You can find the Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or visit the link below.

#GINNing Podcast: Honey, have you Heard? There’s a buzz around town about Dylan Heard, a rising senior in mechanical engineering. Heard has spent many hours of his time as an undergraduate student working with the Auburn University Bee Center making that honey, and come next year after graduation he’s going to be making that money.

We're excited to invite you to the AU-BEES 2026 Fall Practical Beekeeping Workshop in Auburn, AL, on Saturday, August 15th! This hands-on workshop will cover a range of beekeeping topics essential for maintaining healthy colonies during the Fall/Winter months. Check out the flyer below for more details and register for the workshop at aub.ie/beeworkshop

Looks like David Beckham’s freshly painted The Home Depot hive in Atlanta hasn’t received its certificate of occupancy - no bees! Go USA Soccer Men's National Team tonight!

See you in one hour!

Looking to strengthen your beekeeping skills this summer? Join Alabama Extension’s next At Home Beekeeping webinar on Tuesday, June 30, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. CT.

This month's free virtual session features Juliana Rangel of Texas A&M University, who will share practical tips and best practices for Queen Management Essentials.

Whether you're new to beekeeping or have years of experience, you'll gain valuable insights to help your hive thrive.

Hosted by Alabama Extension's beekeeping team, the webinar also includes a live Q&A where participants can get answers directly from the experts.
Register today: https://www.aces.edu/go/2820

Results of the latest US Beekeeping Survey are out!

During 2025-2026, beekeepers in the United States lost an estimated 39.9% of their managed honey bee colonies.

While this was 15.7 percentage points lower than last year’s record annual losses, honey bees and their beekeepers are not out of the woods. Many beekeepers still lost more than 50% of their colonies.

For more on the survey results, check out the news release: https://wire.auburn.edu/content/agriculture/2026/06/honeybeecolony0626.php?property=agriculture&utm_source=agriculture&utm_medium=web

Thanks to One Hive Foundation Project Apis m. National Honey Board North Dakota Department of Agriculture American Beekeeping Federation American Honey Producers Association Bee Culture Magazine American Bee Journal for supporting the survey!

Check out the latest version of the Honey Bee Health Coalition's Varroa Guide. It's free, and packed with great info about this important honey bee parasite.

Honey Bee Health Coalition Releases Ninth Edition of the Tools for Varroa Management Guide - Honey Bee Health Coalition The Honey Bee Health Coalition today released the ninth edition of its popular Tools for Varroa Management Guide. The guide provides information on the latest tools and options for beekeepers in the United States and Canada to keep bees healthy and manage varroa mites, which spread disease within an...