By Tanner Hood

Farmers and pollinators go together like bees and honey — one relying on the other to survive. Students and professors are learning this firsthand at Enterprise State Community College (ESCC), the new home of the State Apiary Unit Diagnostic Lab. 

ESCC Biology Instructor Ashley Snellgrove is the de facto lab adviser. She said the partnership between the school and Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is beneficial for student growth. 

“We partnered with ADAI to establish a diagnostic lab last fall, and we had to get really creative,” Snellgrove said. “We started a biology course to allow students to learn the basics of honeybees and run diagnostic tests while earning college credit.”

Snellgrove said it’s a unique opportunity for students to gain real-world experience.

“They’ve been working in a lab using microscopes, taking specimens and reporting test results to an inspector,” Snellgrove said. “We had three students, and I told them to take this as a life lesson and say ‘yes’ to opportunities like this. They jumped in without really knowing what to expect.”

An ADAI inspector trained Snellgrove and the students on bee anatomy and testing protocols. 

“The inspection of apiaries is critical because of the presence of parasites that lead to disease,” Snellgrove said. “Students test for Nosema spores and tracheal mites. They also log samples of Varroa mites that the inspector tests for in the field then brings to the lab.”

In addition to the lab, a school apiary was built this year with bees and boxes provided by Auburn University’s (AU) Bee Lab. Several new boxes have been added with plans for an outdoor classroom and on-site diagnostic lab. 

ESCC graduate and apiary attendant Carolina Rodriguez Quinones said her time in the lab has been a journey of progress. 

“I’m still learning about agriculture,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t realize honeybees were a part of it, but I learn more and more every day.” 

Rodriguez said she has a deeper appreciation for bees’ essential role. 

“They’re pollinators of the world,” she said. “I think it’s our duty to help them so we can continue living and eating healthy.”

Snellgrove said she hopes to keep educating and introducing students to the importance of agriculture through ESCC’s new Division of Agricultural Sciences.

ESCC Math Instructor and Division Chairman Ed Howard will lead the new department. He said they’ll soon establish a transfer pathway with AU to provide students the chance for further study.

Alabama Farmers Federation Bee & Honey Division Director Blake Thaxton said ESCC’s work is important and exciting for the state’s honeybee industry. 

“Having the diagnostic lab at the school is a good way to introduce young people to the industry while providing a fundamental service for producers,” Thaxton said. “The collaboration between AU and ESCC, especially between the bee labs, is beneficial for all Alabama farmers.” 

For Rodriguez, the bee lab has opened doors to a future even sweeter than honey.

“The lab was the initial introduction to me realizing that I could do what I wanted to do,” she said. “The amount of people I’ve gotten to meet and the work they’ve done has made it clear I could do this and be successful. I would say it’s one of the smartest decisions I ever made.”