Gaining more experience with honey bees

Erin Jones, PhD, an entomologist and educator with West Texas A&M University in Canyon, presented a series of continuing education (CE) session on honey bee medicine at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida. In a dvm360 interview at VMX, Jones was joined by Allie Donaldson, DVM, a past president of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium, to talk about different ways that individuals can get involved with bee medicine and beekeeping.

The following is a transcript of the video:

Erin Jones, PhD: So, 3 really great pathways for veterinarians to get involved with bees is to:

Contact their local or state extension office. A lot of states have state apicultures, and they're really great resources for them. They can also contact their local Extension agent, who may know some resources that are available.

I also recommend that they join a bee club. That's the best way to meet beekeepers, to join a club where they are. It's also a great way to find a mentor. When we get into beekeeping, knowing someone who can come and do hands on work with us is one of the best ways for us to learn.

And then, last of all, just getting their own bees. We always recommend that you get 2 to 3 hives so that if something goes wrong with one hive [and] the other 2 are not behaving in the same way, so you know when you have a problem. So it's a really great idea to have more than one hive and just jump in there and get some experience. It’s the best way to learn.

Allie Donaldson, DVM: And join the honey bee veterinary consortium, please.

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