Rebecca Masterman

beekeeper/writer

Becky’s enthusiasm for honey bees began during an undergraduate entomology class visit to Dr. Basil Furgala’s University of Minnesota Bee Lab apiary. In 1992, shortly after her first hive visit, she was lucky to be hired as an undergraduate technician by the new UMN Bee Lab leader, Dr. Marla Spivak. Becky went on to study the neuroethology of honey bee hygienic behavior under Dr. Spivak’s direction and obtained a PhD in 2000. After a career in real estate, Becky returned to the Bee Lab in 2012 and led the Bee Squad program from 2013-2019.

Becky joined the MHPA Board as a Director in 2016 and served for 6 years. Now Becky manages her own apiaries and co-writes the Minding Your Bees and Cues with the current Bee Squad Program Director, Bridget Mendel, for Bee Culture Magazine