Many of us have cabin fever during February. As beekeepers we must be patient and let the bees determine our course of action. Honey bees have a definite cycle of development. Figure 1 indicates that bee populations are at their lowest level during the winter season. Population growth increases from that point through mid-summer (June …
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Gathering Pollen in December Hi! I was requested by my mentor to send the Journal this photo of one of my girls coming back with bright orange pollen on December 4, 2024. I have this hive near Wooldridge, MO. I’m a first-year beekeeper and wasn’t sure what kind of pollen it could be, but several …
Read MoreOLYMPIA – After three years without confirmed detections, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia, formerly known as Asian giant hornet) eradicated from Washington and the United States. “We’re pleased to announce the eradication of the northern giant hornet …
Read MoreThe Honey Bee Health Coalition (HBHC) has published a new resource to help beekeepers understand and successfully navigate the H-2A process for securing seasonal workers. The two-page guide, titled “Tips for Getting the H-2A Process Started Right,” provides clear, actionable steps for beekeepers to meet labor needs while remaining in compliance with H-2A program requirements. …
Read MorePicture This: Bee Blessing Boys! Residential youth ministry teaches beekeeping and photography Steve “Mac” McNair – 153 The U.S. is Monitoring for Tropilaelaps. Why isn’t Canada? Alison McAfee – 157 A History of the Discoveries About the Sexuality of the Honey Bee – Part 4 Frédéric Eggers de Villepin – 161 Common is the New …
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A long road: Springtime seems a long road ahead for much of the country. But on warm days, your bees are already out searching for early-blooming maples, elms and other pollen sources that will jump-start brood rearing for the coming season. Our cover photo was taken in January 2022 by Cheryl Burkhead of Berryton, Kansas.
Read MoreIt happens all the time Yes, it does frequently happen that you or I are asked to give a short overview of some aspect of honey bee biology or behavior. Maybe I’m sitting by a stranger on a plane flight. Maybe someone at church remarks that you’re the bee guy and then a question ensues …
Read MoreBee classes are filling up and the new year is beginning. Those going into beekeeping for the first time are expecting some form of pleasure with eager questions for information. One can see it in their actions and faces. As the above weather map of the United States in January shows, there is not much …
Read MorePretty much every beekeeper in my orbit is asking me about Tropilaelaps mercedesae (from here forward called Tropilaelaps; see Photo 1). In fact, as I sit down to write this month’s column, outgoing American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) president Dan Winter just left the Dyce Lab and Tropilaelaps was a big part of our conversation for …
Read MoreHere I release the first results of one of my classified projects. These projects are serious scientific bee research endeavors usually with a high risk of failure (that is, finding nothing worth reporting). If a classified project works, however, the results could be useful from a basic science perspective (exploration) or from an applied science …
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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