The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 2 February 2026 Cover Callouts: The Tremble Dance: A Hidden Language - 153, honey bees search for sodium - 193, iNaturlaist on the Apiary -147

Serviceberry

other side of beekeeping march 2016
Posted March 1, 2016

Serviceberry

Saskatoon serviceberry, Saskatoon berry, Western service berry, Saskatoon, June berry, shadbush, poirier, petites poires; Cusick’s serviceberry (a particular variety) Scientific name: Amelanchier alnifolia Synonyms: Amelanchier cusickii, Amelanchier florida Origin: The species is native to at least North America Plant description: Amelanchier alnifolia is a clustered shrub or small tree generally with a height of 2-5m …

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March 2016

Posted March 1, 2016

March 2016

Obituary—Colin Butler, Entomologist Telegraph Media Group Limited…………………………………………………………..261 Following the Wild Bees—Tom Seeley on Honeybee Democracy, Responsible Swarm Trapping and His New Book Leo Sharashkin………………………………………………………………………………287 Understanding Colony Buildup and Decline—Part 10—Summer Downsizing and Varroa Randy Oliver…………………………………………………………………………………..293 BIP Takes on a NASA Project—How Big Data Can Inform the Way We Keep Bees and How We Can Opt …

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March 2016 Cover

ABJ - March 2016 - Cover
Posted March 1, 2016

March 2016 Cover

Emily Anderson Brown of Scottsdale, AZ prepares to remove a swarm from a tree. Read Emily’s inspiring story, Born to Be a Beekeeper, by Mary and Bill Weaver in this issue beginning on page 309.  

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Wild Bee Decline Threatens US Crop Production

Posted February 1, 2016

Wild Bee Decline Threatens US Crop Production

Following President Obama’s call for pollinator assessment, first-ever national bee map shows much farmland at risk UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT The first national study to map U.S. wild bees suggests they’re disappearing in many of the country’s most important farmlands–including California’s Central Valley, the Midwest’s corn belt, and the Mississippi River valley. If losses of these …

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U.S Honey Crops and Markets – February 2016

US Crops and Honey Markets
Posted February 1, 2016

U.S Honey Crops and Markets – February 2016

UNITED STATES What kind of weather winter will bring has been anyone’s guess, but long-range forecasts have predicted a continuation of milder weather with short periods of much colder and sometimes snowy conditions. The fall was mostly mild over much of the country, but sometimes quite stormy. The rain was welcome to replenish ground moisture, …

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Letters to the Editor – February 2016

Posted February 1, 2016

Letters to the Editor – February 2016

Metal Tailgate Protector Until a bargain flatbed comes along, I am still working out of my Dodge pickup truck for working 500 hives. I have a plastic bed liner, and frequently work off of the tailgate. While lighting the smoker, usually several times, I balance it on my tailgate, the one with the plastic liner. …

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Agavaceae – The Century Plant Family

Posted February 1, 2016

Agavaceae – The Century Plant Family

The Agavaceae consists of monocots from dry and warmer parts of both hemispheres.[3] In some references the family is placed in the Liliaceae (the Lily family). There are about 20-23 genera in the family and one reference states that there are 637 species worldwide.[6] In my opinion there seems to be little that is consistent about the family when …

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The Classroom February 2016

Posted February 1, 2016

The Classroom February 2016

Q Wintering I have always struggled with this: Do I winter my bees in 2-deep boxes or 3-deep boxes? The winters here in Boise, Idaho aren’t full of snow, but they do get cold. Thanks, Mark A The rule of thumb Mark for just about as long since Langstroth equipment was adopted is that you …

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Thermal Beekeeping: Look Inside a Burning Bee Smoker

bee smoker
Posted February 1, 2016

Thermal Beekeeping: Look Inside a Burning Bee Smoker

Before the bee smoker, beekeepers tried various devices to gain control over the bees while checking the status of the colony. Figure 1 shows an example, and also the hardship beekeepers once endured, with uncontrolled smoke. This large smudge pot hung on the windward side of the hive at top-bar level. The smoke would waft …

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Cell Use Patterns in the Honey Bee Superorganism

Posted February 1, 2016

Cell Use Patterns in the Honey Bee Superorganism

High on the must-know list for a beginning beekeeper is how to read a proper comb pattern. Pull out a brood comb from the middle of a hive body and it will look something like this: a concentric series with brood in the middle, an arc of pollen above it, and the rest of the …

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