2023/24 Winter Capped Honey Bee Brood Monitoring Program

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Brood-Monitoring-Partner-Logos-20232024

The status of capped brood in honey bee colonies during winter is critical information beekeepers must consider when choosing an appropriate control product for the mite Varroa destructor. As colonies emerge from winter, insight into colony brood rearing also helps beekeepers plan for early spring management, such as feeding and swarm control.

Although colonies located in many parts of the United States experience predictable extended periods without brood, this may not be the case for those in coastal and southern regions with mild winters.

To help beekeepers make appropriate management decisions during winter and early spring, 10 land-grant universities, 1 statewide cooperative extension system, 5 USDA ARS labs (Baton Rouge, Beltsville, Poplarville, Stoneville, Tucson), and 5 beekeepers are jointly monitoring the amount of capped brood in their colonies throughout the country from mid-October 2023 to the end of February 2024.

This page was updated approximately every 2 weeks so that the amount of capped brood in the monitored colonies can be communicated to the beekeeping community.

Biweekly Static Maps

Each blue point on a map below represents the average amount of capped brood among all monitored colonies at a particular location, as expressed as deep frame equivalents. One deep frame equivalent represents 100% coverage of capped brood on both sides of the frame.

6 March 2024

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-03062024

21 February 2024

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-022124

7 February 2024

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-02724

24 January 2024

U.S. capped brood map from January 24, 2014

10 January 2024

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-1112024

27 December 2023

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-12272023

13 December 2023

uburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-12132023

30 November 2023

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-11302023

16 November 2023

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-11162023

2 November 2023

Auburn-Agriculture-Winter-Brood-Monitoring-11022023

19 October 2023

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Contact

Geoffrey Williams
Associate Professor
301 Funchess Hall
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-5068

Rogan Tokach
Ph.D. Student
PAm-Costco USA Scholar
rtt0016@auburn.edu