Genome Published of the Small Hive Beetle, a Major Honey Bee Parasite

Posted December 20, 2018

Genome Published of the Small Hive Beetle, a Major Honey Bee Parasite

BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND, December 19, 2018 Beekeepers and researchers will welcome the unveiling of the small hive beetle’s genome by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues. The small hive beetle (SHB) is a major parasite problem of honey bees for which there are few effective treatments. The SHB (Aethina tumida Murray) genome—a genome is the …

Posted December 14, 2018

Newly Published Research Offers New Insights in Ability to Modify and Study Honey Bee Chromosomes

DAVIS–Newly published research by a team of Germany-based honey bee geneticists, collaborating with Robert Page, Jr., of Arizona State University/University of California, Davis, offers new insights in the ability to modify and study the chromosomes of honey bees. Martin Beye, a professor at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany and a former postdoctoral fellow in Page’s …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Genome Published of the Small Hive Beetle, a Major Honey Bee Parasite

Posted December 20, 2018