Apr 14, 2022
Work ongoing at MSU Entomology’s new Pollinator Performance Center

In March, builders began to convert an existing facility on Michigan State University Campus farms into the new MSU Pollinator Performance Center.

A partnership among the Department of Entomology, Michigan State University (MSU) AgBioResearch and MSU Extension provided the initial funding to support the most urgent needs such as the honey extraction facility and a staff locker room. The final building will be home to the honeybee farm facility, space for teaching and outreach along with research labs.

The farm building will include a fully operational honey extraction facility and controlled climate rooms for indoor overwintering research. The planned phase II construction will also include research labs, a teaching classroom and space for Extension events.

Landscape plans are also underway for pollinator gardens and a fully accessible teaching space to complement the hundreds of trees planted by MSU Infrastructure, Planning and Facilities in May 2021.

The Pollinator Performance Center will significantly expand MSU’s capacity for research, teaching and extension. The farm facility will allow researchers to manage enough colonies to perform field trials and potentially develop a breeding program. The close proximity of hives to classrooms, research labs and pollinator plantings will allow faculty and extension educators to expand their programming and ensure MSU remains at the forefront of honey bee and other pollinator research.