May resources for Michigan beekeepers

Ana Heck<heckanar@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - April 28, 2025

Beekeepers in Michigan can learn about seasonal honey bee colony management and care through webinars, videos and other online resources.

A closeup of a honey bee on a pussy willow flower. — A honey bee on pussy willow. Photo by Zachary Huang, MSU.

In May, healthy honey bee colonies in Michigan usually draw comb and build up in population. Some colonies may be inclined to swarm, especially during strong nectar flows. Beekeepers often split colonies in May to deter swarming and increase colony numbers. Beekeepers in Michigan inspect honey bee colonies regularly to make sure they have the right amount of space in the hive, have sufficient food, are queenright, are maintaining low varroa mite loads and are otherwise healthy.

Beekeepers can access the following online resources, including webinars and videos, to stay informed, ask questions and work to keep honey honey bee colonies healthy.

May beekeeping webinar and webinar recordings from past years

Join Michigan State University Extension for May Michigan Beekeeping Office Hours on Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m. The 2025 series of Michigan Beekeeping Office Hours webinars will focus time for answering beekeeping questions.

Beekeeping webinar series in past years included presentations on seasonal beekeeping management. Beekeepers can watch these presentations in the May 2024 Michigan Beekeeping Office Hours webinar recording and the May 2023 Michigan Beekeeping Office Hours webinar recording. Additional webinar recordings are available on the Michigan State University Beekeeping YouTube channel and at Michigan State University Extension beekeeping and pollinator videos.

The best way for Michigan State University (MSU) Extension to answer beekeeping questions is through monthly Michigan Beekeeping Office Hours webinars. If you need to ask questions outside of the webinars and you live in Michigan, submit your question through the Michigan beekeeping Ask Extension form.

Swarms, splits and managing space

Varroa mites and honey bee diseases

Honey bee plants

Honey bee plants - list of photos

General beekeeping resources

Websites, email newsletter and social media

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for securing funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Michigan State University to implement strategies in the Michigan Managed Pollinator Protection Plan.

This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program [grant no 2024-70006-43569] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).