Florida State Bee- keepers Association to Raise $1.2 Million for New Bee Research Laboratory at University of Florida

Posted June 1, 2016

Florida State Bee- keepers Association to Raise $1.2 Million for New Bee Research Laboratory at University of Florida

On March 17, 2016 Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the 2016/2017 state budget that includes $2 million for a new bee research laboratory at the University of Florida. The legislation that provides the $2 million also requires a $500,000 match by the university and a 10% ($200,000) match by the Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA). …

Posted June 1, 2016

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – June 2016

Honey flows in the southern half of the U.S. have been better thus far than last season. Good rainfall and an early spring allowed colonies to get a jump on the season. At times, wet, stormy weather has prevented normal bee foraging, but beekeepers are hoping for more stable weather for the remainder of the …

Posted June 1, 2016

The Classroom – June 2016

Q Moving a Colony Thank you for all your wonderful advice which I have enjoyed and benefited from over the years. One of our club members wants to move a single hive across his property. I was thinking of offering him the following advice: If the rule-of-thumb is that you move your hive three feet …

Posted June 1, 2016

The Papaveraceae – The Poppy Family

The family Papaveraceae is made up of about 26 genera and 200 species.1 Most are annual or perennial herbs, but the family also contains a relatively few shrubs and small trees, some of which (probably most) come from the warmer parts of the world. The leaves are placed alternately on their stems and can be …

Posted June 1, 2016

Letters to the Editor – June 2016

Thanks Again Dr. Tom Rinderer This is just a note to publicly thank Dr. Rinderer once again for the great work he did with the Russian bees—finding them; evaluating them; importing and distributing them; and finally setting in motion a program to ensure their survival and enhancement in the hands of working beekeepers—just in case …

Posted June 1, 2016

The Curious Way to Find an Apis Florea Queen

In North America, we only have one species of honey bee, Apis mellifera. Asia has approximately nine honey bee species. One of these is the little honey bee or dwarf honey bee, which are two common names for Apis florea, a bee smaller than our honey bee, Apis mellifera. This bee, Apis florea, is an …

Posted June 1, 2016

DCAs — Genetic Diversity from the Male’s Perspective

The last two months I have been talking about polyandry – the queen’s habit of mating with many males – and the benefits it confers on her colony. Colonies with polyandrous queens are more disease resistant1,2,3 resist Varroa mites better , and reproduce (swarm) more successfully5, the latter of course not being good for a …

Posted June 1, 2016

Beekeeping Rules and Regulations

Beekeeping is a dynamic industry for some and a part-time hobby for others. It is a diverse enterprise, one that allows its practitioners to be doctors (diagnosing colony maladies), carpenters (assembling hive equipment), botanists (knowing bloom cycles), farmers (honey producers and crop pollination providers), and even business men/women (managing employees and marketing one’s products), all …

Posted June 1, 2016

Two-queen Management and the Different Varieties of Honey Bees

I have had some inquiries about the equipment for a two-queen hive in the horizontal position. I am using a single deep hive body for each queen. Some people have asked about using the medium “Illinois” size equipment. One of the medium depth hive boxes is not enough space to overwinter a colony. It is …

Posted June 1, 2016

David Shenefield’s Family Business is Indiana’s Largest Bee Operation

Indiana Beekeeper David Shenefield manages a highly successful 3,000 colony honey bee business from his home in LaFontaine, a small town with a population of 900 that’s located in the northeastern region of the state. Family members play a key role in the day-to-day running of the state’s largest beekeeping operation—appropriately named Clover Blossom Honey. …

Florida State Bee- keepers Association to Raise $1.2 Million for New Bee Research Laboratory at University of Florida

Posted June 1, 2016