The Road to Apis mellifera: Putting the “Honey” in Honey Bee

Posted February 1, 2015

The Road to Apis mellifera: Putting the “Honey” in Honey Bee

I’m convinced that beekeeping provides a place for nearly every kind of human personality and interest. There are as many reasons for getting into beekeeping as there are beekeepers, and whether the initial attraction in your case was pollination for your garden, a sideline income, a family tradition, a social outlet, a shared family project, …

Posted February 1, 2015

Stocks of Bees in the United States

All beekeepers must choose the type of bee that will be the workhorse of their beekeeping operations. Which bee to use can be the subject of intense debate among beekeepers. Should you use Russian bees or Minnesota hygienic bees? Which is better: Italian or New World Carniolan bees? The answers to these questions are not …

Posted February 1, 2015

The Classroom February 2015

Q COLLOIDAL SILVER FOR BEE HEALTH? Being a beginner beekeeper with 3 years to my credit, I always look forward to reading “The Classroom” upon receiving the ABJ. Many thanks for your answers and insight. I have a friend who constructs colloidal silver generators. He gives them away to people of interest who have various ailments, …

Posted February 1, 2015

Dealing With Dead-Outs

A beehive that withstands the cold winter months has tremendous potential. In spring, over-wintered hives can be split, re-queened or managed to produce significant quantities of honey. Establishing the conditions that enable a hive to survive the winter and flourish in spring is one of the many gratifying aspects of beekeeping. So it serves to …

Posted February 1, 2015

Comb Honey Corner – February 2015

Comb honey like all honey production requires Angiosperms, which are flowering plants. For the most part these flowering plants will be dicotyledonous ones. I do plant things that will provide nectar and pollen for bees. You may think your property does not have enough area for plants to make much difference. You will have much …

Posted February 1, 2015

Heartland Apicultural Society Conference Announced

The 14th Annual Heartland Apicultural Society’s summer conference will be held in Albion, Michigan July 9 through 11, 2015 Please join us for this three-day Celebration of bees and beekeepers. Confirmed speakers include Dennis VanEnglesdorp, Susan Cobey, and Roger Hopingarner to name but a few. Queen rearing, drone catching, microscope techniques, mead making, beginners to …

Posted February 1, 2015

2015 Pennsylvania Honey Queen and Princess Selected

The Pennsylvania Honey Queen Program is pleased to announce that Jessica Onstead was recently selected as the 2015 Pennsylvania Honey Queen and Blair Hetherington as the 2015 Pennsylvania Honey Princess. Jessica, 21, is the daughter of Stephen Onstead and Fritz Onstead of Somerset, Pa. She is a graduate of Somerset Area High School, where she …

Posted February 1, 2015

Secretary Vilsack Names Members to the National Honey Board

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2014 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed three members and three alternates to serve on the National Honey Board. They will serve 3-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2015, and ending on Dec. 31, 2017. The producer member appointed is Mark A. Jensen of Power, Mont., incumbent, and the producer alternate member …

Posted February 1, 2015

Hive Minds and the Internet of Bees

Arnia Remote Hive Monitoring Now Listening to Bees Across the Atlantic with Podsystem “Best Signal” M2M SIMs and Flat-Rate Data PodsystemM2M, the expert in multi-network data SIMs for the M2M industry, has today announced …

Posted February 1, 2015

February 2015 Cover

Winter in the Beeyard—Wisconsin beekeeping artist Marie App has done another excellent painting for our cover. To contact the artist about print ordering information, email her at marieapp@hotmail.com. More details on page 121.

The Road to Apis mellifera: Putting the “Honey” in Honey Bee

Posted February 1, 2015