López-Uribe Lab

Author: margaritamlopez

  • Commentary for NOSB on Organic Apiculture

    Commentary for NOSB on Organic Apiculture

    This week, Robyn Underwood and I had the opportunity to comment during the listening session of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). After working on applied research on organic apiculture for 10 years, this was a very important moment. Our primary motivation for the research that we do on organic apiculture is to create opportunities for beekeepers in the US to access this market. There are several reasons why we strongly believe that organic apiculture should be larger in the US: organic beekeeping management is excellent for honey bee health, reduces reliance on synthetic miticides, and is profitable for beekeepers. However, almost 100% of the organic honey consumed in the US is imported because even if beekeepers manage their colonies following organic standards, obtaining the USDA organic certification is difficult. Why is that?

    Even though there are no formal standards for organic apiculture in the US, the current recommendations suggest that beekeepers need to provide honey bees with pesticide-free forage of 1.8 miles (3 km) around the colonies and an additional buffer zone of 2 miles (3.2 km) where pesticides are not used on plants that honey bees can use. For beekeepers, this means they need to place their colonies in low-input areas of 32,000 acres. The average size of organic farms in the US is around 350 acres. Why do honey bees need such large areas to forage? Where do these numbers come from? Karl von Frisch, who discovered the waggle dance and received the Nobel Prize for it in 1973, wanted to know how far honey bees can fly in search of food. So, in early spring, when few flowers were in bloom, he trained honey bees to follow artificial feeders and noticed they would fly as far as 13.5 km. These experiments revealed something biologically spectacular about honey bees: they can fly VERY far in search of food. But is this what the honey bees do on a regular basis

    Honey bees are optimal foragers. This means they assess the energetic gains they receive from the food they forage and how far they need to go to find these resources. If the quality of the resources is low or if there is nothing else to eat, honey bees will fly far to forage. But most of the time, they prefer to forage on nearby floral resources that provide good nutrition. Indeed, many recent studies by my friend and colleague Maggie Couvillon have demonstrated that, on average, honey bees forage within a 158-acre (800 m or 0.5 miles) area around the colony. These are areas 200 times smaller than those suggested by the current NOSB recommendations.

    However, like with everything in biology, honey bee foraging is context-dependent and dynamic. Honey bees can forage farther away from the colony during times of low floral availability, for example, during the fall. So, what did we recommend to NOSB and organic certifiers during the call this week? We know that to produce clean honey products, honey bees do not need 32,000 acres of clean forage. We demonstrated this in a recent study led by Ben DeMoras (see here). And while we cannot yet provide NOSB with the specific recommendations for foraging areas, this is the question we will tackle during our next project.

    Having this opportunity to speak to NOSB this week felt like one of the most important things I’ve done in my scientific career. Members of the NOSB board listened to my 3-minute speech and asked several questions afterward. They asked for advice on recommendations for organic certifiers, and several of them thanked us for the important research that we are doing.  Anyone can sign up to speak to NOSB during these listening sessions. What felt unique about speaking to NOSB this week was being able to share information based on our research and having members of the National Organic Board listen and ask questions that may change policy to benefit US beekeepers and consumers. This is the real impact of science!

    Post by Margarita López-Uribe

    October, 2026

  • Sensory Analysis of Spotted Lanternfly Honeydew Honey

    Sensory Analysis of Spotted Lanternfly Honeydew Honey

    On a chilly February morning, Christina Neumann welcomed fellow honey tasters Nancy Simpson and James Roccasecca and researcher Robyn Underwood to CoNectar. This charming, cozy space in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a gathering place for multi-sensory education. The mission of CoNectar, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is to connect communities to multi-sensory “flora to table” education by providing programs that demonstrate the key role pollinators play in food systems and our broader ecology. Understanding the connection between the unique flavors of honey, its botanical/biological source, and the location of honey harvest is fundamental to the mission. 

