ABJ DECEMBER 2024 COVER
The Classroom – November 2024
Posted November 1, 2024
The Classroom – November 2024
Q: To treat or not to treat? On August 8, I did a mite wash on my hives, one of which had a mite count of 15. On August 10, I treated with Formic Pro and today, September 4, I did another mite wash on that hive. It had a mite count of 5, but …
Read MoreNotes from the Lab
One Hundred Years of Beekeeping Evolution
Posted November 1, 2024
One Hundred Years of Beekeeping Evolution
It’s our beekeeping time Because it is a nice, round number, I arbitrarily selected 100 years of beekeeping evolution as my discussion time period. I sense that by doing this I unintentionally implied that we are now at some kind of beekeeping pinnacle. Yes, we are at a pinnacle, but pinnacles come and pinnacles go. …
Read MoreSurvival Strategies
Posted November 1, 2024
Survival Strategies
There is a wealth of pleasure I have received from keeping bees, but I am also reminded every fall that if I procrastinate doing required beekeeping tasks there is a price to be paid for my neglect. Beekeepers throughout history have dealt with getting bees ready to survive the winter season. This year will be …
Read MoreDifficult to Identify: Historical Section Comb Honey Equipment (Here us a Useful Technique)
Posted November 1, 2024
Difficult to Identify: Historical Section Comb Honey Equipment (Here us a Useful Technique)
Most old beekeeping equipment suggests a connection to bees, even by members of the public with a meager knowledge of apiculture. Arguably, the most common case is the bee smoker. Even if a lay person calls it a “bee puffer,” the bee connection remains. Especially when some old bee artifact is sold on the internet, …
Read MoreWe’ve Met the Enemy and She’s No Honey Bee
Posted November 1, 2024
We’ve Met the Enemy and She’s No Honey Bee
Think about human health for a moment. Compared to 1724, or even 1824, Americans live cushy lives. We inhabit modern homes, work sedentary jobs, and get little physical exercise. In addition, we breathe nanoplastic particles, eat ultra-processed foods, drink forever chemicals, and absorb digital signals daily. Yet many so-called health experts insist salt is the …
Read MoreLetters to the Editor – November 2024
Posted November 1, 2024
Letters to the Editor – November 2024
Disagrees with AHPA on Xerces overview of bees in National Forests I was surprised at Peter T. Jenkins’ review of the Xerces Society’s “An Overview of the Potential Impacts of Honey Bees to Native Bees, Plant Communities, and Ecosystems in Wild Landscapes: Recommendations for Land Mangers.” [See “Review and Critique of the Xerces Society’s Overview …
Read MoreCompany Behind First Honey Bee Vaccine Reports Promising New Data with 83% Effectiveness Against Deadly Viral Pathogen
Posted November 1, 2024
Company Behind First Honey Bee Vaccine Reports Promising New Data with 83% Effectiveness Against Deadly Viral Pathogen
ATHENS, Ga., Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dalan Animal Health, Inc., the leader in invertebrate health, today announced new experimental findings of their innovative bacterial vaccine’s potential to significantly reduce deformed wing virus variant B (DWV-B) in honey bee populations. Dalan made headlines in 2023 with the world’s first honey bee vaccine, which is conditionally …
Read MoreCombining Pest Treatments May Be Key To Helping Honey Bees Survive the Winter
Posted November 1, 2024
Combining Pest Treatments May Be Key To Helping Honey Bees Survive the Winter
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Winters can be tough on managed honey bee colonies, with beekeepers in the United States reporting that one-third of their colonies die each winter. A new study by Penn State researchers has found that using not one but multiple pest treatments may help bees make it to spring. The researchers found …
Read More