Honey production sweetens Bee Lab's research

Each summer, students in Judy Wu-Smart’s bee laboratory harvest honey made by their winged colleagues to sell to the public. 

Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

As an undergraduate in the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship program, Nebraska's Shelby Kittle expanded her honey business, Shel-Bee's Honey and Products. She is now a graduate student in entomology and a research technician in the UNL Bee Lab.

The golden nectar is an outgrowth of the researchers’ primary work and its sales help further the team’s mission, said Shelby Kittle, a graduate student who manages the lab’s honey sales.

“Even though the honey sales are a byproduct of what we do at the lab, it gives us an opportunity to further our reach in the research and education sectors,” Kittle said. “It gives us the opportunity to provide classes that are free and do research that is helping improve the beekeeping industry.”

The lab’s honey comes from hives used for educational purposes like public programming and beekeeping classes on East Campus and Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City. In 2023, the buzzy pollinators from nearly 100 colonies produced two tons of honey. The team sells bottles in a variety of sizes up to large jugs and even prepares sections of honeycomb for sale.

Proceeds go toward a fund for professional development opportunities for students in the lab like conferences, smaller research projects and equipment. The work also provides valuable professional experience in beekeeping, Kittle said.

“There are a lot of people who are very enthusiastic about bees, but if you have beekeeping experience, it helps you stand out a little bit more,” she said.