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Becky Masterman earned a PhD in entomology studying hygienic behavior at the University of Minnesota and is currently a host for the Beekeeping Today Podcast. Bridget Mendel joined the Bee Squad in 2013 and led the program from 2020 to 2023. Photos of Becky (left) and Bridget (right) looking for their respective hives. If you would like to contact the authors with your inspirational apiary inspector stories, please send an email to mindingyourbeesandcues@gmail.com
Minding Your Bees and Cues
Be Careful What You’re Good At
By: Becky Masterman & Bridget Mendel
While not required attire for a state apiarist, a bee beard can demonstrate an affinity for honey bees. Bee Beard photo credit: Marla Spivak
For this month’s interview piece, we decided to reach out to Brooke Nikkila. She recently became Wisconsin’s Apiary Program Coordinator & State Apiarist, and we had some questions about what it’s like to work in such a position, and what it’s like to even have such a position, coming as we do from a state where there is no state apiary inspector.
Also, the story of how Brooke came to beekeeping is a good one. We know, because we trained her. Brooke reached out to Becky in 2016 as a junior in college asking if she had any intern positions open. She was a biology major, and had recently spent time in a lab that studied honey bees, and she liked pipetting. What she didn’t like was insects, and she had an extreme phobia of needles. Still, when asked if she was okay getting stung by bees, she took a deep breath and said “yes.” Something drew her to face her fears.
It turned out that Brooke was not only good at pipetting, but good at beekeeping, bookkeeping, record keeping, outreach, public speaking and mentoring. Becky would joke, “Be careful what you’re good at.” She learned that she loved bees (but didn’t love wasps, snakes or mice). Over the next eight years or so, Brooke took on more and more leadership roles at the Bee Squad but couldn’t resist an opportunity to move back to her home state of Wisconsin when their State Apiarist position opened up. We were thrilled to catch up with Brooke and ask her some questions about her new gig:
Q. Describe the WI Apiary Program that you coordinate.
A. It’s sort of the umbrella organization of WI beekeeping. It includes a pollinator protection plan¹, free voluntary inspections for beekeepers, support, resources and mentoring, and compliance programs. Any beekeeper can call me if they have questions about how to check for mites, diagnose a colony, or are experiencing an issue with their bees that they can’t figure out how to solve. For migratory beekeepers, me and my team of two other seasonal inspectors perform free inspections and provide certificates as needed for beekeepers who move their bees across state lines. Our goal is to help people keep their bees healthy, so we don’t take any punitive measures – just support. So far, I’ve felt very welcomed by all kinds of beekeepers. With hobby beekeepers, it’s more mentorship, and I find that work particularly rewarding. With the commercial beekeepers, it’s more of a partnership – they already know what they are doing, but I offer them a service and they want to help me as much as I want to help them.
Q. What is the hardest part of your new job?
A. Literally learning the job. It’s actually the first time someone has had my specific role full time. The other most difficult part was dealing with AFB, which is not something I’d experienced firsthand before. Watching bees get burned is not fun.
Q. What is the most fun part of the job?
A. Meeting beekeepers. I love meeting beekeepers and being able to help them. It’s so gratifying. The University of Minnesota Bee Lab and Bee Squad kind of served a similar role as apiary inspectors: as a hub for sound beekeeping information and resources, but we always had to figure out how to provide help for beekeepers while also figuring out how to stay afloat. Since I am funded by taxpayers, I just want to give people who request help the best experience I can – and I don’t have to worry about what it should cost.
Q. Do you have advice for states without an apiary inspector program?
A. Apiary inspectors nationally as well as university extension programs seem to all have the same goal, of helping beekeepers and bees. Find the hub in your state, whether it’s a state program or a university and take advantage of those resources, because they are there for you.
Time spent in both backyard and commercial apiaries prepared Brooke for a career supporting beekeepers and their bees. Commercial Apiary photo credit: Katie Lee
Q. You started out being afraid of insects. When did you realize you were going to work with insects full time?
A. There aha moment, but more of a gradual realization. My mentors (Becky!) always pushed me to see strengths I didn’t know I had. She would say, you are so competent, but you need to work on confidence. So I took that to heart, and started taking on leadership roles, contributing ideas and building a program. Moving to this new position was difficult, because I grew up at Bee Squad, it’s truly family.
Q. What is like adjusting to being a mom while working full time?
A. I feel very supported. The tough days are those where I leave at 7am and don’t return until 7:30 pm. I miss putting my daughter to bed. I will be traveling a lot to give talks and attend workshops and conferences during the Winter season. So luckily, being back in Wisconsin, I have my parents and siblings who can help out with childcare while I’m traveling.
Thanks Brooke! We’ve enjoyed learning about your new dream job! Be careful what you’re good at indeed. Turns out it could be your life’s work!
¹https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/ApiaryProgram.aspx
