Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Animal Products: honey

• Animals: bees

• Pollinators: honey bees

Target Pests

• Target Pests: varroa mite

Practices

• Pest Management: cultural control, decision support system, disease vectors, economic threshold, genetic resistance, pesticide resistance management, pesticides, prevention, traps

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, parasite control, preventive practices

• Crop Production: beekeeping/honey

• Sustainable Communities: quality of life

Incarcerated Persons (IPs) are an underserved population when it comes to educational opportunities. Hands-on and in-person classes are few and have waitlists for participation. IPs take these opportunities seriously and come to class thirsty for knowledge. The increasing demand for information on ways to support bee health in Minnesota and our incarcerated population reflects that demand. Many IPs hope to keep bees after their release either as a vocation or as a hobbyist.

The Bee Squad is the education and outreach arm of the University of Minnesota Bee Lab, supporting research and disseminating information to promote overall bee health. Since 2018, the Bee Squad has facilitated beekeeping programs in two state correctional facilities, Faribault and Willow River. IPs are taught honey bee biology and management strategy in the classroom and then mentored to become proficient beekeepers in their apiaries. IPs receive bi-weekly instruction throughout the “bee season” and perform all management including honey extraction. 

Keeping honey bees healthy has become more and more challenging, primarily due to the varroa mite (Varroa destructor). Varroa mites shorten the life span of parasitized bees and vector viruses. In recent years, average colony losses have been as high as 37%, largely due to varroa mites. Pesticides are often used in the control of varroa, allowing for the possibility of pesticide resistance, contaminated equipment and honey. The Bee Squad educates beekeepers to manage mites using IPM practices including monitoring, prevention, and taking action when necessary, as well as ways to avoid synthetic pesticide use.

The beekeeping programs have been well received and healthy hives have produced honey that the IPs have donated to local food shelves as part of their restitution. IPs care deeply about their bees and want to know the best ways to manage them. The Bee Squad follows the Beekeeping Northern Climates manual developed by the Bee Lab and would like to expand the instruction of IPM practices with IPs. The Department of Corrections covers some of the equipment costs, but the Bee Squad has covered the bulk of the programming costs through private funding. The Bee Squad is requesting funding through the FY2024 Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Grant in order to support their goal.

Objectives:

1. Provide hands-on educational opportunity to incarcerated persons at two Minnesota prisons.
2. Provide IPM training for incarcerated persons in order to provide them with the skills needed to keep honey bee colonies healthy.