     

    The purpose of the gathering was to taste and describe the olfactory and gustatory properties of a unique new honey made from spotted lanternfly honeydew. Introduced into Berks County, PA in 2014, spotted lanternflies are invasive insects that feed on plant phloem. These planthoppers have a specialized digestive system that allows excess water and sugars from their plant sap diet to bypass the midgut and get excreted. This byproduct, known as honeydew, is subsequently gathered by sugar-loving honey bees. They take it back to their hives, concentrate the sugars, and produce honeydew honey.

     

    Starting in 2019, beekeepers have reported a unique, dark honey filling their honey supers in August and September in regions where spotted lanternflies have become established. As lanternflies spread to new regions, beekeepers discover this unique honey in their hives. Robyn Underwood, a Penn State researcher, has been working to describe this new honey in various ways. On this occasion, Robyn gathered trained honey sensory analysts to begin to create a unified description of the honeydew honey. 

     

    Christina Neumann, who leads the effort, is a member of the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. Members are highly trained and undergo rigorous testing. Nancy and James were trained by the American Honey Tasting Society. To build the spotted lanternfly honeydew honey profile, the analysts are following the methods established by the Italian Register and followed by the American Society.

    To start the process of describing a honey sample, about a teaspoon of honey was placed in a wine glass. The tasters spread the honey around using a ceramic spoon and then held the glass to warm the honey to release its aroma. With noses stuck into the mouths of the glasses, they breathed deeply to take in the full effect of the honey. In the quiet, calm space, they focused on taking in the properties of the honey. They then took a spoonful of the honey and spread it around in their mouths. They slowly and purposely held the honey there to allow the flavors to permeate. They then took to the datasheets to create a profile of the honey. 

     

    The olfactory properties of the honey include the intensity of the smell and basic descriptors such as floral, fruity, warm, chemical, vegetal and animal. The gustatory properties of the honey include intensity of the flavors and descriptors including salty, bitter, sour, sweet, and umami. Persistence of the flavors is noted as well as any defects, such as the honey being metallic, fermented, or tasting like plastic. The tasters worked independently for a time, then they came together to build a consensus.

     

    The resulting sensory data for each sample will be used by Robyn to summarize the properties of spotted lanternfly honeydew honey. It is important for beekeepers to be able to recognize with certainty that they have collected this particular unique honey by its unique sensory characteristics. It is important for consumers, as well, to understand what they are buying and eating. Thus, a unified description of this honey type will be provided by summarizing the description of 20 individual samples. 

     

    More about CoNectar:

     

    CoNectar Flora to Table Education has a teaching space, cafe, and gallery located in a newly renovated 1880s general store building in Millvale, PA, a riverfront town in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The space was architecturally designed with lighting, thermal and acoustical control to create an ideal environment for sensory analysis of honey and other crafted foods. A quiet calm space is necessary to minimize distractions so the focus can be dedicated to the food experience.

     

    CoNectar manages an urban apiary of 70-90 artisan honey-producing colonies in the greater Pittsburgh area. One of the major initiatives is to help create a deeper understanding of all the hard work and synergism that goes into honey production, from nectar source, to honey bee to beekeeper.  Honey production is an art form, and the intention is to elevate honey to the status of a crafted food product that is appreciated as a miracle of nature and something much more profound than just a sweetener for tea.  

    Robyn Underwood poses in a vespa

    Contributed post by

    Robyn Underwood

  • Results 2024 IRES Pollinators in Changing Climates

    Results 2024 IRES Pollinators in Changing Climates

    For our 2024 NSF-IRES Pollinators in Changing Climates Program, students traveled to Peru with another IRES group working on “Manifestations of Climate Change in Extreme Events, Social and Biological Systems”. Two groups worked on topics around pollinators and climate change. 

    Group 1 investigated the effect of microclimate (sun and shade) on the thermal ecology of pollinators and the community assembly of pollinating bees. Specifically, they tested the following three hypotheses:

    H1. Microclimate shapes bee community composition mediated by body size;

    H2. Body size is positively associated with the bee’s ability to generate heat; and

    H3. Floral morphology shapes microclimatic conditions for foraging bees.

