HONEY BEE RESEARCH FACILITY

A plan to fund, construct, and equip a permanent research/educational facility located at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus, College Station.

Honey bees play a critical role in nature and agriculture.  They serve as vital pollinators in gardens, landscapes and for native plants and crops.  Honey bees are essential in sustaining biological diversity across the widely varied plant communities in the Lone Star state.  Honey bees support a thriving beekeeping industry in texas while providing countless hours of joy, relaxation and learning experience for hobby beekeepers.  In Texas, bees contribute over $500 million annually to agriculture through crop pollination.  They have been long recognized as models insects in science and public education.  Honey bees, one of our most valuable natural resources, are under constant threat from diseases and parasites.  Additionally, there is an increased demand for bee-pollinated crops.  The honey bee biology program at texas A&M seeks to address these problems and needs through research and education.

THE VISION:

The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University and the Texas Beekeepers Association formed a successful partnership to establish a honey bee research program.   The initiation of the honey bee biology program addresses the department's vision of excellence in teaching, research, and outreach education by providing students and the community an opportunity to study the fascinating social structure, behavior and culture of bees.

The program activities are to conduct critical basic and applied honey bee research.   Targeted areas include pollination biology in agricultural and natural landscapes, mechanisms of disease and parasite resistance, and the distribution and frequency of Africanized honey bee genes in Texas.  The goals of the program are to contribute new knowledge, tools and, solutions that will sustain, expand, and enhance the beekeeping industry, natural and urban landscapes and, strengthen the educational environment in Texas.

The Honey Bee Laboratory: A Reasearch and Education Environment:

The vision of the honey bee research and education program depends on constructing and equipping THE HONEY BEE LABORATORY.  This facility is pivotal in supporting research and education efforts.  It will support a range of research projects and serve as a teaching laboratory for students, professional, and amateur beekeepers.  A full range of colony-handling and honey processing activities will be available in this state of the art facility.  The Laboratory will be located on the Riverside Campus of Texas A&M in College Station.  Estimated cost: $575,000.

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In 2004 and early 2005, beekeepers across the United States were reporting massive die-offs of their honey bees.  There are only a few research facilities in the whole country to help the plight of the honey bee.  If you would like to help fund the proposed research center at Texas A&M, please send donations to: