MANAGED HONEY BEE COLONIES HAVE BEEN DYING AT HIGH RATES IN THE US FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. THESE HIGH RATES OF LOSSES ARE A CONCERN FOR BOTH BEEKEEPERS AND THE FARMERS WHO RELY ON A HEALTHY HONEY BEE POPULATION TO POLLINATE THEIR CROPS. IN THE US OVER $16 BILLION OF PRODUCE RELY ON MANAGED HONEY BEES FOR POLLINATION. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE THE HIGH RATE OF LOSSES EXPERIENCED BY BEEKEEPERS BY TESTING AND PROMOTING THE ADOTION OF DATA DERIVED BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.THERE IS GROWING CONSENSUS THAT MULTIPLE FACTORS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO POOR BEE HEALTH. SOME OF THESE ARE ARE IN THE DIRECT CONTROL OF BEEKEEPERS WHILE OTHERS ARE NOT. THIS PROJECT FOCUSES ON PRACTICES IN CONTROL OF BEEKEEPERS . OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS THE BEE INFORMED PARTNERSHIP HAS CONDUCTED SURVEYS OF BEEKEEPERS' MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND OPERATIONAL LOSSES. WE CAN NOW IDENTIFY PRACTICES THAT SEEM TO WORK BETER THAN OTHERS. WE PLAN TO FIELD VALIDATE THESE PRACTICES AND, THROUGH VARIOUS EFFORTS, ENCOURAGE BEST MANAGEMENTPRACTICE ADOPION BY BEEKEEPERS. WE WILL DO THIS BY SHOWING THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMP) ADOPTION, ENCOURAGE BEEKEEPERS TO REGULARLY HAVE COLONIES TESTED FOR PARASTIE AND DISEASE LOADS SO THEY ARE MORE AWARE OF THE THREATS TO THEIR OPERATIONS, AND WE WILL ATTEMPT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY SOME BEEKEEPERS ARE WILLING TO ADOPT NEW PRACTICES WHILE OTHERS ARE NOT. WE WILL ALSO ATTEMPT TO QUANTIFY FACTORS, LIKE THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF BEE VIRUSES, THAT MAY COMPLICATE BMP SUCCESS.WE BELIEVE THAT BEEKEEPERS WHO MONITOR DISEASE LEVELS IN THEIR OPERATIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO ADOPT BEST PRACTICIES, AND BY ADOPTING SUCH PRACTICES WILL REDUCE THEIR LOSSES. BY CONTINUING TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF BEEKEEPERS WHO CONSISTENTLY MONITORED AND IMPLEMENT DATA INFORMED BEST PRACTICES TO MANAGE THEIR HONEY BEE COLONIES, LOSS RATES SHOULD DECREASE, WITH POSITIVE RESULTS FOR BEEKEEPERS, THE FARMERS WHO RELY ON BEES TO POLLINATE THEIR CROPS, AND THE CITIZENS WHO HAVE COME TO EXPECTA SAFE AND DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED FOOD SUPPLY.