    They sampled bees under sun and shade spots across three sites at different altitudes. Their results indicate that (1) elevational gradients (not microclimate) have an effect on the body size of bees; (2) bees’ thoracic temperatures are greater when foraging under the sun; and (3) flower morphology does not impact bees’ body temperatures.

    Check out this video to learn more about what they found.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5dHc9KRVA

    Group 2 collaborated with the drawdown project, an international project that aims to support strategies that will help reverse climate change and eventually reduce global average temperatures. The IRES group working on this project investigated how reducing food waste would release pressure on bees for crop pollination services. They found that, for example, by reducing waste in apple production by 50%, that would reduce the amount of bee visits necessary for apple production by more than 10 billion. More details about their results are in the following video (aquí versión en Español).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2tP-FmOqVQ

    Because of our collaboration with the “Manifestations of Climate Change in Extreme Events, Social and Biological Systems”, we are happy to report their results in this blog as well. Their project focused on the spatio-temporal variability of trace gases and solar radiation across elevational gradients in Peru. Their results demostrate evidence of rising temperatures across all sites investigated but that these effects have been more produced at sites in lower elevations. Indeed, the year 2023 was the hottest year in Peru compared to the previous 50 years. These results are among the first ones to be reported for these areas of Peru.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGM87JtY5bU

     

    Projects funded by NSF OISE-1952470 and administered by the López-Uribe Lab in the Department of Entomology at Penn State University

    Contributed post by

    Margarita M. López-Uribe

    Associate Professor in Pollinator Health

    Pennsylvania State University

  • Beekeeping Around the World Webinar Series

    Beekeeping Around the World Webinar Series

    Explore the world one beekeeping story at a time! During this free webinar series we invite beekeepers from around the world to share their unique experiences with us. This year, we’ll be exploring Italy, Israel, Zimbabwe, Korea and Canada. The 2025 series explored France, the Yukon Territory, Kenya, Turkey, India and Brazil. In 2024, we explored the Ukraine, Thailand, Lesotho, Mexico, Sweden and the Himalayas before hearing from a world traveler. This follows the 2023 series, where we heard from the president of Apimondia, the International Organization of Beekeeping Associations, followed by speakers from the Canadian Prairies, Switzerland, Australia, Argentina, China, and East Africa. Discover why beekeeping is so popular all over the world!

    2026 Around the World Series

    Beekeeping in Italy – Watch Now

    Speakers: Alessandro Gamberoni and Gianmario Riganti

    Italy’s diverse landscapes produce rare and distinctive honey varieties, each region offering unique flavors. Apis mellifera ligustica, the “Italian bee,” is celebrated for its gentle temperament, disease resistance, high honey yield, and adaptability, making it a favorite among beekeepers worldwide. Join Alessandro and Gianmario as they explore the rich history, modern innovations, and cultural significance of beekeeping in Italy.

    Beekeeping in Israel – February 19, 2026 at noon – Register Here

    Speakers: Assaf Shacher and Tomer Moldoven

    Discover Israel as a true “land of milk and honey” in this engaging session with an Israeli beekeeper. Explore how bees flourish across Israel’s diverse climates, from north to south, and learn about the nation’s commercial beekeeping industry, honey and pollination production, and its global leadership in bee-related innovation.

    Beekeeping in Zimbabwe – February 26, 2026 at noon – Register Here

    Speaker: Robert Mtisi

    Discover the remarkable potential of honey production in Zimbabwe through a nature-based approach that celebrates the country’s diverse flora, varied ecological and climatic conditions, and resilient bee populations. This program will explore the critical role bees play as nature’s master pollinators and unsung heroes of Zimbabwean agriculture, supporting food production and environmental health. Join us to learn how beekeeping contributes to sustainable farming systems and why Zimbabwe offers a unique opportunity for successful honey production aligned with ecological principles.

