Beekeeper learning: What works best?

Although the ectoparasitic Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is considered the major threat to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, many U.S. beekeepers do not implement existing field-tested Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices recommended by extension agents and scientists. The lack of Varroa IPM adoption could be the result of a misalignment between existing information resources and preferred learning environments by beekeepers. To investigate this, our research investigates the following questions: 1) How is knowledge gain and behavior change concerning Varroa IPM affected by different learning environments? 2) What information resources do beekeepers preferably utilize to learn about beekeeping? To address the former, beekeepers from the Southeast U.S were recruited to either engage in a fully online learning environment or an in-person experience. To address the latter, data from the Bee Informed Partnerships’ Annual Colony Loss and Management Survey were analyzed. The results indicate that beekeepers gained short-term knowledge concerning Varroa IPM in both learning environments. However, more in-person participants expressed the intention to change their behavior in the future. This aligned to beekeeper preferred learning environments − attending classes and instructed workshops. The survey data revealed that beekeepers predominantly seek information from their clubs and fellow beekeepers through informal discussions. These insights are useful in promoting knowledge gain and behavior change by small-scale beekeepers via tailored educational opportunities and information resources.