February 2015 Table of Contents
Posted February 1, 2015
February 2015 Table of Contents
International Honey Market Ron Phipps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …
Read MoreCrystals in Honey As Seen Through a Polariscope: In Pictures Videos
Posted January 1, 2015
Crystals in Honey As Seen Through a Polariscope: In Pictures Videos
Honey crystallization is a concern to beekeepers who want to produce a pretty liquid product with a bright clarity, particularly for the lighter honeys. Crystallization is sometimes called honey spoilage, which is completely wrong. Crystallization might precede fermentation, a honey spoilage by sugar-tolerant yeast, which may be already present in the honey. On the other …
Read MoreHoney Bee Origins and Why It Matters
Posted January 1, 2015
Honey Bee Origins and Why It Matters
It can be inconvenient when new information comes along and changes things. A few years ago this happened to me in a small way (ok, a very small way), and it forced me to revise the exams I give students and Master Beekeeper candidates. The original question and answer went like this: (True or False) …
Read MoreAcquiring Bees and Queens
Posted January 1, 2015
Acquiring Bees and Queens
One must have bees in order to be a beekeeper. It is not always easy to find and purchase bees, especially if one is a new beekeeper and does not know how to obtain bees. Furthermore, bees can be hard to acquire given the level of beekeeper demand for bees today. I have been keeping …
Read MoreThe Classroom January 2015
Posted January 1, 2015
The Classroom January 2015
Q Small Hive Beetle Control Jerry….. I am looking to make some small hive beetle (SHB) traps and use Checkmite. We need a smaller/different sized strip. I am looking for someone at Bayer to contact and see if it’s possible and the cost involved. It would be a large-scale project. Charles Lindner A Hey Charles, are …
Read MoreChemical Synergies: When 1 + 1 Does Not Equal 2
Posted January 1, 2015
Chemical Synergies: When 1 + 1 Does Not Equal 2
Introduction The agricultural environment is a source of chemical exposure for bees, with pesticides, their degradation products, and other ingredients in pesticide products (adjuvants, solvents, and other chemicals added to formulated products) dominating the scene. Because multiple pesticide products are applied to a crop, honey bees foraging on or near the crop will typically bring …
Read MoreComb Honey Corner – January 2015
Posted January 1, 2015
Comb Honey Corner – January 2015
Comb honey production, like all honey production, relies on beeswax production. The difference between comb honey production and extracted honey production is that new wax must be produced every season when comb honey is the objective. Wax production is expensive for any colony of bees. Weak colonies cannot produce comb honey efficiently. Keeping colonies strong …
Read MoreBeekeeping By the Numbers
Posted January 1, 2015
Beekeeping By the Numbers
The concept of the increase or nucleus hive is directly credited to L. L. Langstroth in his original The Hive and the Honey Bee. Langstroth’s hive was based upon movable frames that honored and respected the bee space—the thickness of two worker bees on opposite combs that allows them to work without bumping into each …
Read MoreThe Small Hive Beetle Is in Europe to Stay
Posted January 1, 2015
The Small Hive Beetle Is in Europe to Stay
The small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) is an exotic pest originally from South Africa which can infest honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, destroying combs and brood often causing total colony loss. It invaded the southern USA in the 1990s causing significant economic loss, and has later been found in Australia, Canada and elsewhere. It is …
Read MoreUSDA to Provide $4 Million for Honey Bee Habitat
Posted January 1, 2015
USDA to Provide $4 Million for Honey Bee Habitat
Announcement Builds on Previous Investment in Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin WASHINGTON, Oct.29, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that more than $4 million in technical and financial assistance will be provided to help farmers and ranchers in the Midwest improve the health of honey bees, which play an important …
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