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

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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Letters to the Editor – June 2023

Posted June 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – June 2023

Mixed messages confusing to new beekeepers I am a new beekeeper who is very happy to receive and read your magazine. I am, however, unhappy at the lack of editorial guidance in the latest issue, March 2023. You have an article by Fred Jones — “Natural Beekeeping: A Reckoning”— and an interview with Tom Seeley …

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The Classroom – June 2023

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

The Classroom – June 2023

Q  Honey bee feed additives  Has any study been done that proves essential oil stimulants actually help a bee colony? Paul Caplinger March A The answer to this question is a bit tricky. The shortest, most direct answer is that there have been some studies on essential oil impacts on Varroa, Nosema, honey quality, toxicity …

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A Hive Cleanup in the Aftermath of Small Hive Beetles: Part 1

Posted June 1, 2023

A Hive Cleanup in the Aftermath of Small Hive Beetles: Part 1

In my July 2022 American Bee Journal article, we saw how small hive beetles can evict a colony off its combs. Now with the approach of summer, the time is appropriate for another small hive beetle article, not like the previous one. This article is more from a beekeeper’s perspective confronting the typical symptoms of …

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