An Emotional Guide to Consorting with Bees

Posted March 1, 2025

An Emotional Guide to Consorting with Bees

We’ve all heard of certain human endeavors described as “interminable boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.” We might include combat, surgery, firefighting, whitewater rafting, or rock climbing in a list of activities that elicit periodic unhinging. I’ve heard folks describe beekeeping in this way, although I don’t quite agree. Boring? Absolutely. Terrorizing? Sometimes. But …

Posted March 1, 2025

Beware the Ides of March

It is all about the weather when it comes to managing bees in March. I have seen March weather disappoint me many times. We are most likely thinking of things we can do such as make splits, prevent swarms, try to raise queens or get ready for a honey crop. All I can say is …

Posted March 1, 2025

The Appearance of Bees to Each Other (Conspecifics) in Ultraviolet Light Part 3

In this article series, we have been exploring how bees see each other in ultraviolet light (UV). I have been using UV at 365 nanometers, which as shown earlier is close to a honey bee’s maximum sensitivity in UV. Seeing bees more like they see each other can bring us closer to understanding their lives. …

Posted March 1, 2025

Dealing with Old Queens and Old Frames

Simple questions don’t always have easy answers Question: “Should I requeen every two years?” Answer: “Well, yes and no.” This common subject came up again during some short email interactions a few weeks ago. At first glance, and from the perspective of an established beekeeper, yep … you should requeen every two years. Next question? …

Posted March 1, 2025

Letters to the Editor – March 2025

Why do bees beard? My November issue of the ABJ arrived a couple of weeks ago and I have recently finished reading it. I was particularly interested in Dewey Caron’s explanation of why bees sometimes hang in clusters around the entrance to the hive. This is a question that turns up regularly on the Facebook …

Posted March 1, 2025

Contents – March 2025

What makes a poor queen poor? Alison McAfee – 271 Who’s keeping whom? Peter Keilty – 285 Propagating Varroa-resistant Colonies Stephen Martin – 289 Arkansas Honey Festival Serves Beekeepers and Public Dewey M. Caron – 305 A Tribute to Sue Cobey on Her Retirement Jackie Park Burris – 311 A Commercial Perspective – From Conventions …

ABJ Cover March 2025 - Pale yellow honeycomb with black foundation. Callouts: What makes a poor queen poor? Pg 271, A tribute to Sue Cobey pg. 311, A robbing screen that works? pg. 327

Posted March 1, 2025

ABJ MARCH 2025 COVER

Apis artistry: Gavonna Fore of West Plains, Missouri, discovered this work of art in her very first hive in the spring of 2023. Note the pristine white cell walls – accentuated by black foundation below – whereas the top edges are already travel-stained with pollen and propolis from the “dirty” feet of construction workers.

Posted February 1, 2025

Notes From the Lab

Scott McArt’s column will return next month.

Posted February 1, 2025

The Classroom – February 2025

Drone brood lead to more Varroa I have a question regarding the consequences of your answer regarding flooding an area with drones (December 2024 Classroom). Letting the drone brood, especially multiple generations of drone brood, hatch will very negatively affect a colony’s Varroa population. How would you recommend countering this issue? I was trying to …

Posted February 1, 2025

The Curious Case of Honey Bee Castes

Entomology 101 was required for my agronomy degree. On the first day of class, encircled with posters of drosophila, moths, and beetles, I recoiled at the scent of old wooden desks — outfitted with inkwells and graffiti — and the chemical odor of bugs lying dead in cottony beds. Although I grew up around honey …

An Emotional Guide to Consorting with Bees

Posted March 1, 2025