    Beekeeping in Korea – March 5, 2026 – Register Here

    Speaker: Culeui Jong

    Explore the complex world of Korean beekeeping, where centuries-old traditions with Apis cerana now coexist alongside an intensive and rapidly evolving Apis mellifera industry. This session highlights Korea’s role as the origin of the globally distributed honey bee pest Varroa destructor (Haplotype K1) and examines the country’s ongoing efforts to manage major threats, including Tropilaelaps mites, Asian giant hornets, and yellow-legged hornets.

    Beekeeping in New Zealand – March 12, 2026 – Register Here

    Speakers: Michele and Byron Taylor

    Discover how a once-overlooked “winter-feed” honey became a global success story in this engaging program focused on New Zealand mānuka honey. Through the intersecting efforts of a curious teacher and beekeeper, a persistent biochemist armed with data, and innovative marketing, the mānuka tree emerged as the foundation of an international phenomenon. Participants will explore the scientific, cultural, and commercial factors behind mānuka honey’s rise, as well as the rigorous regulatory framework New Zealand has established to authenticate and protect the integrity of this unique product.

    Beekeeping in Northern Quebec – March 19, 2026 – Register Here

    Speaker: Anicet Desrochers

    Explore the 25-year journey of Miels D’Anicet, a beekeeping operation thriving in the Nordic conditions of Northern Quebec’s Upper Laurentians. This presentation highlights honey and queen production, as well as the creation of value-added products in cosmetic and gourmet lines, offering insights into sustainable practices and innovative approaches in a challenging environment.

    2025 Around the World Series

    Beekeeping in France – Watch Now

    Speaker: Richard Noel

    Discover the art of beekeeping in Brittany, France, from managing honey bees to harvesting delicious honey in this picturesque region. Join us to learn practical tips and insights on caring for bees, ensuring a thriving hive, and making the most of your honey harvest. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced beekeeper, this presentation offers valuable information on bee management in beautiful Brittany.

    Beekeeping in the Yukon – Watch Now

    Speaker: Etiene Tardiff

    Explore the unique challenges and innovative strategies of beekeeping in northern climates with Etienne, a passionate beekeeper dedicated to understanding hive dynamics. In this engaging webinar, Etienne will share his year-round approach to managing bees, from spring preparation to winter survival. Known for asking tough questions and seeking to collaborate with bees rather than work against them, Etienne delves into the critical decisions that impact honey harvests, colony growth, and winter resilience. Beekeepers in northern regions face a condensed season, where every action counts—join us to gain insights into thriving under these conditions.

    Elephants and Bees in Kenya – Watch Now

    Speaker: Laura McHenry

    Discover how a simple, nature-based solution is transforming lives and protecting farms in Kenya. This engaging webinar explores the innovative use of bees to deter elephants from raiding crops—a strategy rooted in the fascinating relationship between these two species. Learn how scientists, conservationists, and local communities in East Africa are harnessing elephant-bee ecology to safeguard rural livelihoods, promote coexistence, and support conservation efforts.

    Beekeeping in Turkey – Watch Now

    Speaker: Cahit Ozturk

    Discover the rich tradition and economic importance of beekeeping in Türkiye, a global leader in honey production. Home to over 80,000 registered beekeepers and nearly 9 million colonies, Türkiye boasts a unique legacy of crafting exceptional honey varieties, including pine and chestnut honey. Its diverse climate and abundant flora support a thriving industry that produces honey, pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, and beeswax. This webinar explores the fascinating history, practices, and contributions of Turkish beekeeping to agriculture and beyond.

    Beekeeping in India – Watch Now

    Speaker: Priyadarshini Chakrabarti Basu

    Discover the unique world of Indian beekeeping, where both Apis cerana and Apis mellifera colonies are managed. This webinar delves into the distinct practices, complexities, and challenges faced by Indian beekeepers, offering insights into how tradition and innovation intersect in one of the world’s most diverse apicultural landscapes.

