Prairie Rose students get hands-on with bee research at Neubauer Farms apiary
University of Lethbridge researchers demonstrated a rapid virus-detection tool for honey bees to Prairie Rose Public Schools students on Sept. 17, part of an apiary project tied to a future agriculture school.
Students and guests gathered Sept. 17 at the Prairie Rose bee yard at Neubauer Farms near Lethbridge to watch a University of Lethbridge researcher demonstrate technology that quickly detects honey bee viruses. The demonstration was led by Jenna Letain, a 2017 graduate of Prairie Rose's Oyen South Central High School who now works with the division as a scientist through a partnership with the university and BeeSafe. The day also included a hands-on session with master beekeeper Sheldon Hill and Stella Sehn, followed by research testing with Eagle Butte students at South Alberta Collegiate.
Nicole Neubauer, Prairie Rose's director of agriculture, said the apiary project teaches students about pollinators, bee health, hive management and the career paths connected to agricultural science and research. The bee yard is currently based at Neubauer Farms, where hives are managed and honey harvested, but will eventually move to the Yuill School of Agriculture, a new agriculture college being built on 76 acres between Medicine Hat and Dunmore in partnership with Prairie Rose. That school is expected to open to students in September 2027.
The research demonstrated included a rapid diagnostic tool letting beekeepers identify hive health threats without guessing, and a two-year study testing insulated hives, which are designed to reduce temperature swings so bees can spend more energy foraging rather than regulating hive temperature in extreme heat or cold.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.