June 2016 Cover
Posted June 1, 2016
June 2016 Cover
Honey bee on a Fugi apple tree blossom. This excellent photo was taken by Michael LaSpina in Northern California.
Read More Study Finds Larger Colonies of Social Insects Have Weaker Immune Response, Highlights Role of Hygiene
Posted May 1, 2016
Study Finds Larger Colonies of Social Insects Have Weaker Immune Response, Highlights Role of Hygiene
North Carolina State University Research from North Carolina State University finds that among eusocial insects – like ants, bees and termites – the more individuals there are in a typical species colony, the weaker the species’ immune response. The finding strongly suggests that hygiene behaviors, and not just immune systems, play a key role in …
Read MoreNational Honey Board Launches New Online Catalog
Posted May 1, 2016
National Honey Board Launches New Online Catalog
Firestone, Colorado – The National Honey Board (NHB) announces that it has launched an online catalog for members of the honey industry. In a continued effort to provide materials to help promote honey, the NHB has made available to all industry members various materials that can be utilized to educate the general public about the …
Read MoreThe Classroom – May 2016
Posted May 1, 2016
The Classroom – May 2016
Question 1: WHEN TO TREAT? When’s the best time to put Apistan strips in hives? Right now? Missouri Beekeeper Answer 1: Well it should have been last August/September. If your bees are still alive, you could treat now. Do a survey of how many mites per 100 bees first. If it is 5 or over …
Read MoreLetters to the Editor – May 2016
Posted May 1, 2016
Letters to the Editor – May 2016
Honey Bee Comic Strip I am a middle school Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teacher in Lakewood, Ohio, and on the side, I create educational comics. I began creating my comics as an effort to reach my struggling readers, but I have recently felt it necessary to use my skills to reach a much …
Read MoreU.S. Honey Crops and Markets – May 2016
Posted May 1, 2016
U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – May 2016
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service published their U.S. and state honey crop production estimates for 2015 in late March. They estimated that U.S. honey production fell 12 percent in 2015. It is notable that honey production fell in almost every large honey production state which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Florida, Montana and …
Read MoreHow to Protect Bees from Pesticides
Posted May 1, 2016
How to Protect Bees from Pesticides
The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences states: “For fruit or nut bearing crops, pollination can be a grower’s last chance to increase yield. All post pollination inputs, whether growth regulators, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides, are generally designed not to increase yield but to conserve losses.” AgriCultures Network writes in “Managing for …
Read MoreMay 2016 Cover
Posted May 1, 2016
May 2016 Cover
Michael LaSpina took this wonderful photo of a honey bee in his yard in Northern California. The flower is a Crepe-Myrtle variety known as Prairie Malus. Michael said that the bees love it!
Read MoreMay 2016
Posted May 1, 2016
May 2016
U.S. Honey Production Down 12 Percent in 2015 National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA……………………………………………..513 Big and Small Things to Learn from an Observation Hive, or Something to Build This Season Tina Sebestyen…………………………………………………………………………………533 Fungal Alliances Against Varroa and the Viruses They Vector M.E.A. McNeil…………………………………………………………………………………541 How to Become a Beekeeper (The Not-so-Straightforward Way): Part II—Conclusion William Blomstedt…………………………………………………………………………….553 A …
Read MoreHow to Make Covers for My Two-Queen Horizontal Hive
Posted May 1, 2016
How to Make Covers for My Two-Queen Horizontal Hive
It has been busy this spring, thinking about how to cover my Two-queen Horizontal bee hive. First, the inner covers are to be considered. When the two-queen horizontal hive is in use, the queens must be separated by a queen excluder. The queen excluder separates the two queens while allowing the workers from both colonies …
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