Dr. Amanda Skidmore is the State Apiarist from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. After graduating with her PhD in Entomology from the University of Kentucky, she spent time researching pollinators and beneficial insects in Indiana and working as an extension professor in New Mexico. Her background is in integrated pest and pollinator management, where she has focused on developing common sense practice for homeowners and agriculture producers that manage insect pests and protect pollinators while reducing pesticide use. In her role as State Apiarist her focus is on keeping Kentucky honeybees healthy and working to promote beekeeping and support beekeepers across the state. She covers all 120 of Kentucky’s counties and works with beekeepers to perform certified health inspections, participates in collecting data for the National Honey Bee Health Survey, and speaks at local beekeeping association meetings.
