For several months I’ve been talking about the honey bee colony as a superorganism: a group of individuals living together and resembling what humans would call a “society,” but which for various reasons is better understood as a special case of organism. For one thing, the group as a whole, not the individuals that make …
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Having survived the winter, bees begin foraging with the return of warm temperatures. Even before the early spring flowers yield nectar and pollen in abundance, the colony has begun rearing brood, jump-starting their population growth even in the cold of winter. That is one advantage of wintering as a large warm family unit, instead of …
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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 …
Read MoreObituary—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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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.
Read MoreFollowing 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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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, …
Read MoreMetal 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. …
Read MoreThe 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 …
Read MoreQ 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 …
Read More"I want the American Bee Journal to be the finest publication about bees and beekeeping in the world."
- C.P. Dadant, Editor of ABJ 1912-1938
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