Healthy Hives 2020

Healthy Hives 2020 is a partnership between Project Apis m. and Bayer to support needed research and practical projects.  This multi-year, $1.3 million research initiative is laser focused on finding measurable and tangible solutions for beekeepers to improve U.S. honey bee colony health.  With PAm’s administrative support, Healthy Hives 2020 has funded 14 research and collaborative projects.

At the American Beekeeping Federation annual meeting in January, 2020, PAm and Bayer presented an inaugural symposium to talk about the initiative and the resulting research projects. The symposium was well attended and included talks by several researchers and a panel discussion followed by interactive demonstrations and displays.

Dr. Steve Sheppard from Washington State University led a panel discussion at the HH2020 Symposium in Schaumburg during the 2020 ABF meeting. From left to right: Dr. Steve Sheppard, Washington State University, Dr. Michael Simone-Finstrom, USDA-ARS Baton Rouge, Commercial beekeepers Tim Tucker and Zac Browning, Julie Shapiro, Honey Bee Health Coalition, Dr. James Wilkes and Dr. Joseph Cazier, Appalachian State University.

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Research areas supported through HH2020 include smart hive technology, Varroa controls, pathogens and virus research, queen quality and collaborative efforts like the Bee Integrated Demonstration Project. You can read about each of the projects included in this initiative by searching for “HH2020” on our website at ProjectApism.org/honey-bee-research.

Dr. Edmund Stark shows beekeepers and audience members the timed-release organic acids that he is developing with HH2020 funding. The products are now in field trials as a Varroa control option.

As the largest honey bee focused nonprofit in the USA, PAm is committed to enhancing the health of honey bees and crop production. With unparalleled connections and relationships with the beekeeping and honey bee research communities, PAm’s mission and position make a good fit to bring corporate support to agricultural researchers and beekeepers with a shared mission to help honey bees. PAm maintains a position of independence (link below) while ensuring that the research is of value to beekeepers and founded in good science.  Our corporate donors have funded over $5.3 Million in honey bee research projects. Of that $5.3 Million, over $1 Million has come from Bayer to support the HH2020 Initiative. Beekeepers and other donors have funded an additional  $1.2 Million in honey bee research collectively.

PAm Research 2006-2019

When working with all corporate sponsors, PAm maintains a position of independence which you can read here. If you have questions, we encourage you to read our Corporate Sponsor FAQs and/or reach out to us directly. We are glad to talk about our partnerships.
 
The HH2020 projects are ongoing, we are looking forward to taking project suggestions from beekeepers based on their needs, and fund practical research to inform their beeping practices.  Are you a beekeeper?  If so, talk to a PAm board member or let us know what your funding priorities are. Many beekeepers donate to PAm to support research in their best interest, dialogue with beekeepers is essential to prioritize the most practical solutions that make a difference.
 
Other HH2020 Resources: 
 
NEW!  Download the FREE HH2020 Guide for Indoor Storage of Honey Bee Colonies in the United States.
 
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7JsdEMKcaE
(embed online in article)
 
Link: Healthy Hives 2020 Flip Book
 
HH2020 Projects Funded:
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• Establishing the Diversity of the Deformed Wing Virus – Stephen J. Martin, Ph.D., University of Salford, Manchester, England; Randy Oliver, commercial beekeeper, Grass Valley, Calif.
• Phytochemicals as a Management Tool for Sustainable Honey Bee Colony Health – Arathi Seshadri, Ph.D., Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colo.
• Electronic Data Collection and Sensor Integration for Data Aggregation, Best Management Practices, Data Mining and Smart Hive Development – Joseph Cazier, Ph.D., Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.; James Wilkes, Ph.D., Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.; Ed Hassler, Ph.D., Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.
• Comparison of U.S. Honey Bee Genetic Lines for Queen Production and Pollination Efficiency Under Field Conditions – Steve Sheppard, Ph.D., Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
• Evaluation and Comparison of Management Strategies and Economics of Agricultural Practices in Commercial Beekeeping Operations – Brandon Hopkins, Ph.D., Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
• Determining How Nosema Ceranae Infection Alters the Honey Bee Midgut Microbiome – Quinn McFrederick, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, Calif.
• Pesticide Toxicity Analysis of Varroa Mites – Jody Johnson, Ph.D., Cullaborate LLC, Baltimore, Md.
• Optimization and Scale-Up of Timed-Release Organic Acides for Varroa Control – Edmund Stark, Ph.D., Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich.
• Comparative Characterization of Virus Content and Resistance in Genetic Lines of U.S. Honey Bees – Olav Rueppell, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Greensboro, N.C.
• Bee Integrated Demonstration – Pragmatic Beekeeping, Forage and Farming Practices – Julie Shapiro, Keystone Policy Institute, Keystone, Colo.; Mike Smith, Conversation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Ind.
• Understanding Varroa resistance in US bee populations - Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
• Development of a practical guide to indoor storage of honey bees - Brandon Hopkins, Ph.D., Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
• Determining how Nosema ceranae infection alters the honey bee midgut microbiome (lab experiments) and screening the microbiome of evidently Nosema resistant honey bees – James Nieh, University of California, San Diego, CA, Quinn McFrederick, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, Calif.
• ​Understanding Varroa Resistance in US bee Populations – Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Md.