Information for Beekeepers
Sites listed on this page are suggested as general information/education for beekeepers. Before following any advice from any links (here or otherwise), be sure to consider your own situation (location, level of experience, etc.).
If you have a site that you think should be shared, or if you are looking for information on a beekeeping topic, please contact us at [email protected].
Should you Become a Beekeeper? - If you do not already have hives, this may be the best place to start. Not trying to talk you out of it, but you wouldn't "get into farming" or "take up sky diving" without doing a little research, first!
Should I become a beekeeper? (Part I) - Advice from University of Minnesota's Bee Lab
Should I keep bees? (Part II) - Advice from the Michigan Pollinator Initiative at Michigan State University
Getting Started with Beekeeping in Michigan - More good advice from MSU about starting out.
Beekeeping Clubs and Contacts - Working with other beekeepers is one of the best ways to learn!
Bay de Noc Beekeeping Club (Facebook)
Michigan Beekeepers Association – List of clubs around the state.
Northwoods Beekeepers (Facebook)
Superior Beekeeping Club (Facebook)
Books & Journals
American Bee Journal - ABJ is the oldest English-language beekeeping journal in the world! Published now by Dadant.
Bee Culture - The Magazine of American Beekeeping
Wicwas Press - Every book on bees & beekeeping you'd ever want to find!
Educational Websites
UP Michigan Bees – Joel Lantz’ website. Loaded with wisdom – mostly about beekeeping!
UP Beekeeping Conference – Hopefully back in 2023!! Check back for information in late 2022.
Michigan Beekeepers Association – One of the oldest beekeeping organizations in the country (since 1865!).
Michigan Pollinator Initiative – MPI addresses current and future issues related to bees, other pollinators, and pollination in Michigan. Be sure to check out these beekeeping-specific pages on the site:
Bee the Best! - Dr. Zachary Huang's MSU website. Extensive online info on beekeeping, research, photography, even poetry!
Univ of Minn Bee Lab – Bee Squad – Links to Bee Lab info, education, programs, bulletins.
Univ of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre – Great info from our Canadian friends! Bear in mind that they are located a ways south of the U.P.; about same latitude as Saginaw or Bay City.
PennState Extension – Beekeeping 101 – Online course (10 sections/9 hours) for beginning beekeepers. Note that this is from a Pennsylvania point of view. Seasonal discussions (when to hive/feed/split, honey flows, etc.) will not be accurate for Michigan beekeeping.
Educational Videos and Workshops
MSU Pollinators and Pollination Events - Find workshops and webinars of interest to beekeepers.
UP Michigan Bees - Joel's videos on beekeeping in the Upper Peninsula.
Bee Wise Farms, LLC - Hands-on beekeeping courses, workshops and "open apiary" hours. Near Newberry.
Univ of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre - Comprehensive library of all-things-beekeeping, from beginning to advanced topics.
Univ of Minn Bee Lab – Instructive and entertaining vignettes on a variety of beekeeping topics.
Varroa Mite Testing and Management - SO IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF YOUR (and your neighbor's) HIVES!!
Sadly, it's not a question of whether your hives will experience varroa mites, it's a question of when! This is perhaps the number-one obstacle that bees - and beekeepers - face. As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to keep our colonies healthy and thriving. Read on for some excellent resources to help us do just that!
*****
If you missed Meghan Milbrath's Varroa presentation at our "Beekeeping 201" (March 2023) or would like to review the information presented, links to her paper, video, and management decision tree are below. Also find them on her Sandhill Bees Varroa page. The page includes excellent discussions of breeding for better bees, how to monitor for Varroa, and how to manage for Varroa. They include discussion of Varroa, monitoring, cultural methods of control, chemical (organic and synthetic) methods of control, situational examples, and a decision-making chart.
Varroa Management - Honey Bee Health Coalition - A series of videos on how to test for Varroa and how to use various treatments to combat Varroa. Be sure to scroll down to find the Varroa Management Guide and Varroa Management Decision Tool. Great resources!
Keep Bees Alive - Michigan Pollinator Initiative (msu.edu) - This is a page from the Michigan Pollinator Initiative, hosted by MSU. A lengthy list of links to information about Varroa and how to manage Varroa. Be sure to read "Our philosophy" for an excellent perspective on our responsibilities as beekeepers!
Bee Informed Partnership - Home - Source of data concerning Varroa mites in the U.S. Includes a number of interactive maps, such as colony loss, mite levels, Mite Check citizen-science data, and more.
Bee Informed Partnership - MiteCheck - A site where you can share YOUR mite-testing data.
Varroa Mites | Bee Lab (umn.edu) - University of Minnesota's Varroa mite page. Provides information and links to some of UM's own honey bee research and a link to the Bee Squad Varroa Mite Testing Kit.
Beekeeping for Veterans
Heroes to Hives was established in 2015 at Bee Wise Farms LLC by its owners Adam and Lacey Ingrao as a way to give back to veterans in their community. The program they developed offered military veterans the opportunity to learn about beekeeping through instruction and mentorship. Additional information is available on the Bee Wise Farms website and from the MSU website.
Purchasing Package Bees, Nucs, and/or Queens
Northern Bee Network - An organization designed to support beekeepers in the Northern States by promoting collaboration between beekeepers and by providing resources for more sustainable beekeeping.
Michelle Landis – Get updates on Michelle's spring bee order by following the Superior Beekeeping Club Facebook page.
2023 NUCS – Bee Wise Farms, LLC - Limited quantities. Overwintered in the eastern U.P. Pick up in Newberry.
Sites listed on this page are suggested as general information/education for beekeepers. Before following any advice from any links (here or otherwise), be sure to consider your own situation (location, level of experience, etc.).
