The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Vol 165, No. 2 February 2025 Cover Callouts: Understanding honeybee castes - 171, Build a groovy shim for winter feeding - 183, How bee look to each other - 191

Vertically Verdant: Trees to Save the Planet, the Bees, and Ourselves

Posted May 1, 2023

Vertically Verdant: Trees to Save the Planet, the Bees, and Ourselves

When we consider planting for pollinators, we often focus on crop plants or garden flowers that bloom at eye level or below. These range from tiny forget-me-nots to swaths of clover to prickly jungles of raspberries. For whatever reason, we rarely consider trees for our pollinator gardens. We may think trees are slow to grow, …

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Some Thoughts about “Nectar and Pollen Flows”

Posted May 1, 2023

Some Thoughts about “Nectar and Pollen Flows”

These seasonal events are complicated simplicity First and foremost — the “nectar flow” If you are new to beekeeping, the primary nectar flow is the period, in your area, when major nectar-producing plants do their seasonal flowering thing. It’s why beekeepers constantly make plans for this intensive part of the year. Oh yes, it’s a …

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Letters to the Editor – May 2023

Posted May 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – May 2023

Today’s menu specials! Teresa Munn sent this photo from East Texas, about midway between Canton and Athens. Taken with her iPhone (which she also used to call the Editor), the image provides a beautiful contrast between incoming pollens. Teresa said it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact pollen sources during the first week of March when …

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COMPLEX LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR DISCOVERED IN BEE’S ‘WAGGLE DANCE’

Honey bee waggle dance
Posted May 1, 2023

COMPLEX LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR DISCOVERED IN BEE’S ‘WAGGLE DANCE’

Researchers find that learning and culture are needed for one of the most intricate forms of  communication known outside humans Passing down shared knowledge from one generation to the next is a hallmark of culture and allows animals to rapidly adapt to a changing environment. While widely evident in species ranging from human infants to …

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THE LEE HEINE GOOD PEOPLE AWARD

Posted May 1, 2023

THE LEE HEINE GOOD PEOPLE AWARD

The Wisconsin Honey Producers Association is proud to announce a new national award entitled, the Lee Heine ‘Good People’ Award in honor of Lee Heine, a longtime friend and leader in the beekeeping industry who passed away in 2021 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. With Lee’s passing, we lost a significant figure; a …

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Contents May 2023

Posted May 1, 2023

Contents May 2023

International Honey Market Report Ron Phipps – 483 Justin Schmidt (1947-2023): The Man Who Was Stung for Science M.E.A. McNeil – 507  Why Aren’t We Sampling Drones? As preferred hosts, they can serve as an early-warning system for varroa infestation Zac Lamas – 515 A Study on Bee Drift and Mite Immigration — Part 4 …

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ABJ May 2023 Cover

ABJ May 2023 Cover
Posted May 1, 2023

ABJ May 2023 Cover

A three-banded Italian honey bee gathers nectar from a Thai basil plant in early November, a low-nectar time of year in Illinois. Photographer Steve Hinrichs, of 11 Acre Studio, writes about this plant on Page 569.

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The Classroom – April 2023

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

The Classroom – April 2023

Q  Can laying workers produce female offspring? I received two questions on this topic. I list both questions before providing my answer. I am a southern California backyard beekeeper and have been enjoying the hobby for ten years or so. The articles “The Honey Bees in Africa” & “The Cape Bee, an Unusual Pest of …

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Reversing Hive Bodies in the Spring: Shown with Large Observation Hives

Posted April 1, 2023

Reversing Hive Bodies in the Spring: Shown with Large Observation Hives

Last year I installed bees in large multi-comb (wide and tall) observation hives with frames (when a usurpation swarm interrupted my work). [See “An Illuminating Encounter with a Usurpation Swarm,” December 2022.] This article continues that work, showing one of its benefits. These observation colonies went in my bee house, originally designed to house 30 …

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Hiving a Swarm of Bees

Posted April 1, 2023

Hiving a Swarm of Bees

A hallmark of beekeeping Swarming, a complicated bee behavior A swarm of honey bees is a biological wonderment. For most people who don’t keep bees, a single encounter with a swarm becomes a lifelong memory. For the established beekeeper, hiving a swarm is an economical moment — free bees. For the public, it’s a spicy …

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