The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 1 January 2026 Cover Callouts: Invisible Bee Communication - 45, Vadescana: A new varroa control - 51, The impacts of pollen trapping - 61 Cover depicts a honey bee with propolis on its legs.

What Happened to the Genetically Engineered Honey Bee?

Genetic Engineering Honey bee
Posted March 1, 2018

What Happened to the Genetically Engineered Honey Bee?

GMOs. Few acronyms induce as much debate at the dinner table, forming rifts between relatives about the very food on our plates. Tinkering with an organism’s genes is almost as divisive as politics. So why aren’t we talking about agriculture’s potential pollinator of the future: the genetically engineered honey bee? Genetically engineered honey bees were …

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Once Upon a Bottom Board

Burlew Cluster Location
Posted March 1, 2018

Once Upon a Bottom Board

Does a screened bottom board have any value? My vote is a resounding “Yes!” even though they are basically useless as a way to control varroa mites. A screened bottom board, especially when used with a sliding varroa drawer beneath it, can be a valuable diagnostic tool for the beekeeper. And for the beginner, it …

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March 2018 ABJ Cover

camouflaged spider catching a forager by Jeff Zylstra
Posted March 1, 2018

March 2018 ABJ Cover

This amazing cover shot of a camouflaged spider catching a forager was taken by Jeff Zylstra. He is a hobby beekeeper from Pelham, Ontario, where he raises his four boys with his wife Denise.

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How to Avoid Crowds

February ABJ Cover Story
Posted February 14, 2018

How to Avoid Crowds

On a sunny spring day in April of 2005, I set up my first beehives in the lovely little part of the world I call my home in southwest Michigan. They found themselves living in a bee paradise with lots of forage, abundant water, wild areas, hay fields and a lawn filled with white clover. …

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HOW HONEY BEE GUT BACTERIA HELP TO DIGEST THEIR POLLEN-RICH DIET

Posted February 1, 2018

HOW HONEY BEE GUT BACTERIA HELP TO DIGEST THEIR POLLEN-RICH DIET

The honey bee gut is colonized by specialized bacteria that help digest components of the floral pollen diet and produce molecules that likely promote bee health. In a recent study published in PLOS Biology, a group of researchers from Switzerland uncovered which bacterial species perform which specific digestive functions in the bee gut. The authors …

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NEW MAPS SHOW SHRINKING WILDERNESS BEING IGNORED AT OUR PERIL

Posted February 1, 2018

NEW MAPS SHOW SHRINKING WILDERNESS BEING IGNORED AT OUR PERIL

Humans have transformed the landscape to an amazing degree. We are losing our wild places, where much biodiversity of insects still awaits undiscovered. Many species of bees live in these untouched areas, pollinating a great diversity of plants. A new study shows how much of our wilderness areas we have lost since 1993. These maps …

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WORLD BEE DAY

Posted February 1, 2018

WORLD BEE DAY

The resolution declaring May 20th as World Bee Day was adopted at the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly on December 20th, 2017. See the Letter to the Editor. Bees and other pollinators are extremely important when it comes to ensuring the global safety of the food supply chain. Every third spoonful of …

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IS “ORGANIC” GOING THROUGH AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS?

Posted February 1, 2018

IS “ORGANIC” GOING THROUGH AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS?

Though it’s too early to tell whether it’s imploding — or merely suffering growing pains — the $50 billion American organic industry is going through some serious soul-searching. While some organic pioneers are bemoaning what they perceive as the ongoing degradation of a brand founded in an ideological movement, others see this as a time …

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Letters to the Editor – February 2018

Posted February 1, 2018

Letters to the Editor – February 2018

May 20th declared World Bee Day Dear beekeeping colleagues, The 20th of May was declared as World Bee Day on the 20th of December, 2017 at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York! From now one every year on this day, the attention of the global public will be drawn to the …

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The Classroom – February 2018

Posted February 1, 2018

The Classroom – February 2018

Mites, mites, mites A Comment from Wil in Alabama Hi Jerry, I just read your reply to Mac in Maine in the December issue. I totally agree with you that a sticky board is a not too accurate estimation of mites in a colony. I have been telling other beekeepers to do the following: Take a …

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