Research
Project Apis m. strategically supports university and USDA researchers in addressing the most pressing challenges facing beekeepers and honey bee health.
To date, we have invested over $13 million in applied research and impactful projects across North America—and our commitment to progress continues.
Explore our research database below to learn more about the projects we fund. For a broader view of national-level honey bee health research, visit the Bee Health Collective’s database.
Research Database
Search our database of funded research by subject, university, investigator or keyword.
Current Funding | Active Projects
Quick Links to Research Topics
Varroa and Varroa Control
Varroa and Varroa Control $42,986 Dr. Christophe Duplais, Cornell University, Evaluating the efficacy of a novel eco-friendly biopesticide on Varroa destructor. National Honey Board
Varroa and Varroa Control $150,000 Ms. Louise Petit, University of Florida, New approaches for Varroa destructor control: Evaluation of nanocarrier chemical delivery and new chemical control methods against V. destructor, and assessment of their safety for honey bee colonies. Costco US
Varroa and Varroa Control $93,435 Dr. Chia-Hua Lin, The Ohio State University, The golden forage: Mustard cover crop as a floral resource and potential control for Vairimorpha (Nosema) infection in honey bees. HealthyHives
Varroa and Varroa Control $62,547 Dr. Meghan O. Milbrath, Michigan State University, Addressing the challenge of amitraz resistance: Varroa treatment recommendations for commercial beekeepers. HealthyHives
Honey Bee Health
Honey Bee Health $20,581 Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Auburn University, National Honey Bee Colony Loss and Management Survey - 2023-24. National Honey Board
Honey Bee Health $9,350 Dr. Jeff Pettis, Pettis and Associates LLC, Testing oxalic acid for the control of Varroa mites in package bees and an examination of effects on queen and colony performance post-treatment. National Honey Board
Honey Bee Health $59,452 Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Washington State University, Investigation of three fumigants (ozone, peracetic acid and chlorine dioxide) for the sterilization of honey comb in commercial beekeeping operations National Honey Board
Honey Bee Health $49,290 Dr. Lewis Bartlett, University of Georgia, Exploring juvenile-targeting pesticides as a bait component for the control and elimination of the invasive yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina. HealthyHives
Tropilaelaps and Tropilaelaps Control
Tropilaelaps Control $64,748 CAD Dr. Olav Rueppell, University of Alberta Understanding the Virome, Transcriptome, and Host Responses of Tropilaelaps across Apis spp. HealthyHives
Tropilaelaps and Tropilaelaps Control $58,430 Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Auburn University. Management and dispersal of Tropilaelaps honey bee mites experiencing a continental climate. HealthyHives
Tropilaelaps and Tropilaelaps Control $58,430 Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Auburn University, Management and dispersal of Tropilaelaps honey bee mites experiencing a continental climate. HealthyHives
Tropilaelaps and Tropilaelaps Control $69,792 Dr. Esmaeil Amiri, Delta Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Determining main viral infection routes during queen production and evaluation of the “suppressed in ovo virus infection” trait (SOV) in U.S. queen breeding operations. HealthyHives
Nosema
Nosema $35,015 Dr. Juliana Rangel-Posada, Texas A&M University. Effect of Nosema ceranae infection on honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen behavior and gut microbiome composition. National Honey Board
Nosema $54,139 Dr. James Nieh, University of California, San Diego. Testing immune priming against Vairomorpha (Nosema) ceranae infections in honey bee queens. National Honey Board
Nosema $38,720 Dr. Jonathan Snow, Barnard College, Determining impacts of pharmacologic proteasome inhibition, a potential anti-Nosema therapeutic strategy, on the microbiome and immune function of the honey bee host. HealthyHives
Beekeeping Education and Outreach
Beekeeping Education and Outreach $64,748 CAD Dr. Nuria Morfin, British Columbia Honey Producers Association. Improving Education, Knowledge, and Skill Transfer for the Sustainable Growth of Beekeeping in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. Costco Canada
Beekeeping Education and Outreach $59,452 Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Washington State University , Developing and evaluating bilingual educational tools for commercial beekeeping operations. PAm Funded
Pathology and Viruses
Pathology and Viruses $150,000 Mr. Christopher Robinson, Indiana University. Leveraging native microbial associations to protect honey bees from viral pathogens. Costco US
Pathology and Viruses $50,000 Dr. Lewis Bartlett, University of Georgia. Extending a current PAm – NHB longitudinal experiment to assess whether supplementary feeding of protein patties meaningfully reduces viral infection burden, and if so, via what mechanism(s). National Honey Board
