Indoor Storage of Honey Bees: A Guide, a Facility, and BMPs

On March 6, Washington State University (WSU) opened the doors to it’s new Honey Bee & Pollinator Research, Extension and Education Facility.  WSU says “the new facility will give the research team enough room to do commercial-scale experiments. They will be able to measure the effectiveness of controlled atmosphere storage and dial in the best way for beekeepers to use it to help their bees.”  As indoor storage becomes a more widely used management practice for commercial beekeepers, the new WSU facility is an important tool for researchers to help beekeepers understand and use Best Management Practices surrounding the practice.  

The ribbon to the new WSU Honey Bee & Pollinator Research, Extension and Education Facility was cut by AHPA Vice President Chris Hiatt and his family, whose donations supported the facility. ​

Project Apis m. (PAm) has a long-standing relationship with WSU bee researchers and has supported many research projects coming out of their bee lab including the world’s first honey bee germplasm repository, queen quality research, beekeeping technology and recently the HealthyHives 2020 initiative funded Dr. Hopkins to publish the first guide for indoor storage of honey bees.  
 
In 2009, PAm was the first organization to publish honey bee BMPs.  Since that time these BMPs have been updated and expanded upon by other partnering organizations, like theHoney Bee Health Coalitionand the Almond Board of California.  Today, PAm continues our legacy of listening to beekeepers and providing the tools they need by supporting Dr. Hopkins’ guide for indoor storage of honey bees.  

​At the national AHPA and ABF meetings in 2020, about 500 guides were given away to beekeepers and an additional 150 guides have been downloaded free from the PAm website.  
 
As indoor storage research continues and evolves, stay tuned for updates and new information!
 
You can learn more about PAm funded research here, and download the free indoor storage guide for honey bees in the US here. 
 
 
Author:
Sharah Yaddaw
Communiations Director, Project Apis m. 
Sharah@ProjectApism.org