The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
Volume 165, No. 9 September 2025 Cover Features a Bee on a pink flower. Callouts: Honey Bee swarms are different - 963, Just what does "Africanized" mean? - 991, The BeeCAUSE Alliance - 1013

Two Obscure Bee Supply Companies Reveal Old Patterns in Spring Beekeeping

Posted March 1, 2023

Two Obscure Bee Supply Companies Reveal Old Patterns in Spring Beekeeping

In the mid 1800s, the apicultural industry began to flourish in America. By the early 1900s numerous small bee supply businesses were scattered across the country. While exceptions did occur, most of these bee businesses seemed to live fairly brief lives, serving local beekeepers, before time consigned them to the forgotten past. Evidence of these …

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A sunflower medicine to combat varroa?

Posted March 1, 2023

A sunflower medicine to combat varroa?

I just returned from the annual American Beekeeping Federation conference in Jacksonville, Florida. It was an exceptionally well-run meeting. In my opinion, what stood out the most was the interest that people had in non-synthetic chemical controls against varroa and other parasites and diseases. I was asked about phytochemical therapeutics (i.e., plant-derived medicines against troublesome …

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Beekeeping in the Words of an AI Chatbot

Posted March 1, 2023

Beekeeping in the Words of an AI Chatbot

Everyone is turning to artificial intelligence these days. As a website owner, I receive over fifty emails per week extolling the virtues of AI. I’m told I can save time, money, and frustration by allowing AI to write blog posts for me. For a nominal price, my week’s articles — enhanced for search engines, grammar-checked, …

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Some typical spring Management Tasks

Posted March 1, 2023

Some typical spring Management Tasks

The spring season begins again – and again Spring management during the winter This is a true story. Just yesterday, it was one of those beautifully warm winter days. Of course, I took a walk to my dormant apiary where some few bees were flying — and robbing. Winter robbing activity is common, but that …

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Letters to the Editor – March 2023

Posted March 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – March 2023

Building my 2023 Layens Hives During the winter months I enjoy building a few Layens hives to use or sell in the early spring. I thought you and your readers would enjoy seeing these beehives. I start with unassembled standard Layens frames from Horizontalhive.com. I make a slit in the top bar of the frame …

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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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