What we will be doing in the Midwest will be slightly different than in California, since we will be primarily working with non-queen breeders.  Our focus will be helping commercial honey producers and pollinators monitor their pest populations year-round. We will be based out of the University of Minnesota with Marla Spivak and be traveling to different beekeeper locations.

Back in California, Mike and Rob will continue to do wonderfully on the CA Bee Team and in the fall they will have a third person on the team again, Elizabeth Frost. Liz will be working with me over the summer, then go back to California in September. Before leaving, we had a meeting with the participating queen breeders, who agreed to pay more for services and fund Liz’s salary. We want every Bee Team to become independent of governmental funding and grants, so paying for service is going to be necessary. This idea was (and has been) well-received by the participants.

It is exciting to be back in Minnesota and see friends and family, but I will miss the people of California. It was a wonderful experience and a real privilege to have worked with some of the best beekeepers in the world.

Bee yard in North Dakota.

One beekeeper meeting I attended in California expressed concern about this very issue, vowing to work to get more young people involved for fear of the rapid aging of the industry.  They worried beekeeping was a dying art and wondered what the future of it is if the younger generation has a lack of interest and enthusiasm.

In my opinion one of the best ways to get the younger generation interested in something is by raising awareness through hands on experience or through a young age. Parents, this is where you come in. If you keep bees or know a local organization that does, take your child with you and expose them to the joys of beekeeping. Consider going to a local school and sharing what you know about beekeeping and its importance in today’s society. Some universities and high schools even have beekeeping clubs. If yours does, consider getting involved, if not, it looks like you have a new project on your hands—get out there and start one! It’s a great way to spark interest, share camaraderie, and provide helpful hints and tips for one another.

Beekeeping is not an age specific hobby or job and so it should not be filled with older adults with no one to step up take their place. Young kids through senior citizens can be involved. It’s up the younger generation to help take beekeeping into the 21^st century and encourage participation. Get off your cell phones youngsters; it’s time to head outside.

Bee Informed National Management Survey 2010-2011 Release: Small hive beetle control (April 18, 2012)

Bee Informed National Management Survey 2010-2011 Release: Comb management (April 18, 2012)

Katie and Rob freezing brood with liquid nitrogen

For an overview of the California Bee Team’s work in the field, see..

McNeil. (2012). Boots on the Ground: A Radical Shift in the Interface Between Research and Real World. Bee Culture. April 2012.