The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 5 May 2026 Cover features a close up of a drone bee emerging. Calouts: Do you really need a new queen - 491, AHB in the USA - 523, Where do honey bees mater?-527

Dr. Brock Harpur Joins Purdue Entomology

Dr-Brock-Harpur
Posted December 6, 2018

Dr. Brock Harpur Joins Purdue Entomology

Starting January 1st Dr. Brock Harpur will be starting as assistant professor at Purdue University’s Department of Entomology, replacing Dr. Greg Hunt. Congratulations Brock! Brock Harpur is currently a National Science and Engineering Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the Donnelley Centre, University of Toronto. His work brings together large data sets to explore the evolution …

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Winter Survival of a Weak Colony

honey bee biology
Posted December 1, 2018

Winter Survival of a Weak Colony

In the previous article, a thermal camera and a top-bar hive gave us a more intimate appreciation for the cold the bees endure in their hives. The top-bar colony shown last month was numerically strong with bees. I had another colony in a far off apiary, not committed to another project, but not an ideal …

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Notes from the Lab – December 2018

beekeepers inspecting hives
Posted December 1, 2018

Notes from the Lab – December 2018

It’s December, which means flu season is starting to kick into high gear. What do you crave when you’re sick? Chicken soup? Echinacea tea? Across the animal kingdom, there’s growing evidence that you’re not alone – caterpillars and moose and even bees seek out dietary items that can potentially make them healthier. This is the …

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On Diaphanous Wings They Soar

honey bee wings in motion
Posted December 1, 2018

On Diaphanous Wings They Soar

Imagine being born with wings. As you chew your way out of your cell, you slowly become aware of something weird. In addition to the requisite six legs and two antennae, you also have these…um…well, what are they exactly? According to the book, they are not appendages but simply outgrowths of the cuticle. As you …

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HONEYBEE NUTRITION IN TEMPERATE/ CONTINENTAL REGIONS OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

Posted December 1, 2018

HONEYBEE NUTRITION IN TEMPERATE/ CONTINENTAL REGIONS OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

This book provides a general description of honeybee nutrition in temperate/continental regions of the northern hemisphere. The text is based on a substantial body of contemporary research taken from the subject literature (over 1,350 references) and the author’s own experience gathered over 40 years of working with bees. The first bees appeared on earth about …

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PURDUE UNIVERSITY’S ANNUAL INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION CLASS

Posted December 1, 2018

PURDUE UNIVERSITY’S ANNUAL INSTRUMENTAL INSEMINATION CLASS

Instrumental insemination can seem overwhelming to most students at first, but with the proper training one can master the art and perform inseminations with confidence. Each year in early August bee breeders and researchers from around the country and abroad travel to Purdue University’s honey bee laboratory, where they learn how to instrumentally inseminate honey …

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Letters to the Editor – December 2018

Posted December 1, 2018

Letters to the Editor – December 2018

New Hive Type I am a third year beekeeper and am fortunate to be mentored by a small commercial beekeeper and gee whiz he is male. He also heads our beekeeper association. After reading the article in the July 2018 issue regarding diversity, I found it to be very disconnected and disconcerting. The article states …

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The Classroom – December 2018

The Classroom - American Bee Journal
Posted December 1, 2018

The Classroom – December 2018

Q  Polishing Bees Hello Jerry, Hope this note finds you well since I saw you last September. As always, I’ve been enjoying following your responses in The Classroom. I have a question for you—posed to me by many of our newer beekeepers. When observing bees bearding during warmer weather, careful inspection will often show individual …

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Prepare for Spring

honey bees entrance hive
Posted December 1, 2018

Prepare for Spring

In December with the holidays upon us, spring seems a long way off. But for the bees, the spring starts weeks before the first snowdrops rear up through the frozen ground. As soon as the days start increasing in length again, the bees click into spring preparation mode. By January many colonies have started brooding …

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Brood Matters Too: The Role of Brood in Hygienic Behavior

honey bees comb
Posted December 1, 2018

Brood Matters Too: The Role of Brood in Hygienic Behavior

New research shows that honey bee brood has a surprising role in social disease resistance A larva has a pretty good life. Breakfast in bed all day, constant warmth, no work (other than maybe spinning a cocoon), and no responsibilities. Sure, larvae passively produce pheromones that help maintain the colony’s social cohesion1 and inhibit laying …

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