SOME VARIETIES OF ANNUAL FLOWERS HAVE A PLACE IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Posted July 1, 2024

SOME VARIETIES OF ANNUAL FLOWERS HAVE A PLACE IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Begonias, impatiens, and other popular annual flowers can draw in pollinators— but only if you pick the right cultivars Annapolis, MD; May 13, 2024, Entomological Society of America—While wildflowers and perennials are a must for supporting pollinators, there’s no denying the popularity of many annual flowers for their colorful, visual appeal. Annuals are often thought …

Posted July 1, 2024

ASIAN YELLOW-LEGGED HORNET FOUND IN AUSTRIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

A yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina Lepeletier, was found in Austria, near the city of Saltzberg, on April 9, 2024, the first time that this hornet has been detected in Austria. This invasive hornet continues its dispersal throughout Europe and was also discovered in the neighboring Czech Republic in 2023. The yellow-legged hornet is believed to …

Posted July 1, 2024

Contents – July 2024

Book Reviews: Summer Reads Rusty Burlew, Carol Hrusovsky – 697 What’s Blooming in your Neck of the Woods? Ed Szymanski – 712 Something Different – Cordovan Bees Peter L Borst – 727 Can Robbing Screens Reduce Mite Immigration – Part 1 Randy Oliver Michigan Guild Promotes Sustainable Practices to Nation’s Beekeepers Tina Sebestyen – 733 …

A Cordovan Bee perched on a purple flower. Cover callouts: The cordovan bee -pg.727, What's blooming in your neck of the woods? - pg, 712, and Power Lines and flower lines - pg.772

Posted July 1, 2024

ABJ JULY 2024 COVER

Jamie Hooper took our cover photo in his garden in Junction City, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. He is a professional photographer, and his partner Judy Scher is a beekeeper and ABJ subscriber. She identified this bee as a cordovan and suggested he send it to us. See Peter Borst’s article about cordovan bees …

Posted June 1, 2024

The Classroom – June 2024

Q More on Comb Orientation Regarding your [May] answer regarding cell orientation in the nest: I recently left a half frame flat [horizontal] in an eke [spacer] on top of a colony to let them clear out some old feed that was still [in the frame]. A week or three later, [upon] returning to the …

Posted June 1, 2024

Infused Honey: Is it Safe to Eat?

Perhaps I’m old school about food. I like apples to taste like apples, trout like trout, and honey like honey. But other people are more complex, preferring foods that taste like others. We now have Oreos redolent of strawberries, coffee that reeks of chicory, and banana-flavored doughnuts without a banana in sight. Yes, I sometimes …

Posted June 1, 2024

How Stingless Bees Pass Along Their Culture

My lab is proud of our culture. We’ve worked hard for many years to create a supportive environment that’s conducive to sharing of knowledge and skills. Because of this culture, new people to our lab quickly gain new knowledge and skills, our team makes progress, and we have a bit of fun along the way. …

Posted June 1, 2024

A Beekeeper’s Introduction to the Other Stinging Insects – Paper Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets: Part 1

For this article and the next, I am going to describe the life cycles of paper wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets, for the region confined to North America, in its temperate climate with well-defined seasons. I see the need from two main perspectives. First, a beekeeper among others who do not routinely work with insects …

Posted June 1, 2024

Queen Status — And Assisting the Coronation

My friend Annie Swarey, an Amish beekeeper, planned to sell nucs and needed an apiary inspection and permits for colonies crossing county lines (an Illinois regulation for over half a century). April 8 was the perfect day for it — a beautiful day nestled in between a stretch of chilly, rainy days. She invited me …

Posted June 1, 2024

The Replaceable Queen – Hers is a short, volatile life

The colony’s “queen kit” The queen is the sparkplug for the colony’s engine. Harry Laidlaw, noted author and researcher, has described the honey bee queen as a biological kit. This colony kit produces chemicals (pheromones) and makes genetic contributions (eggs) to the colony. When the beekeeper replaces the “kit,” changes are being made in the …

SOME VARIETIES OF ANNUAL FLOWERS HAVE A PLACE IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Posted July 1, 2024