Advancing bee science and pollinator conservation

Welcome! Housed in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, we are the AU-BEES (named after Auburn’s world-famous mascot Aubie). Our outreach, extension, and research activities benefit our local community while educating the public on our vital work.

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Bee Center Team

Our impact

Through world-class research, collaborative extension and student engagement, the Auburn University Bee Center addresses the urgent need to protect bees and other insect pollinators. Our graduates and partners contribute to agricultural sustainability, ecosystem health and food security through science-driven solutions and informed advocacy. Our undergraduate students learn the importance of insect pollinators through immersive experiences.

Au-Bees outreach coordinator, Noah Crockette speaks to a group during Student for a Day.
Outreach

We actively engage the public in honey bee and native bee stewardship by hosting hands-on workshops, publishing educational content online and visiting with community groups and schools.

Are you or your organization interested in learning more about Alabama pollinators? Please send all inquiries and guest speaker requests to the AU-Bees lab outreach coordinators, Noah Crockette (Honey Bee inquiries) and Jasmine Cates (Native Bee inquiries)

A bee keeper pulls out a hive frame for observation.
Research

Through interdisciplinary research, we bring together experts dedicated to safeguarding managed honey bee colonies and native bee populations and enhancing their role in agroecosystems across Alabama and beyond.

Bee Center Research

A close up of brood
Winter-Capped Brood Monitoring

To help beekeepers make appropriate management decisions during winter and early spring, 17 land-grant universities, 1 statewide cooperative extension system, 5 USDA ARS labs (Baton Rouge, Beltsville, Poplarville, Stoneville, Tucson), and 3 beekeepers are jointly monitoring amount of capped brood in their colonies throughout the country from mid-October 2025 to the end of February 2026.

More info

Job Opprotunities
We are always on the lookout for individuals to perform field work with our bee teams. Send an email to Kristen De la Fuente (kld0063@auburn.edu) for more information.
Our honey

Honey is a truly amazing thing. Mainly composed of simple sugars and water, its value as a natural sweetener and rapid source of energy has been known for millennia.

Several different bee species produce honey. Among the most well-known is the western honey bee Apis mellifera. It’s the only species of honey bee in the United States.

The color, flavor, and aroma of honey are influenced by many things, but the most important is the type of sugary secretion collected by the foragers of a colony. Perhaps it is floral nectar collected from plants like clover, goldenrod, or tupelo, or maybe it is animal secretions produced by other insects like aphids. With a bit of modification, both can result in honey!

Learn about AU-Bees honey

Bee Center News

a close up of bees
Impact
Buzzing with purpose

The buzz at Auburn's Bee Center isn’t just about harvesting honey for the AU-BEES program. It’s also about groundbreaking research, immersive student experiences and impactful community outreach.

a close up of bees
Research and Innovation
Bee the change

Auburn's Bee Center is leading the charge to address the health crisis of honey bees and native bees, which poses a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems worldwide.

Geoff Williams in front of Comer Hall
Auburn Family
What&apos

Geoff Williams, associate professor, graduate program officer and longtime director of the AU-Bees Lab, is director of the new Auburn University Bee Center, effective April 1.

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