Apiculture Extension at Penn State

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!

Picnic and Bee Extravaganza Beekeepers summer picnic

An updated version of this guide just came out! A very valuable resource.

https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/HBHC-Guide_Varroa-Mgmt_9thEd.pdf

Did you know? Male honey bees (drones) die during mating.

We had a wonderful workshop all about drones as part of the DUDE (Deep Understanding of Drones Education) program thanks to funding from the One Hive Foundation.

Got ticks?

This weekend I’m in Rifle, CO sharing beekeeping resources with the Colorado State Beekeepers Association.

The discount code at the Ramada (071826BEE) expires on June 18. Book your room and register for the event soon!

Summer Picnic and Bee Extravaganza Join us for a hands-on beekeeping weekend with workshops, demonstrations, and activities for all experience levels, including hive skills, bee products, and more. Lunch provided.

Thank you One Hive Foundation for funding important honey bee research and education! We appreciate you!