    Stingless bees in Brazil – Watch Now

    Speaker: Cristiano Menedez

    Explore the fascinating world of stingless bees, vital pollinators in tropical and subtropical regions. This webinar delves into meliponiculture—the management of stingless bees for honey, pollen, cerumen, colony production, and crop pollination. As the stingless beekeeping industry expands globally, learn about the importance of aligning growth with environmental regulations to ensure sustainability and protect natural resources.

    2024 Around the World Series

    Beekeeping in Ukraine – Watch Now

    Speaker: Petrusia Kotlar

    The Beekeeping in Ukraine Journey will take you through Prewar times, visiting six regions in Ukraine through the Postwar experience and evolution of beekeeping practices in Ukraine after February 2022.

    Beekeeping in Thailand, recorded – Watch Now

    Speaker: Jean Miller

    Thailand is home to approximately half of the world’s honey bee species! Join our speaker as she discusses Thailand’s native species Apis dorsata, A. florea, A. cerana, A. andreniformis, and non-native A. mellifera.

    Beekeeping in Lesotho – Watch Now

    Speaker: Julia ‘Masina Mafike

    In the rural district of Mafeteng, Lesotho, Africa, lies a small village called Motsekuoa in which the Convent of the Handmaids of Christ the Priest is located. This convent is home to 60-year-old Sister Julia ‘Masina Mafike, H.C.P, a nun who is making strides in conserving biodiversity through beekeeping. Julia runs a women-led initiative that produces and sells organic bee products while also nourishing and restoring the environment.

    Beekeeping in Mexico – Watch Now

    Speaker: Héctor Morales Urbina & Maggie Shanahan

    Two beekeepers will will talk about their experience running a small family-owned beekeeping operation in Chiapas, Mexico. Maggie will share some broad context around beekeeping in Mexico, and discuss the ways in which practicing small-scale, diversified beekeeping can help beekeepers build resilience. Héctor will talk about the some of the ways beekeepers in the region use traditional ecological knowledge to better care for their bees.

    Beekeeping in Sweden – Watch Now

    Speaker: Lotta Fabricius Kristiansen

    You will get a personal picture of being a beekeeper in Sweden. What the beekeeping season looks like and what conditions there are for honey bees in the northern parts of Europe. Topics like the honey market and the relationship with wild pollinators will also be touched.

    Beekeeping of Apis cerana in the Himalayas – Watch Now

    Speaker: Katrina Klett

    You will learn about the Asian honey bee and why it is important to mountain villages throughout the mountainous environments of the Himalayas. 

    Beekeeping World Traveler – Watch Now

    Speaker: Lauren Park

    This talk will focus on the results of Lauren Park’s 2022 Nuffield Canada Agricultural Scholarship which allowed her the opportunity to visit beekeepers and agriculture partners in 13 countries around the world investigating bee health challenges. Primarily, she looked to answer questions about queen health, and troubleshoot why queens are being blamed for colony losses. The results of her travels vary from exploring the complexities of bee and queen health from a beekeeper’s perspective to exploring ways industry collaboration can improve the future of the industry.

     

    2023 Around the World Series

    Apimondia – Watch Now

    Speaker: Jeff Pettis

    During this kick-off to the 2023 Beekeeping Around the World series, you will hear a general overview of beekeeping around the world, including harvesting honey from stingless bees and also honey hunting of Apis dorsata, and more!

    Beekeeping in Australia – Watch Now

    Speaker: John Roberts

    Until 2022, Australia was free of the ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, that has plagued beekeeping in the rest of the world. Now beekeepers are being forced to deal with this destructive pest. During Beekeeping Around the World: Australia, we will discuss a related mite, Varroa jacobsoni that has also emerged in Papua New Guinea and recently spread to Fiji. Learn about beekeeping before and after the introduction of these mites.

