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

How to Identify Colonies Robbing Hives Away from Their Apiaries

Posted October 1, 2023

How to Identify Colonies Robbing Hives Away from Their Apiaries

In the previous article, we observed robber bees hunting en masse for colonies that cannot protect their honey. The emphasis was on the hive being robbed, which is easily identified given the rush of bees into the hive, along with fighting between the hive and robber bees. This article shows a detailed series of technical …

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The social implications of treating floral resources as a common good

Posted October 1, 2023

The social implications of treating floral resources as a common good

I’m not a sociologist. So when a new sociology paper on the topic of competition between managed honey bees and native wild bees was recently published, I wanted to see what I could learn. As readers of this column have probably been noticing, lately I’ve been covering several new papers on the topic of competition …

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European Foulbrood — A Tale of Two Treatments

Posted October 1, 2023

European Foulbrood — A Tale of Two Treatments

Have you ever had European foulbrood? EFB, or Melissococcus plutonius, is commonly considered the lesser evil of the dreaded foulbroods we either manage for or hope never to catch. But in my day-to-day life as an apiary inspector, I declare EFB to be Public Bee-Enemy Number One. I frequently find it in apiaries far and …

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A Tropilaelaps Primer: What, When, and How Bad?

Posted October 1, 2023

A Tropilaelaps Primer: What, When, and How Bad?

Global trade has spoiled us. We can buy anything from anywhere, and before we can say Acarapis woodi, the orders plop onto our front porches. And if we don’t like what arrives, we can send it back. International shopping is so effortless, we seldom think about it. Unfortunately, the part about sending it back doesn’t …

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What Is It About Beekeepers and Beekeeping Anyway?

Posted October 1, 2023

What Is It About Beekeepers and Beekeeping Anyway?

There’s something for everyone As beekeepers, who are we? I sense that the typical, non-beekeeping person has a generalized concept of what a beekeeper must be. We most likely seem a bit odd and are able to — in some way — endure stings that are painful and frightening to the unenlightened. I have grown …

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Crop and Market – October 2023

US Crops and Honey Markets
Posted October 1, 2023

Crop and Market – October 2023

Hot weather afflicted much of the nation this summer, and drought added insult to injury in some parts. But most of our contacts report average or better honey production — much of it coming before the summer swelter. Honey markets in some places have leveled off a bit, though many beekeepers continue to raise prices …

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Letters to the Editor – October 2023

Posted October 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – October 2023

Science and Beliefs In the September issue of the ABJ, Gordon Goeking says “We do know how this all got started. God the Creator made all of this world.” Thanks for the close reading of my article. As a scientist, I generally keep separate what is regarded as “scientific knowledge,” and what may be called …

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Contents – October 2023

Posted October 1, 2023

Contents – October 2023

Book Reviews: Autumn Reads Peter L Borst, M.E.A. McNeil, Tina Sebestyen, David Shimo – 1057 Pollen: A Biological Giant in a Microscopic Grain Bill Hesbach – 1081 The “Alien” Honey Bee: What we know about its threat to native pollinators M.E.A. McNeil – 1087 Agronomic Advancements and the Beekeeping World Charles Linder – 1091 The …

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ABJ COVER OCTOBER 2023

Posted October 1, 2023

ABJ COVER OCTOBER 2023

Towers of sun: Photographer Nathaniel Bailey sent us this month’s cover image of Alison Sweeney checking bees in her yard in Bozeman, Montana in 2021.

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BEEHERO LAUNCHES POLLINATION INSIGHT PLATFORM (PIP), AN IN-FIELD SENSING SOLUTION MONITORING POLLINATOR ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE CROP POLLINATION

Posted October 1, 2023

BEEHERO LAUNCHES POLLINATION INSIGHT PLATFORM (PIP), AN IN-FIELD SENSING SOLUTION MONITORING POLLINATOR ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE CROP POLLINATION

The solution collects data about pollinator behavior and environmental conditions to fuel actionable, AI-powered insights for growers, supporting better pollination and crop yield in real time, and expanding the largest dataset of bee activity worldwide. FRESNO, CA, August 8, 2023 – BeeHero (https://www.beehero.io/), the pioneer of data-driven precision pollination, introduced today its Pollination Insight Platform …

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