The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the most important managed species for agricultural pollination across the world. Despite their importance, managed honey bee colonies are experiencing annual mortality rates that now typically range between 30 to 40% in North America and Europe [1,2]. These high overwintering losses have been linked to a myriad of stressors—including pesticides, diseases, and poor nutrition [3]—that weaken colony health and are threatening the sustainability of the beekeeping industry. The phenomenon that was described as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in winter 2006/spring 2007 [4] and ultimately the potential negative economic and ecological impacts that could result from a deficit of honey bees for pollination services and honey production [5,6] have spurred a  large body of scientific literature on a  variety of applied and basic aspects in apicultural research. The American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) is an organization consisting of professors, state apiarists, scientists, and students who study and work with honey bees. The goals of this organization are to (1) promote communication within and between industry, academia, and the beekeeping community, (2) develop and foster research on fundamental and applied questions to gain a greater understanding of honey bee biology that can assist and improve the beekeeping industry; and (3) create a venue to rapidly share new techniques and current research to advance the field. Due to recent problems with high honey bee colony losses, the number of research groups and scientists dedicated to apicultural research has increased during the past 10 years. However, no North American-based peer-reviewed scientific journal is dedicated to the dissemination of the high-quality studies in basic and applied research that are generated every year in this field. With this special issue, we aimed to create a space to highlight progress and updates of honey bee research in the United States (US), namely by AAPA member research groups. Specifically, we compile studies that address critical and novel questions to advance our understanding of key aspects related to (1) honey bee colony health, (2) abiotic and biotic stressors—with a special focus on larval and adult responses to pesticides and viruses—and (3) approaches to inform beekeeping management practices. Below, we summarize the key findings of these studies and present an overview of current critical research topic needs.