Honey Bees More Likely to Regulate Hive’s ‘Thermostat’ During Rapid Temperature Increases

Posted July 1, 2016

Honey Bees More Likely to Regulate Hive’s ‘Thermostat’ During Rapid Temperature Increases

Honey bees use their wings to cool down their hives when temperatures rise, but new University of Colorado Boulder research shows that this intriguing behavior may be linked to both the rate of heating and the size of a honey bee group. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Animal Behaviour, indicate that …

Posted July 1, 2016

Nation’s Beekeepers Lost 44 Percent of Bees in 2015-16

Summer losses rival winter losses for the second year running Beekeepers across the United States lost 44 percent of their honey bee colonies during the year spanning April 2015 to April 2016, according to the latest preliminary results of an annual nationwide survey. Rates of both winter loss and summer loss—and consequently, total annual …

Posted July 1, 2016

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – July 2016

United States Earlier spring bee foraging and buildup in parts of the Northeast, Mideast and Southeast was at times sporadic due to erratic and often stormy weather. However, later spring and early summer weather improved and the added moisture may help later honey flows. Spring weather in the Southwest was also rainy, but beekeepers were …

2016 4-H Ag Innovators Experience Kicks Off at Ohio State

Posted July 1, 2016

Letters to the Editor – July 2016

2016 4-H Ag Innovators Experience Kicks Off at Ohio State Honey Bee Challenge helps students understand the connection between honey bees and food production. Columbus, Ohio – Did you know that one in every three bites we eat is the result of honey bees at work? Now, thanks to the 4-H Ag Innovators Experience (AIE), …

Posted July 1, 2016

The Classroom – July 2016

Q Who is in the Caste? We are debating the correct answer relating to what is a caste? We have a question on our Master Beekeeper test that is at issue. In First Lessons in Beekeeping by Keith Delaplane, a Dadant Publication, he states on page 12: “There are three types of individuals in a …

Posted July 1, 2016

The Plantaginaceae – The Plantain Family

Relatively recently, based on genetic evidence, this family has been expanded to include groups not originally considered to be within the family. The treatment below represents the older view of the family. In the older view the family consisted of 3 genera and 270 species[smith] of both annual and perennial herbs. The leaves are mostly …

Posted July 1, 2016

In Summer Heat, Bees Need Water: Some Tips on Providing It and How a Colony Collects and Distributes It

The heat of summer brings a dire necessity. The bees need water to cool their hives. Where will they get it and what is the bee biology behind water collection? Those are the subjects for this article. Bees desperate for water will get it from unlikely places. For example, in 1878 during a hot dry …

Posted July 1, 2016

Tissues and Organs in the Superorganism

Back in March I described a superorganism as a group of individuals that together “does the kinds of things that only organisms do,” and I continued in that issue to describe one of those organism-like things – possession of a “brain” – that is, the capacity for group decision-making. Further back in November 2015 I …

Posted July 1, 2016

Biotic Stressors of Honey Bee Colonies

One of the realities of beekeeping is that honey bees and their colonies are under constant attack from a number of biotic (living) stressors. These include bacteria, fungi, viruses, mites, other insects, spiders, birds, reptiles/amphibians, and mammals. As a result, beekeepers spend considerable time inspecting colonies for and remedying problems related to biotic stressors. State …

Duct tape between the 1/2 telescoping cover and the super to keep rain out.

Posted July 1, 2016

Native Pollinators, Making Nucleus Colonies, Etc.

One thing that always induces a chuckle for me is when people say we need to rely on native pollinators. Folks seem so ready to point out that honey bees are not native to North America. Oranges are not native to North America. Apples, pears, peaches, most plums, apricots, almonds, and limes are all native …

Honey Bees More Likely to Regulate Hive’s ‘Thermostat’ During Rapid Temperature Increases

Posted July 1, 2016