The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bee Lab pursues research questions and extension programs focused on better understanding stressors in managed and wild bee communities. The lab’s experts work closely with beekeepers, growers, industry and small businesses, gardeners and nature enthusiasts to develop best management practices and educate about the importance of pollinators and ecosystem diversity.Current research examines the effects of pesticide exposure, how landscape enhancements affect bee communities; how bee behavior and bee colonies are changed by the interaction of multiple stressors and how to manage Varroa mites and other pests.
Judy Wu-Smart
faculty
Assoc Professor
Entomology
Assistant Professor of Entomology
Entomology
Bio
Wu-Smart holds a Ph.D . in entomology from the University of Minnesota in 2015. She leads the Bee Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where staff and students organize beekeeping workshops and field days and answer questions about pollinator health and management. Her research areas include agriculture and public health, insect ecology, insecticides and pollinator health. Recent research examined the effects of neonicotinoids and other pesticides on honey bees and bumble bees.