BEES & HIVES FOR VETERANS

Sociological Studies, Uncategorized, Veteran Farm Ownership

HIVES- Honeybee Initiative for Veteran’s Empowerment and Support

 Share  Print

The HIVES Program empowers Veterans to utilize beekeeping as a way to manage their overall well-being and mental health through enjoyable leisure and mindfulness practices.

This innovation is replicating across multiple facilities as its impact continues to be validated. See more replicating innovations.

Adoptions:

5 successful, 4 in-progress

Awards and Recognition:

Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice, VHA Shark Tank Winner

The word HIVES in uppercase red letters, with six small honey bees. One bee on each letter and two on the letter E.

Tags:

Mental Health Rural Health Specialty Care Suicide Prevention Veteran Experience Whole Health

 

Overview

Problem

Anxiety, depression, PTSD, social isolation, and lack of purpose can increase a Veterans risk for suicide and decrease their overall well-being and quality of life. Veteran’s participating in the Recreation Therapy beekeeping program were sharing that beekeeping was helping them manage the anxiety, depression and symptoms of PTSD. Utilizing this information, … See more

Solution

During the HIVES programs Veterans to engage in mindfulness practice and relaxation skills before and while caring for the bees. This give the Veterans the opportunity to learn skills in a safe and structured setting that they can utilize to manage stressors and difficult emotions throughout their daily lives.

Providing veterans the opportunity participa … See more

Images

A Veteran, wearing a white bee suit, veil, and gloves, is holding a wooden frame with beeswax and honeybees. The queen bee can be seen in the center of the frame with a green dot on her body.

Veteran holds a frame of bees during the HIVES program at the Manchester VA Medical Center.

Videos

Voices of America shares a story about how taking care of bees at the Manchester VA Medical Center is helping Veterans stay grounded and lessen their trauma.

WMUR News shared how Veterans at the Manchester VA Medical Center are benefitting from taking care of bees.

Results

Veterans engaging in the HIVES program showed significant positive changes in anxiety and depression, and overall health scores. Veterans also showed significant negative changes in mobility scales, which is being addressed through the use of hive lifters and alternative hive styles.

The impact of the HIVES program has been measured using the EQ-5D-5L … See more

Images

The four graphs show changes in the following metrics from before and after beekeeping sessions: sadness, stress, anxiety and loneliness.

Results from 2021 pre- and post- beekeeping session surveys found significant changes in sadness ((M = 0.28, SD=.667), t(283) = 6.7, p < .001), stress ((M = 0.55,SD= 0.84), t(284) = 8.01, p < .001), anxiety ((M = 0.42, SD=0.74), t(284) = 7.5, p < .001), and loneliness ((M = 0.41, SD=0.64), t(284) = 6.2, p < .001).

Two bar charts show in increase in overall health status score and a decrease in anxiety and depression scores from pre- and post- survey data.

2022 Pre- and Post- beekeeping session surveys using the EQ-5D-5L showed significant changes in Anxiety/Depression (F(1, 81) = 11.631, p =.001) and percieved health status/VAS (F(1, 81) = 5.279, p =.024).

Links

  • Greg Wortman is a veteran of the US Army. He served three tours in Iraq, and upon returning home to New Hampshire, was confronted by an immense sense of loss and hopelessness. Searching for something he couldn’t quite name, he took a chance on an unexpected hobby: beekeeping. Now an expert beekeeper, farmer, and father, this film explores Greg’s unexpected transformation and path towards discovering purpose, finding hope and a source of healing. To Become-Trailer Coming Fall 2023

Metrics

  • The therapeutic beekeeping program administers the standardized EQ-5D-5L before and after each therapeutic beekeeping sessions. ANOVA was completed on the data from summer 2022 showing significant changes from before to after the sessions in Anxiety/Depression (F(1, 81) = 11.631, p =.001) and overall health/VAS (F(1, 81) = 5.279, p =024).
  • The outcome of the HIVES Program is published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Recreation Therapy: Carter, V., Ingrao, A., Bennett, J., and Gould, C. (2024) Healing hives: Exploring the effects of beekeeping on veterans mental health and quality of life. Therapeutic Recreation Journal. 53(4), 413-422.