If you have a site that you think should be shared, or if you are looking for information on a beekeeping topic, please contact us at [email protected].
Should you Become a Beekeeper? - If you do not already have hives, this may be the best place to start. Not trying to talk you out of it, but you wouldn't "get into farming" or "take up sky diving" without doing a little research, first!
Should I become a beekeeper? (Part I) - Advice from University of Minnesota's Bee Lab
Should I keep bees? (Part II) - Advice from the Michigan Pollinator Initiative at Michigan State University
Getting Started with Beekeeping in Michigan - More good advice from MSU about starting out.
Beekeeping Clubs and Contacts - Working with other beekeepers is one of the best ways to learn!
Bay de Noc Beekeeping Club (Facebook)
Michigan Beekeepers Association – List of clubs around the state.
Northwoods Beekeepers (Facebook)
Superior Beekeeping Club (Facebook)
Books & Journals
American Bee Journal - ABJ is the oldest English-language beekeeping journal in the world! Published now by Dadant.
Bee Culture - The Magazine of American Beekeeping
Wicwas Press - Every book on bees & beekeeping you'd ever want to find!
Educational Websites
UP Michigan Bees – Joel Lantz’ website. Loaded with wisdom – mostly about beekeeping!
UP Beekeeping Conference – Hopefully back in 2023!! Check back for information in late 2022.
Michigan Beekeepers Association – One of the oldest beekeeping organizations in the country (since 1865!).
Michigan Pollinator Initiative – MPI addresses current and future issues related to bees, other pollinators, and pollination in Michigan. Be sure to check out these beekeeping-specific pages on the site:
- Beekeepers - Michigan Pollinator Initiative (msu.edu)
- Resources for Beekeepers - Michigan Pollinator Initiative (msu.edu)
Bee the Best! - Dr. Zachary Huang's MSU website. Extensive online info on beekeeping, research, photography, even poetry!
Univ of Minn Bee Lab – Bee Squad – Links to Bee Lab info, education, programs, bulletins.
Univ of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre – Great info from our Canadian friends! Bear in mind that they are located a ways south of the U.P.; about same latitude as Saginaw or Bay City.
PennState Extension – Beekeeping 101 – Online course (10 sections/9 hours) for beginning beekeepers. Note that this is from a Pennsylvania point of view. Seasonal discussions (when to hive/feed/split, honey flows, etc.) will not be accurate for Michigan beekeeping.
Educational Videos and Workshops
MSU Pollinators and Pollination Events - Find workshops and webinars of interest to beekeepers.
UP Michigan Bees - Joel's videos on beekeeping in the Upper Peninsula.
Bee Wise Farms, LLC - Hands-on beekeeping courses, workshops and "open apiary" hours. Near Newberry.
Univ of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre - Comprehensive library of all-things-beekeeping, from beginning to advanced topics.
Univ of Minn Bee Lab – Instructive and entertaining vignettes on a variety of beekeeping topics.
Varroa Mite Testing and Management - SO IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF YOUR (and your neighbor's) HIVES!!
Sadly, it's not a question of whether your hives will experience varroa mites, it's a question of when! This is perhaps the number-one obstacle that bees - and beekeepers - face. As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to keep our colonies healthy and thriving. Read on for some excellent resources to help us do just that!
*****
If you missed Meghan Milbrath's Varroa presentation at our "Beekeeping 201" (March 2023) or would like to review the information presented, links to her paper, video, and management decision tree are below. Also find them on her Sandhill Bees Varroa page. The page includes excellent discussions of breeding for better bees, how to monitor for Varroa, and how to manage for Varroa. They include discussion of Varroa, monitoring, cultural methods of control, chemical (organic and synthetic) methods of control, situational examples, and a decision-making chart.
- Making a Plan for Varroa video
- Making a Plan for Varroa paper (pdf)
- Varroa treatment decision tree
Varroa Management - Honey Bee Health Coalition - A series of videos on how to test for Varroa and how to use various treatments to combat Varroa. Be sure to scroll down to find the Varroa Management Guide and Varroa Management Decision Tool. Great resources!
Keep Bees Alive - Michigan Pollinator Initiative (msu.edu) - This is a page from the Michigan Pollinator Initiative, hosted by MSU. A lengthy list of links to information about Varroa and how to manage Varroa. Be sure to read "Our philosophy" for an excellent perspective on our responsibilities as beekeepers!
Bee Informed Partnership - Home - Source of data concerning Varroa mites in the U.S. Includes a number of interactive maps, such as colony loss, mite levels, Mite Check citizen-science data, and more.
Bee Informed Partnership - MiteCheck - A site where you can share YOUR mite-testing data.
Varroa Mites | Bee Lab (umn.edu) - University of Minnesota's Varroa mite page. Provides information and links to some of UM's own honey bee research and a link to the Bee Squad Varroa Mite Testing Kit.
Beekeeping for Veterans
Heroes to Hives was established in 2015 at Bee Wise Farms LLC by its owners Adam and Lacey Ingrao as a way to give back to veterans in their community. The program they developed offered military veterans the opportunity to learn about beekeeping through instruction and mentorship. Additional information is available on the Bee Wise Farms website and from the MSU website.
Purchasing Package Bees, Nucs, and/or Queens
Northern Bee Network - An organization designed to support beekeepers in the Northern States by promoting collaboration between beekeepers and by providing resources for more sustainable beekeeping.
Michelle Landis – Get updates on Michelle's spring bee order by following the Superior Beekeeping Club Facebook page.
2023 NUCS – Bee Wise Farms, LLC - Limited quantities. Overwintered in the eastern U.P. Pick up in Newberry.