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.

Organic Industry Watchdog Lobbies for Stricter Regulations Governing Imports

Posted October 1, 2017

Organic Industry Watchdog Lobbies for Stricter Regulations Governing Imports

After 10 Years of Pressure by The Cornucopia Institute, an Article in The Washington Post is Changing the Competitive Landscape in Organics Cornucopia, WI — A recent Washington Post investigation illustrated serious flaws in the organic certification program at the USDA, undermining confidence in the organic label and spotlighting the harm domestic organic grain farmers continue …

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Apiculture Insurance Expanded to More States

Posted October 1, 2017

Apiculture Insurance Expanded to More States

Increased safety net available to  beekeepers in 48 states. WASHINGTON – Crop insurance for beekeeper operations has been expanded to include 19 additional states and now spans the entire 48 contiguous states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) today announced changes to the Apiculture Pilot Insurance (API) plan, ensuring greater protection …

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Letters to the Editor

students learning grafting
Posted October 1, 2017

Letters to the Editor

In June this year I was invited to visit Nigeria for three weeks to teach queen rearing at an agricultural college, Umuebe Farms and Farms College, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. I had heard, like most people, of the threat posed by Africanized “killer” bees in the southern U.S., and as West Africa is home to …

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The Classroom – October 2017

Posted October 1, 2017

The Classroom – October 2017

From Jerry As we all know, keeping honey bees not only alive but healthy and contributing to your management goals is tough and tougher for new beekeepers who haven’t learned that beekeeping is a visual sport. You have to be able to see, compare and contrast and that requires sampling and surveying and then having …

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U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – October 2017

US Crops and Honey Markets
Posted October 1, 2017

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – October 2017

UNITED STATES As we indicated last month, the U.S. honey crop is going to be smaller this season due to earlier drought conditions in Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. On the bright side, some later reports indicate better honey crops in the Upper Midwest than earlier predicted. On the other hand, very hot, …

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Extended Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report

Extended Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report
Posted October 1, 2017

Extended Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report

There has been a huge amount of interest in the extended-release application of oxalic acid for controlling varroa. I and my collaborators have been working hard to collect the data necessary get this treatment approved for use by U.S. beekeepers. We’ve still got lots to learn, but here’s an update. Disclaimer and legality: The information …

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Hot Mice! In the Hive

mouse in hive
Posted October 1, 2017

Hot Mice! In the Hive

As autumn comes upon us, the nights become cold while warm afternoons seem to cling to fleeting memories of summer. Ever vigilant all through the heat of summer, the bees have protected their precious combs by constantly patrolling them. Now after sunset, the invading cold comes. The bees must withdraw from the outer realm of …

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How Many Drones are Enough?

how many drones are enough
Posted October 1, 2017

How Many Drones are Enough?

One day early in my career I was lecturing a beekeeping group in London on the topic of Varroa mite IPM. I had just covered the so-called “drone brood trapping” method. The beekeeper inserts a comb of drone cells, lets the bees fill it up with drone brood, and after it’s capped removes the comb …

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Comb Honey Corner

Nabors-Figure-1
Posted October 1, 2017

Comb Honey Corner

A few years ago, we had a series of experiments with two attempts at 2-queen colonies. The first experiment involved a long hive. The idea was to have one colony on one side and a second colony on the other side with a shared space in the middle. It worked out quite well for the …

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October 2017

Posted October 1, 2017

October 2017

Welcome Kirsten Traynor, our New Editor……………………………………………………1021 International Honey Market Update Norberto Garcia and Ron Phipps……………………………………………………………1043 Hives for Humanity: Using Bees to Create Social Change in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, BC Alison McAfee…………………………………………………………………………………1051 The Varroa Problem—Part 11—The Math of the Mite Randy Oliver…………………………………………………………………………………1071 Honey Bee Nutrition—Part 5 Dale Hill……………………………………………………………………………………….1081 Bee Biology Overview Lawrence John Connor………………………………………………………………………1085 …

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