The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 5 May 2026 Cover features a close up of a drone bee emerging. Calouts: Do you really need a new queen - 491, AHB in the USA - 523, Where do honey bees mater?-527

Wrapping Up Your Season — It’s Never Too Early to Think of Last-minute Gift Ideas for Bees!

honey bees
Posted November 1, 2023

Wrapping Up Your Season — It’s Never Too Early to Think of Last-minute Gift Ideas for Bees!

It might look like fall to you, with tree lines flashing flamboyant hues and pumpkin spice in the air. But if you take your cues from the stores where you shop, it could very well be Christmastime. I never mind being pushed several weeks into the future by jingle bells in the shopping aisles, or …

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The Effectiveness of Honey for Treating Seasonal Allergies

honey in jars
Posted November 1, 2023

The Effectiveness of Honey for Treating Seasonal Allergies

I begin this tirade with a disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I have allergies. However, that has never stopped me from having an opinion. Much like a hornet casing a beehive, I like to scrutinize senseless bits of conventional wisdom. And like the hornet, I keep searching for a back door, a …

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Simple Observation Hives A unique way to watch and study bees

observation hive
Posted November 1, 2023

Simple Observation Hives A unique way to watch and study bees

An immediate confession As has happened so many times in my life, when I chose what I thought would be an easy writing assignment on observation hives, I quickly found myself in the deep end of the pool. My initial concept was that this effort would be a simple explanation of this specialized aspect of …

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BANGLADESH

Posted November 1, 2023

BANGLADESH

The government of Bangladesh has hired about 300 apiary officers to educate farmers about the benefits bees provide to their crops. Most Bangladesh farmers are uneducated and have a poor understanding of the role bees play in pollination. Many subsistence farmers believe that bees, by taking pollen, harm crops and reduce the yield of crops …

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NEPAL

Posted November 1, 2023

NEPAL

The Nepalese Department of Industrial Entomology Development is establishing a queen bee breeding center near Chitwan, Nepal. Chitwan is located on the Gangetic plain, which is a vast 145,000 sq. mile (375,000 sq. km) rich agricultural plain shared by Nepal and India. There is widespread concern amongst beekeepers in Nepal that the current average yield …

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VARROA DESTRUCTOR DECLARED ENDEMIC IN AUSTRALIA

Posted November 1, 2023

VARROA DESTRUCTOR DECLARED ENDEMIC IN AUSTRALIA

Varroa destructor broke Australia’s strict quarantine procedures in June 2022. Despite a large-scale program by government officials and beekeepers to eradicate the mite, on September 19, 2023, the Australian government declared the mite endemic in Australia and for beekeepers to move away from surveillance and mandatory euthanization of infested colonies to managing the mite. Between …

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Letters to the Editor – November 2023

Posted November 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – November 2023

A hummingbird at the bee feeder I thoroughly enjoyed your article titled “The aviary in my apiary” [From the Editor, June]. I have been an avid birder most of my life and an avid beekeeper for 27 years. I had a really interesting incident in my apiary in May 2022. While filling a frame feeder …

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Contents – November 2023

Posted November 1, 2023

Contents – November 2023

International Honey Market Report Ron Phipps – 1169 The Discovery of Yellow Legged Hornets in Georgia Julia Mahood – 1187 Wild Honey Hunters Peter L Borst – 1195 Apimondia 2023 in Santiago — 230 speakers, 120 vendors, and not nearly enough time Kris Fricke – 1201 The Traveling Road Show Tina Sebestyen – 1209 Research …

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ABJ COVER NOVEMBER 2023

ABJ COVER NOV 2023 Honey and Mead
Posted November 1, 2023

ABJ COVER NOVEMBER 2023

A fall feast: You’ve worked all year for this, and so have your bees. The pumpkins are gathered and ready for Thanksgiving pie. Blackberry honey is on the table and in your markets. And a blueberry melomel is bottled and beginning fermentation. This is your time to relax. Photo by Brian Boyer of Old Mines, …

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The Classroom – October 2023

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

The Classroom – October 2023

Q  Filtering cartridges I have a question about the filtering cartridges used with masks during the application of formic acid and the vaporization treatment with oxalic acid. When should they be changed? At what point does their effectiveness no longer provide the necessary protection? Marie-Hélène Majeau Québec, August A These are very important questions. All …

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