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
” alt=”Google” />
 
 
 
 
 
Map data ©2025 Google, INEGI
 
 
Statuses

 

Implementation

Timeline

  •  
    Month 1
    – Set up interfacility consult and/or schedule participation in Virtual Bee School and Hive Inspection/Skills classes.
    – Determine if hands on program will be on site or off site (this is based on having the approval of ELT in place)
    -If offsite begin determination of partnership farm/apiary
    – If on-site determine location
     
     
  •  
    Month 2
    -Advertise Virtual Bee School classes, set up consults and complete intake assessments.
    -Schedule group to participate in Virtual Bee School Classes
    -Set up MOU (examples available through Community of Practice) with off site location and purchase bee suits and gloves
    – Begin purchasing equipment for on site program
    – Complete site preparation.
  •  
    Month 3-6
    – Complete intake assessments
    -Begin Virtual Bee School Classes with first cohort
    -Complete MOU with off site, or site prep for on site programs.
    -Gather assessment for hands on programs and virtual classes.
    – Staff complete Bee Calm Bee Well Training as available.

Departments

  • Voluntary Services
  • Recreation and creative arts therapy
  • Whole health

Core Resources

Resource typeResource description
PEOPLE
  • Recreation Therapist (or other staff/combination of staff who are skilled at assessments, program facilitation and adaptation) required for 4 hours per week in warm seasons and 1-2 hours per week in colder seasons
  • Expert Beekeeper (volunteer or staff)- 2 hours per week in warm seasons, 1 hour per week in colder seasons
PROCESSES
  • Education: Beekeeping is hard, any facility planning to have their own apiary will need a staff or volunteer who is an experienced beekeeper (5+ years recommended).
  • Apiary Site: Having access to bee hives is vital for this program. This can be through partnerships with local farms or setting up an apiary on site.
TOOLS
  • Equipment: Bee hives, beekeeping safety clothing, beekeeping supplies (tools, smoker, brushes etc), electric fence to keep out predators

Files

  • This manual provides all of the information needed to implement a HIVES- Therapeutic Beekeeping Program. The manual does not teach how to keep bees, but it does provide information about setting up an apiary, or finding a partner site, facilitating a therapeutic program, sustaining the program, and examples of clinical notes, mindfulness scripts, and equipment lists. HIVES Manual

Optional Resources

Resource typeResource description
PROCESSES
  • Bee Calm Bee Wise-Therapeutic Beekeeping Facilitation Training is not required but is recommended and will be available FY 2025.

Support Resources

Resource typeResource description
PEOPLE
  • Recreation Therapist from Manchester VA is available via interfacility consult for assessments and Veteran participation for programs in progress. Can also assist with step to get a program started.
PROCESSES
  • Virtual Beekeeping Classes and Hive Inspection is available for Veterans and staff are welcome to join. These are weekly and available via WebEx. Classes are facilitated by Manchester RT staff and CRH VISN 19 Staff.
  • Therapeutic Beekeeping Community of Practice meets the first Thursday of the Month at 1:00PM ET on Teams
TOOLS
  • Support will be provided for: Apiary site selection or finding local farms for collaboration, programmatic guidance, Interfacility consult for virtual beekeeping education, educational opportunities for Veterans and staff, HIVES Community of Practice

Risks and mitigations

RiskMitigation
Bee Stings

Every participant is required to be medically cleared before participating in the program. All participants must wear full bee suits, veils, long pants and socks.

If there is concern for a beehive on site there are options: partner with a local farm, bees fly up and away from the hives, and will travel up to 3 miles to forage for nectar; there will be bees on site whether or not there are hives on site.

 

Contact

Comment

Comments and replies are disabled for retired innovations and non-VA users.

VA User (Innovation Specialist) posted 

VA Augusta Health Care System has a successful bee keeping program through the Outpatient Recreation Therapy Clinic.

 
 
VA User (Audiology Technician) posted 

Curious to find out if we might add such a program in Iowa City area

 
 
VA User (Section Chief) Innovation adopter posted 

Whole Health Team at VA Northern California at the prompting of the CLinical Pharmacists at Redding VA and the PC Pharmacy Chief Dr. Chew are considering a facility wide roll out.

1
 
 
 
 
VA User (Registered Nurse) posted 

I am a VA nurse in Gainesville Fl and I have a farm,would like to start a program on my farm

 
 
VA User (Senior Engineer (Design) – FMS) posted 

I had considered moving to top bar hives before selling the farm. It just seems more sustainable, less work, less expense. You would end up with whole comb honey. No boxes and no extraction equipment unless you want it.

2
 
 

Email

Email  with questions about this innovation.