The Honey Bee Research and Extension program

Our program focuses on honey bee health, nutrition, and pollination with a goal of servicing commercial beekeepers, backyard beekeepers, producers, and all citizens that are interested in bees.

Research Overview Video

Oregon Master Beekeeper Program

The Oregon Master Beekeeper Program represents a cooperative effort between Oregon State University and the Oregon State Beekeepers Association to contribute to both the health of honey bee colonies and the integrity of the practice of beekeeping throughout the region.

The primary objectives of the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program are to:

  • Increase beekeeper's knowledge and understanding of honey bees and beekeeping
  • Encourage ongoing education of beekeepers at all levels
  • Increase public awareness of honey bees and beekeeping
  • Encourage mentorship and outreach
  • Support best-management practices and consistency in beekeeping practice
  • Provide opportunities and training and hands-on experience
  • Provide an objective means for an individual to evaluate his/her own progress and level of expertise
  • Encourage membership in and support of state and local beekeeper associations

Click here to learn more

The Honey Bee Lab has a number of ways that you can learn about honey bees and beekeeping. Academic offerings include the class ENT 322 – Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping, an Entomology minor, and graduate study in Entomology. Members of the community can train to be Oregon Master Beekeepers as well.

Click here to learn more

 

 

Honey bee boxes. Photo: OSU

“It’s an enigmatic disease. We understand the basics, but we don’t know why this disease flares up some years and then goes down,” said project director Ramesh Sagili, a professor in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and an apicul...


Marek Stanton holding pollinator license plate

The Pollinator Paradise License Plate is available starting in November. For each one sold, $35 benefit OSU’s bee research programs.


Manzanita provides needed nourishment for bees in winter. Photo by Neil Bell.

During the bleak days of winter, bees and other pollinators look to gardeners for the nourishment that keeps them going until the more abundant seasons of the year arrive.


 Clover and ryegrass are the dominent plants in a pollinator lawn. Photo by Carolyn Breece.

To support pollinators, people have turned to creating eco-friendly spaces around their homes, including replacing their grass lawns with flowering plants.


The presence of Asian Giant Hornets (AGH) has recently been reported in Washington and Canada. They are a serious pest in Asia, and have the potential to become a serious pest in the United States. Vigilance and monitoring can help AGH...