The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 10 October 2026 Cover Cover Callouts: Apis mellifera, weather girl - 1077, Winter hive ventilation - 1093, 1101, 1105, How does the colony respond to OA? - 1127 Cover shoes a frame of brood with a queen cell and several bees near the center of the frame.

Summer Swarms Are Far More Frequent: Our Bees Are Changing

summer bee swarm
Posted December 1, 2016

Summer Swarms Are Far More Frequent: Our Bees Are Changing

In previous column articles, I have documented summer usurpation swarms taking over established colonies. As part of my beekeeping management, I even have begun considering mid June through most of September as usurpation season for Piedmont Virginia. Briefly, based on my observations, here is a typical usurpation event, although I admit counter examples could occur. …

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Senescence and Mortality in the Superorganism

honey bee removal
Posted December 1, 2016

Senescence and Mortality in the Superorganism

  It’s part of the mythology of beekeeping, a compelling story that we want very much to be true. It comes up in hallway discussions and in the Q&A time after lectures on sustainable beekeeping. It evokes an image of a simpler time when beekeeping wasn’t much more than controlling swarms and supering up for …

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The Time Commitment Associated with Keeping Bees

The time associated with keeping bees
Posted December 1, 2016

The Time Commitment Associated with Keeping Bees

I was talking to my wife recently and was sharing with her my vision for articles for this column. I told her that I was trying to finish up a series of articles for people who are just getting into beekeeping. Most beekeeping books I have read essentially start beekeepers off with information about how …

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December 2016

Posted December 1, 2016

December 2016

Your Bees Don’t Have to Die—How Can We Become Treatment-free without Killing our Colonies? Meghan Milbrath…………………………………………………………………………….1317 The Varroa Problem—Parts 2 &3—The Coevolution of the Bee, Varroa, and DWV & A Creation of our Own Doing Randy Oliver…………………………………………………………………………………1321 The Australian Sap Beetle Brachypeplus basalis Erichson: A New Honey Bee Pest in America Michael Burgett, Ramesh Sagili, …

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December ABJ Cover

American Bee Journal December Cover 2016
Posted December 1, 2016

December ABJ Cover

Champaign, Illinois photographer Brenda Rezk sent this excellent photo of a honey bee on a mint flower. Brenda says on her web site, “I used to teach biology to college students. However, these days, I’m more interested in pursuing photography. I’ve gotten second or third place in a couple of local photo competitions, giving me a bit …

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Letters to the Editor – November 2016

feral bee colony
Posted November 1, 2016

Letters to the Editor – November 2016

A Paper Trail: A Tale of Bees and Bureaucrats A year or so ago, a friend of mine spotted a beautiful colony of honey bees hanging from a cottonwood branch about twenty feet above the ground. It had five or six drawn combs about a foot in diameter covered with bees. The tree was at …

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U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – November 2016

US Crops and Honey Markets
Posted November 1, 2016

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – November 2016

UNITED STATES Beekeepers were finishing their fall bee work as this was written. Most beekeepers were treating for varroa mites with the approved mite treatments, including the more recently approved oxalic acid. In some cases beekeepers are finding larger mite populations than normal, but on the bright side, they had not seen as much parasitic …

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Nutrition Matters: Stress From Migratory Beekeeping May Be Eased by Access to Food

Nutrition Matters- Photo credit NC State University
Posted November 1, 2016

Nutrition Matters: Stress From Migratory Beekeeping May Be Eased by Access to Food

In the first large-scale and comprehensive study on the impacts of transporting honey bees to pollinate various crops, research from North Carolina State University shows that travel can adversely affect bee health and lifespan. Some of these negative impacts may be reduced by moving bee colonies into patches with readily available food or by providing …

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Seek and You Shall Find — Bees Remain Excellent Searchers Even When Ill

Posted November 1, 2016

Seek and You Shall Find — Bees Remain Excellent Searchers Even When Ill

Honey bees are hardwired to efficiently search the landscape enabling them to continue working for the greater good of their hives even when they are sick, according to new research co-authored by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Radar technology has been used to show for the first time that bees remain nimble and able …

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The Classroom – November 2016

Posted November 1, 2016

The Classroom – November 2016

COMMENT:  Kale Honey Jerry, Attached are 2 pictures of my Kale field.  This was somewhat of a mistake two years ago as I allowed some Kale to go to seed. The bloom time on this lasts about 3 weeks and peaks for about 10 days (pending weather). Frost seeding in mid to late October seems …

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