    Beekeeping in China – Watch Now

    Speaker: Zachary Huang

    China has a long history of beekeeping. They have developed a line of bees that produce large quantities of royal jelly, which is harvested for use in medicine and cosmetics. See how it is made and harvested. You will also see unique queen rearing practices.

    Beekeeping in Switzerland – Watch Now

    Speaker: Lars Straub

    In Switzerland, bees are kept in various ways, and most beekeepers have only about ten colonies. During Beekeeping Around the World: Switzerland, we will look at bee houses, with multiple colonies under one roof with entrances facing the back, and why they are popular.

    Beekeeping in Argentina – Watch Now

    Speaker: Alberto Galindo-Cardona

    In northern Argentina, Africanized bees have become established but remain valuable honey producers. Studies of honey bee mating in drone congregation areas have provided insight into where these mating sites occur. During Beekeeping Around the World: Argentina, we will discuss how finding and studying mating provides valuable insight into the hybridization of honey bees of European and African descent.

    Beekeeping in East Africa – Watch Now

    Speaker: Elliud Muli

    People in Kenya have been keeping bees since 2000 BC. During Beekeeping Across the World: East Africa, we will discuss how modern beekeeping in Kenya faces several challenges, yet it is a benefit to those that choose to keep bees for added income.

    Beekeeping in the Canadian Prairies – Watch Now

    Speaker: Phil Veldhuis & Ian Steppler

    Beekeeping in the Canadian Prairies is fast and furious. A short, abundant honey flow follows a long, frigid winter. During Beekeeping Around the World: The Canadian Prairies, we will discuss how bees and Beekeepers must be prepared for an intense beekeeping season and then endure more than six months of freezing temperatures.

  • Curso de Apicultura Básica – Penn State Extension

    Curso de Apicultura Básica – Penn State Extension

    • ¿Sabías que la apicultura puede proporcionar ingresos adicionales a tu hogar y al mismo tiempo beneficiar la producción de cultivos a través de los servicios de polinización?
      Este programa ofrece oportunidades para que trabajadores agrícolas de habla hispana reciban capacitación sobre los conceptos básicos de la apicultura a través de seminarios web y un taller presencial. El objetivo es preparar a los participantes para comenzar una pequeña operación de apicultura que pueda proporcionar ingresos adicionales a sus hogares.

    ¿Qué beneficios tiene la participación en este programa?

    (1) Alrededor de 10 horas de formación online y un día de taller presencial que cubre los siguientes temas. 

    • 15 de Febrero 2024 – Biología básica y comportamiento de la abeja de miel
    • 22 de Febrero 2024 – Amenazas y enfermedades de las abejas
    • 28 de Febrero 2024 – Manejo de la colmena a través del año
    • 6 de Marzo 2024 – Productos y economía de la colmena
    • 14 de Marzo 2024 – La colmena, herramientas y accesorios 
    • 21 de Marzo 2024 – Cómo comenzar su primera colmena 

    Todos los seminarios serán transmitidos en vivo los jueves a las 6pm (hora este the EU) durante 90 minutos. Debe registrarse antes del 15 de Febrero de 2024 para recibir toda la información gratuita.

    REGÍSTRESE AQUÍ

     

    (2) Lecturas recomendadas sobre apicultura básica en español. 

    • Apicultura cómo empezar [lea aquí]
    • Manejo de abejas de miel a través de las estaciones [lea aquí]
    • Métodos para el control de Varroa destructor [lea aquí]
    • Prevención de enjambes
    • Producción de miel
    • Enfermedades, pestes y patógenos
    • Loque Americana [lea aquí]

    (3) Conocer y contactarse con otras personas interesadas en apicultura y que están interesadas en aprender e interactura en español. 

     

    Si tiene alguna pregunta, escríbanos a lopezuribelab[at]gmail.com

     

    Otros recursos en Español:

    • Herramientas para la gestión de Varroa [link]