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Let’s Talk About Genetic Engineering: A Guide to Understanding Genetic Engineering and its Applications in Food, Agriculture, and the Environment

By: Khara Grieger, Nick Loschin, Katie Barnhill, Fred Gould

This publication explains genetic engineering and its use in food, agriculture, and the environment. It answers key questions about genetic engineering, including its definition, applications, safety, ethical issues, and related regulations. The publication also discusses potential risks and concludes with resources for more information.

What is a Bee Hotel?

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

This is the first chapter in the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel. It covers the benefits of bees, pollination in cities and towns, and how bee hotels can support native bees.

Garden Cleanup for Pollinators: Trim Perennial Stems in Their First Winter

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Hannah Levenson, Leslie Rose, Charlotte Glen

It can be a challenge to manage a perennial garden to look tidy and maximize benefit to wildlife. To benefit native, solitary bees, we recommend trimming perennial stems in their first winter to a create a 12"-24" stubble. Bees occupy these cut stems as nesting space over the following year. Recommendations are based on participatory research conducted with Extension agents and Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers in North Carolina.

Disease Management and Guidelines for the Honey Bee

By: David Tarpy, Jennifer Keller

It is the goal of every beekeeper to maintain healthy, productive colonies. This can only be accomplished by reducing the frequency and prevalence of disease within beehives. The following is an outline of recommendations for detecting and treating colonies for economically important parasites and pathogens of honey bees so that beekeepers may achieve this goal, and do so in a sustainable way for the long-term health of their colonies.

Pond Management Guide

By: Jim Rice, J.M. Fisk, K. Hining, Robert Richardson, Skip Thompson

This guide summarizes the basic principles of managing recreational ponds and the requirements for producing and maintaining high-quality fishing in a pond. Its purpose is to help the reader develop an effective pond management plan.

Bee Hotel Design and Placement

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

This chapter of, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, describes building materials and features of different bee hotels. It covers tunnel size, shelter, shade, orientation, navigation, and other features.

Africanized Honey Bees: Prevention and Control

By: David Tarpy, Jennifer Keller Africanized Honey Bees

This factsheet provides basic information about prevention and control of Africanized honey bees prior to their expected arrival in North Carolina. (Part 2 of a 3-part series.)

Africanized Honey Bees: Where Are They Now, and When Will They Arrive in North Carolina?

By: David Tarpy, Jennifer Keller Africanized Honey Bees

This factsheet outlines the history, movement, distribution, and present status of the Africanized honey bee in the United States. (Part 1 of a 3-part series)

Non-Honey Bee Stinging Insects in North Carolina

By: David Tarpy, Joseph Flowers, Michael Waldvogel

This article describes and defines the different types of insects that sting and are also often mistaken for honey bees.

The Bees of North Carolina: An Identification Guide

By: Hannah Levenson, Elsa Youngsteadt

Identifying bees on the wing is known to be tricky. The Bees of North Carolina: An Identification Guide is a beginner’s resource designed to help quickly and generally identify native bees in North Carolina. Developed by experts at NC State Extension, it provides an overview of some of the most common groups of bees in the state. The guide will help users learn to recognize bees according to key characteristics and, eventually, according to their overall appearance.

How to Install a Package of Honey Bees

By: David Tarpy

A step-by-step instruction and description of how to install and maintain a new colony of honey bees.

Guide to Understanding and Addressing PFAS in our Communities

By: Khara Grieger, Katlyn May

This FactSheet provides a guide to understanding and addressing PFAS in our communities, which may be helpful for Extension agents, community members, and others who are interested in learning more about PFAS and their potential impacts.

How to Become a Beekeeper in North Carolina

By: David Tarpy, Jennifer Keller

Beekeeping is a very enjoyable and rewarding pastime that is relatively inexpensive to get started. Moreover, it’s a hobby that can eventually make you money! This factsheet is a primer on how to start your first hive and begin keeping bees.

How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

This collection describes how to design and build a bee hotel to support native pollinator species.

Let’s Talk About Risk: A Guide to Identifying, Assessing, Managing, and Communicating Risk

By: Khara Grieger, Madison Horgan, Christopher Cummings

This publication outlines and describes core concepts of risk that are used in various environmental, health, and societal circumstances. It covers the following topics: defining risks, identifying and assessing risks, managing risks, and communicating risks.

Appendix 4. Building Plans for a Simple Bee Hotel Shelter

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

Appendix 4 in the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, provides detailed building plans for constructing a simple bee shelter.

Africanized Honey Bees: Some Questions and Answers

By: David Tarpy, John Ambrose Africanized Honey Bees

This factsheet answers basic questions about Africanized honey bees. (Part 3 of a 3-part series)

Appendix 3. Plants that Produce Hollow or Pithy Twigs and Stems Used by Nesting Bees in Eastern North America

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

Appendix 3 of the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, provides a list of plants that create hollow or pithy twigs and stems that can be used as a source of nest materials for bee hotels.

Let’s Work Together in Addressing Environmental and Societal Issues: Guide to Engaging Stakeholders and Communities

By: Khara Grieger, Madison Horgan, Ashton Merck

This publication is a guide for researchers, scholars, extension agents, government officials, and others interested in engaging stakeholders and community members to identify and address potential environmental and societal issues.

Meet the Residents

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

The second chapter in the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, highlights some of the common occupants of bee hotels in North Carolina and their nesting requirements. It also details the seasons when adults are most often active (foraging and building nests) and describes body sizes and tunnel diameters.

Appendix 1. Bee Hotel Checklist

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

This appendix to the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, summarizes the best practices suggested throughout the document.

What If Bee Hotels Aren’t Actually Good for Bees?

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

This chapter in the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, responds to critiques of bee hotels and their impact on bee populations.

Appendix 5. Additional Resources

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

Appendix 5 of, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, provides a list of additional resources about bees, wasps, and pollinator gardening.

Appendix 2. Plants with Leaves and Fibers Used as Construction Materials in the Nest Interior

By: Elsa Youngsteadt, Meredith Favre

Abstract 2 of the collection, How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel, lists plants that may be used in nesting materials for bees.