Pathology and Viruses $127,000 Dr. Kaira Wagoner, University of North Carolina. Honey Bee Virus Strain Identification, Physiological Impact, and Antiviral Response. National Honey Board
Pathology and Viruses $55,515 Dr. Sascha Nicklisch, University of California, Davis, Antiviral Nanobodies: A Non-chemical Approach Towards Sustainable Beekeeping. National Honey Board
Pesticides
Pesticides $150,000 Ms. Angela Encerrado, University of California. Davis PAm-Costco Scholarship: Flux, Metabolism, and Fate of Crop Pesticides within Honeybee Colony Members. Costco US
Pesticides $32,595 Dr. Neal Williams, University of California, Davis . Matching pesticide residue and pollen identity in honeybee-collected pollen to aid development of reduced-risk actions. National Honey Board
Pesticides $56,155 Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Washington State University, Assessment of buprofezin toxicity to honey bee brood. National Honey Board
Pesticides $36,418 Dr. Zachary Siqueira Lamas, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Northeast Area, Imidacloprid impacts on honey bee colonies: Field exposures, colony losses and synergists. National Honey Board
Pesticides $102,016 Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Socially mediated effects of nurse bee exposure to fungicides, adjuvants, and pollen phytochemicals on queen, nurses and next generation honey bees. National Honey Board
Pesticides $102,016 Dr. May Berenbaum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Socially mediated effects of nurse bee exposure to fungicides, adjuvants, and pollen phytochemicals on queen, nurses and next generation honey bees. National Honey Board
Pollination and Almonds
Pollination and Almonds $60,000 CAD Ms. Ana María Quiroga Arcila, Université Laval. PAm-Costco Fellowship: Optimization of lowbush blueberry pollination by honeybees and bumblebees. Costco Canada
Pollination and Almonds $149,537 Dr. Kosana Suvočarev, University of California, Davis. Measurements and Modelling of Regenerative Almond Impacts on Water Balance & Frost Risks. Costco US
Pollination and Almonds $150,000 Dr. Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State University, Evaluating Efficacy of Pollination Enhancing Product (SPLAT Bloom) on Honey Bee Foraging Activity and Blueberry Yield. Costco US
Nutrition and Forage
Nutrition and Forage $320,741 Dr. Diana Cox-Foster, USDA-ARS-PWA Pollinating Insect Research Unit. Benefits for bee health and diversity from drought-tolerant plantings (“bee pasture”) for drought-stricken areas in the West. Costco US
Nutrition and Forage $23,499 Dr. Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu, Washington State University (formerly Mississippi State University.) Creating a phenology wheel for beekeepers in the Southeast region. National Honey Board
Nutrition and Forage $225,000 Mr. Peter Berthelsen, Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund. Solar Synergy Program. Costco US
Nutrition and Forage $59,250 Dr. Neal Williams, University of California, Davis. Assessing the potential of regenerative orchard management for bee forage and support for honey bees and native bees. National Honey Board.
Nutrition and Forage $47,000 Mr. Wellington Dantas, Casa Apis. Completion of Casa Apis Reforestation Project in Brazil and Sustainability Vehicle. Costco US
Nutrition and Forage $26,300 Dr. Andony Melathopoulos, Oregon State University, Increasing honey bee forage in turf systems through different establishment techniques. Costco US
Nutrition and Forage $150,000 Dr. Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State University, Enhancing Blueberry Pollination and Honey Bee Health by Providing Supplemental Forage. Costco US
Nutrition $30,000 Dr. Adam G. Dolezal, University of Illinois. Optimizing overwintering success: A longitudinal study to determine how fall feeding regimes impact the survivorship, stress tolerance, and spring build up of overwintering colonies. National Honey Board
Nutrition $39,095 Dr. Alexander McMenamin USDA, Agricultural Research Service-Baton Rouge Evaluating the nutritional and immune stimulating properties of microalgae supplementation on honey bee workers and queens. National Honey Board
Stock Improvement
Long Term Stock Improvement | Queen Quality $153,700 CAD Dr. Shelley Hoover, University of Lethbridge . Non-Invasive Evaluation of Honey Bee Queen Quality. Costco Canada
Stock Improvement $300,000 Danielle Downey, Project Apis m., Hilo Bees: Varroa Resistant Breeding Program.
Costco US
Stock Improvement $39,015 Dr. Kaira Wagoner, University of North Carolina. Identifying pest resistance hygene markers for stock improvement. National Honey Board
Climate Change
Climate Change $97,200 Mr. Wellington Dantas, Casa Apis. Soil health and carbon sequestration assessment in reforested areas of the Brazilian semi-arid region. Costco US
Small Hive Beetle
Small Hive Beetle $50,000 Dr. Lewis Bartlett, University of Georgia. Preventing and controlling small hive beetles using anthranilic diamides to promote supplementary pollen and protein feeding as a cornerstone of improving honey bee health in the Southeast. National Honey Board