GAINESVILLE, Fla., April 21, 2026 — The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory (HBREL) collaborated with Purdue University and Apis Engineering to hold one of the largest honey bee instrumental insemination courses in history this past March. This class highlights the growing need for queen producers to sustain the beekeeping industry in the Southeast and around the nation.
Ten beekeepers traveled from across the country to participate in the two-day training course hosted by the UF/IFAS HBREL. Participants learned the fundamentals of honey bee queen and drone biology, along with hands-on techniques for collecting drone semen and using specialized equipment to perform instrumental insemination of queens.
With honey bee colonies facing significant losses due to stressors like the parasitic mite Varroa destructor along with queen issues, advanced skills, such as instrumental insemination, have become an important tool in strengthening colony genetics and improving survival without over relying on chemical treatments.
Typically, only one to four students participate in a honey bee instrumental insemination course at one time, making a class of 10 uncommon. Once they completed the training, 80% of participants reported that they will incorporate instrumental insemination into their breeding work.
“The class was great, I learned the skills necessary to implement this in the future,” said Michael Banker, a beekeeper who participated in the course. “Commercial beekeepers who produce queens would most definitely be interested in this class…”
The course was made possible through the leadership and instruction of Amy Vu, State Specialized Extension Agent II at the University of Florida; Krispn Given, Senior Apicultural Specialist at Purdue University; and Dale McMahan, founder of Apis Engineering.
For more information about honey bee instrumental insemination, please visit: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/entnemdept/2026/03/05/strengthening-honey-bee-colonies-through-instrumental-insemination/
About UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory
The Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory (HBREL) is administered by Dr. Cameron Jack (Assistant Professor), Ms. Amy Vu (State Specialized Agent), and Dr. Jamie Ellis (Professor). The HBREL team is composed of visiting scholars, post-doctoral research fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students, technicians, laboratory assistants, and volunteers. All members of the HBREL are committed to improving the collective understanding of honey bees and the communities they support. To learn more about UF/IFAS HBREL, please visit: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/
Contact
honeybee@ifas.ufl.edu
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