The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
Cover for the November 2024 issue of the American Bee Journal. The cover depicts a painting of a bee hive in the foreground surrounded by lavender, with seveal white building with brown roofs in the background. Call-outs: The honey bee is not the enemy - 1185, DWV: Is there a vaccine for that? - 1175, Unlocking the sexuality of the honey bee - 1179

NEW OREGON BEE-THEMED LICENSE PLATE SUPPORTS POLLINATORS

Posted March 1, 2023

NEW OREGON BEE-THEMED LICENSE PLATE SUPPORTS POLLINATORS

There’s a new way to be a pollinator protector in Oregon: Buy a bee-themed license plate to bring attention to beneficial insects and support Oregon State University Extension research on native bees. Each Pollinator Paradise license plate ordered sends $35 to OSU’s Pollinator Health Lab and Honey Bee Lab programs focused on the state’s 600 …

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Contents – March 2023

Posted March 1, 2023

Contents – March 2023

American Beekeeping Federation Conference Wrap-up Kent Pegorsch – 261 Small Hive Beetle Found in Bangladesh Robert Owen – 263 A Study on Bee Drift and Mite Immigration — Part 2 Randy Oliver – 265 There’s a New AFB Vaccine: What does that mean exactly? Bill Hesbach – 273 A Year as a Commercial Beekeeper — …

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The Classroom – February 2023

The Classroom - ABJ - Jamie Ellis
Posted February 1, 2023

The Classroom – February 2023

Happy February 2023 everyone! I hope you are enjoying this new year and are excited about the upcoming beekeeping season. I try to answer ten questions for each month’s The Classroom. However, I only had two questions asked of me this month. I have been answering questions for this column just over three years. This …

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Refurbishing Winterkilled Hive Equipment

Posted February 1, 2023

Refurbishing Winterkilled Hive Equipment

A grimy aspect of beekeeping As I wrote last month Last month, while writing a piece for this journal entitled “The Quiet Winter Season,” I stated, “Good luck is also a vital component of successfully wintering bee colonies.” Not one of you needs to be told that all luck is not good. In many ways, …

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The Virus Spillover Situation

Posted February 1, 2023

The Virus Spillover Situation

Evidence for viruses spreading from honey bees to native bees is patchy, but we should work toward minimizing risk Nina Sokolov woke up in her tent, pitched in the Tahoe National Forest, ready to start another day of sampling. From the campsite, her research sites in the subalpine meadows of the Sierra Mountains are just …

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The History and Mystery of Beeswax Candles

Posted February 1, 2023

The History and Mystery of Beeswax Candles

Candles illuminate the sentimental moments of our lives. We light them to mark events that bring us sublime happiness and those that commemorate sorrow or regret. Think back. When was the last time you experienced the warm glow of a shimmering flame? When did the scent of burning wax trigger a long-suppressed memory? Candles mark …

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Social bees fly farther for food

Posted February 1, 2023

Social bees fly farther for food

When I was in my twenties and living a fairly solitary lifestyle, I did all my food shopping at one store that was just down the street: Carrs Grocery in Anchorage, Alaska. Now I’m older, more social, and I need to cast my shopping net wider. Marriage and two kids means I’m shopping for four …

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Identifying Old Confusing Bee Smokers

Posted February 1, 2023

Identifying Old Confusing Bee Smokers

Finding an antique bee smoker, maybe over a century old, can be thrilling. You could be holding the hopes and dreams, the thrills and disappointments, of a beekeeper, usually more than one, from moments long forgotten. Accurately identifying and dating a smoker, backed up by literature with matching pictures, can turn frustrating and problematic. Some …

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2023 WISCONSIN HONEY QUEEN

Posted February 1, 2023

2023 WISCONSIN HONEY QUEEN

The Wisconsin Honey Producers Association is proud to announce that Kaelyn Sumner of Cecil, Wisconsin was selected as the 2023 Wisconsin Honey Queen at their annual convention held in Brookfield. Kaelyn is the daughter of Robert and Traci Sumner of Cecil.  A graduate of Pulaski High School, Kaelyn is currently a junior at Kansas State …

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Letters to the Editor – February 2023

Posted February 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – February 2023

FDA Provides enforcement mechanism for adulterated honey   ke Aloha Mea, We have led presentations on the scope of the FDA Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act 21 on honey in Hawai`i (and the rest of the U.S.), as Hawai`i honey was involved in the Federal Food and Drug Act of 1906. We have been …

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