The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
Volume 165 No. 12 December 2025 Cover American Bee Journal. Cover features a queen bee surrounded by worker bees. Cover Callouts: Managing pests and pathogens organically - 1321 Stem cells, weeds, and bees - 1337 Lower-energy beekeeping-1343

PURDUE ENTOMOLOGIST HARPUR RECEIVES NEW INNOVATOR IN FOOD & AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AWARD

Posted July 1, 2023

PURDUE ENTOMOLOGIST HARPUR RECEIVES NEW INNOVATOR IN FOOD & AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AWARD

April 23, 2023, WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Brock Harpur, assistant professor of entomology, is one of 10 recipients of the 2022 New Innovator in Food & Agriculture Research Award announced last week. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) annually selects early-career scientists to receive the investment. “We are very excited by the work …

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The Classroom – July 2023

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

The Classroom – July 2023

Q  Splitting to increase hive numbers What is your opinion on making splits for someone wanting to increase hive numbers? I currently have five hives and want to be able to grow my number of hives. I have three hives that I acquired as nucs in February and early March that are already at 8-9 …

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The Virtues of Early Harvest

Posted July 1, 2023

The Virtues of Early Harvest

I was surprised to get a text message from John McMullan, a sixth-year beekeeper in my inspection region, at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning in mid-May. “Is there something wrong with my honey?” he asked. “What are these brown flecks — some sort of egg?” It was a beautiful sight to see! It was …

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Small-Space Gardening for Bees: How to Make Your Scout Bees Happy

Posted July 1, 2023

Small-Space Gardening for Bees: How to Make Your Scout Bees Happy

I was relaxing on a friend’s second-floor balcony in the city of Issaquah, not a stone’s throw from Seattle. It was a mellow spring day, and as we chatted about recipes and interest rates, I noticed bees exploring her itsy-bitsy potted garden. Honey bees, bumble bees, sweat bees, and masons tumbled among the spring ephemerals …

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A Hive Cleanup in the Aftermath of Small Hive Beetles: Part 2

Posted July 1, 2023

A Hive Cleanup in the Aftermath of Small Hive Beetles: Part 2

In the previous article, we encountered a colony, strong in the spring, whose population had decreased, until calamity finally struck in the summer. Slime began oozing from the hive entrance. Cryptically, small hive beetles had been destroying its unprotected combs, which most likely had resulted from long-term queenlessness. While not readily noticeable from the entrance, …

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Comb Honey

Posted July 1, 2023

Comb Honey

Why don’t beekeepers make more of it? Why did extracted honey replace comb honey? If comb honey is thought to be more wholesome and artistic, over the passing years, why have bee equipment innovators gone to such extensive technological efforts to develop ways to remove honey from combs? I don’t know, but I have some …

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Strips of prairie wildflowers improve colony health in corn- & soybean-dominated landscapes

Posted July 1, 2023

Strips of prairie wildflowers improve colony health in corn- & soybean-dominated landscapes

Agriculture is so dominant in some parts of the Midwest that you often see little else. For example, approximately 85% of Iowa’s land is currently used for agriculture, mostly corn and soybeans. If you’ve ever lived in Iowa or driven through the state, I’m sure you can picture the nearly endless fields of shimmering knee- …

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Letters to the Editor – July 2023

All in the family
Posted July 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – July 2023

All in the Family I started beekeeping many years ago, because I thought it would be a fun hobby for me, and a fun activity for my growing family. Years later, this turned into a commercial operation producing honey and beeswax candles for a variety of farm markets in southeast Wisconsin. My son Scott started …

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Contents – July 2023

Posted July 1, 2023

Contents – July 2023

Book Reviews: Summer Reads Carol Hrusovszky, Tina Sebestyen, Tom Seeley, David Shimo – 713 Help! What’s wrong with my honey? Hanna Bäckmo – 735 The Status of Our Industry Regarding Varroa Management — and What Can We do About It? Part 1 Randy Oliver – 743 A Year as a Commercial Beekeeper — July Charles …

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ABJ JULY 2023 COVER

ABJ COVER JULY 2023
Posted July 1, 2023

ABJ JULY 2023 COVER

Harvest time: After all the hard work we’ve done this spring and early summer, here is the payoff. Honey extraction can be hot and labor-intensive, but it is one job that brings immediate satisfaction. This month’s cover was painted by Marie App, of Ogdensburg, Wisconsin.

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