UMD Bee Lab

Attention all Maryland Beekeeping Club members:

The Maryland State Beekeepers Association is partially funding Maryland county clubs who would like to participate in the MD Sentinel Program, through University of Maryland Bee Lab.

If your MSBA county representative (your 2nd VP) hasn’t responded yet, the window closes at 5 PM tonight.

Email [email protected] with a “Yes” if your club wants financial support and an application will be sent to you by tomorrow, April 18.
The MSBA application deadline is April 22, 5pm.

We are deeply grateful for the support of MSBA in facilitating community science programs involving honey bees!

Calling all Maryland and DC area beekeepers! The Maryland Sentinel Program is now live! Stop by umdbeelab.com/sentinel to learn more or register!
Registration closes April 1, 2026

Maryland Sentinel Program A community-science program that supports Maryland beekeeping clubs in their teaching apiaries through structured honey bee colony health monitoring, diagnostic services, and support. Program costs cover supplies and diagnostics.

Check out our latest post on Last Week in the Apiary!
Last Week in the Apiary is a program that features weekly update on our actions, observations, lessons learned, and other useful information from our work in the UMD Bee Lab yards!

We had a great time sharing details of this resource at the Maryland State Beekeepers Association meeting on November 15th and talking with members!

Last Week in the Apiary Feeding the last round of 2:1 syrup with bees at the bottom of the feeder. Photo by Eric Malcolm, November 13, 2025.

There have been reports of uncommonly high losses by beekeepers across the US between June 2024 and the present date. Project Apis m. will be hosting a free webinar regarding the losses and an update on samples collected and analyzed by the USDA on February 28 at 12pm (EST).

Click the link below to register to attend this conference or to learn more.

2025 Colony Loss Results: Survey Data and Sample Analyses.  — Project Apis m. The sudden colony losses this year resulted in efforts to survey beekeepers regarding their losses, and USDA scientists traveled to collect samples from colonies in the field. In this public, free webinar we will share information with stakeholders about our activities and progress analyzing the sur

Have you ever opened up a colony and were confused by what you saw? It happens to all of us.

Last month, we came across a situation that looked a little unusual and wanted to share the experience!

Visit our blog to read more!

Eggs on the Wall - Laying workers or new queen? By: Eric Malcolm

Yesterday we were joined by the women of Hon’s Honey who were processing their 2024 honey harvest! This Baltimore nonprofit is improving lives one jar of honey at a time. 🍯 Hon’s Honey employs and empowers women through job creation and skill development, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to lend them a hand as they continue to grow and make a real difference in both the beekeeping and Maryland community!

Our extension specialist Eric wowed participants at the Eastern Apicultural Society Conference in Ellicott City. Eric demonstrated how to measure frames of brood, and how to assess brood pattern, both being important factors to consider when inspecting your bees! Eric sure knows how to make a buzz in the beekeeping community with his vast field knowledge and big sense of humor.

We also want to give a big thank you to EAS for all of their hard work in planning this conference. It is an excellent opportunity for beekeepers across the Eastern seaboard to connect, collaborate, and educate one another! 🐝🌸

Have you ever wondered how chitin has shaped evolution and the roles it plays in honey bee anatomy? Dive into our latest blog post, written by our undergraduate intern, Harriet, to unravel the fascinating and complex role of this vital compound in bee biology. Plus, get an inside look at the anatomy class pictured here, led by Dr. vanEngelsdorp and Dr. Nearman, exclusively for future Maryland master beekeepers! Don’t miss out — head to our blog on the UMD Bee Lab website to read more!

Happy Pollinator Week!
In addition to celebrating our pollinators, we're excited to share a milestone of our friends at Mission Beelieve! They are celebrating 4 amazing years of serving our veterans and first responders - in Maryland and beyond!

Thank you and keep up the great work!

The successor to the BIP Loss and Management Survey is now live!
Please take a few moments to add your experience to the collective hive mind, now through May 31st!

The 2023-2024 US Beekeeping Survey is Live!

Auburn University partnered with the Apiary Inspectors of America to create and distribute an annual survey to monitor honey bee colony losses and beekeeping practices in the United States, since the Bee Informed Partnership is no longer administering a survey.

If you are 18+ years old, become a Citizen Scientist by participating until midnight on May 31, 2024. It will take 15-30 minutes to complete. To learn more and participate, go to: https://aub.ie/colonysurvey

Please encourage others to participate by sharing this post!

American Beekeeping Federation American Honey Producers Association Honey Bee Health Coalition National Honey Board Eastern Apicultural Society Western Apicultural Society Bee Culture Magazine American Bee Journal Project Apis m. One Hive Foundation The Pollinator Partnership Beekeeping Today Podcast Insidethehive.TV