Ana Heck

Ana Heck

Contact Me

Apiculture Extension Educator
MSU Extension

Phone:
517-884-7976

Email:

Bio

Ana Heck is a Michigan State University Extension apiculture statewide educator based at the MSU Pollinator Performance Center. Her role engages beekeepers, growers, pesticide applicators, and home gardeners to improve pollinator health. Ana holds a master’s degree in public policy and a graduate minor in entomology from the University of Minnesota.

Beekeeping & pollinator questions and resources

Please submit questions about beekeeping and pollinators through our Ask Extension form.

Resources on beekeeping

Resources on bee and wasp identification and removal

Resources on supporting pollinator health

Online courses (Pollinator Champions, Is Beekeeping Right for Me?, Pollinator Protection for Pesticide Applicators, Pollinator Protection for Land Managers)

Emergency response to transportation accidents involving honey bees

Managed Pollinator Protection Working Group

Request a presentation

Please email Ana Heck at heckanar@msu.edu to request a presentation on beekeeping or supporting bee health.

Prepared presentations and descriptions (recording not allowed unless otherwise agreed upon in advance)

  • Evaluating honey bee brood frames: Learn to distinguish between healthy and sick brood and to recognize signs of European Foulbrood, American Foulbrood, chalkbrood, and varroa parasitic mite brood syndrome.
  • Honey bee pheromones: Learn how honey bees communicate through pheromones and how paying attention to hive scents like banana and lemon can make you a better, more effective beekeeper.
  • Taking varroa seriously: Hear about the varroa mite life cycle, risks to colonies, control options, and perspectives of effective mite management. (I can also include information on tropilaelaps mites in this presentation.)  
  • Responding to honey bee pesticide incidents: Learn about different kinds of pesticides and their effects, how to detect honey bee pesticide kills, what to do if you suspect a bee kill due to pesticides, and how to prevent and avoid honey bee kills from pesticides.
  • Queen issues and events: Learn to decipher queen events like swarming, supersedure, and emergency queen loss and deciding when to intervene.
  • Colony necropsy: Learn to identify reasons for a colony’s death based on the clues the bees left behind and how to prevent colony loss in future beekeeping seasons. (This talk has a strong emphasis on varroa and is usually best for winter/early spring.)
  • Making your voice heard to benefit bees and beekeepers: Learn how to support research, educational programs, and policy to make the world a better place for bees and beekeepers.
  • Basic honey bee biology: Learn about bee life stages, the roles of the queen, workers, and drones, and the colony as a superorganism.  Understanding basic honey bee biology will help any beekeeper make beekeeping management decisions throughout the season. (This talk is for new beekeepers.)
  • Getting started with beekeeping: How to help pollinators and what to consider before deciding if beekeeping is right for you. (This talk is people considering beekeeping.)
  • Supporting and protecting pollinators: Learn about different pollinators in Michigan, the issues they’re facing, and what people can do to help keep them healthy. (This talk is for the general public.)

Make a donation

Organizations and individuals are welcome to make a donation to the Apiculture & Pollinator Extension Fund through the online giving page for the Apiculture & Pollinator Extension Fund or by filling out the Apiculture & Pollinator Extension gift form and sending it with a check made payable to Michigan State University to:

MSU Extension Business Office
Attn: Silvija Haas
446 W. Circle, Room 160
East Lansing, MI 48824