What the heck? We leave it to the photographer Beth Conrey, of Berthoud, Colorado to explain: “This photo is NOT upside down – but the frame was, when the bees made it. This colony had been hit by a bear and the queen was killed. The bees made several queen cells on the upside-down frame. …
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Q Do young bees learn from older bees? I was reading a book by Lars Chittka, “The Mind of the Bee,” that presents research on bee intelligence and learning. I received seven packages of bees from California this spring to my bee yard in Washington state. I began to wonder if these young bees might …
Read MoreSummer has flown, and it is September already! There are just a couple of jobs left to take care of in our hives this season. Here in Colorado, and in much of the lower 48, by October it will be too cold for the bees to repair the propolis seals if they are broken. Therefore, …
Read MoreLast week, my neighbor’s boy, a precocious middle schooler with floppy blond hair and an obsession with action characters, told me lots of animals make swarms, not just honey bees. He made sure I knew about starlings and sardines, mosquitoes and wildebeests. As he segued into an inventory of LEGO pieces lost and never found, …
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I recently came across a short useful booklet — “Feeds and Feeding” by E.R. Root,1 published in 1923. At the time, I suspect the little book was informative and helpful — though there was obviously no mention of corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. I hope I don’t need to say that this information is 102 …
Read MoreTo help beekeepers capture their lost (expensive) swarms, I have been investigating various practical ways to enhance the attraction of bait hives. I began with the amount of comb in a bait hive. The logic is, a bait hive with more comb allows the bees to store more honey for winter survival instead of converting …
Read MoreLong-Lived “Dead Colonies” The June article “How Long Does a Dead Colony Live?” [by Michal L. Smith] could not have been more timely for me. This spring I had a number of virgin swarms from my colonies after doing spring splits (note to self, it really is worth getting in there and reducing queen cell …
Read MoreFrom the American Honey Producers Association … Legislative Update Honey and Beekeeper Provisions in the July Reconciliation Bill: The Republican reconciliation bill [which passed Congress in July and was signed by President Trump] includes three key reforms directly affecting honey producers and beekeepers. These provisions aim to increase price support, clarify and expand disaster aid …
Read MoreEach year, the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees challenges 4-H members from all over the country to submit an essay on a topic related to honey bees. Each state chooses its finalist and submits his or her essay to the Foundation for judging. All entrants receive a relevant book on honey bees, beekeeping, …
Read MoreBeltsville Bee Research Lab to be closed, with functions continued but relocated (Washington, D.C., July 24, 2025) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refocusing its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry. Over …
Read More"I want the American Bee Journal to be the finest publication about bees and beekeeping in the world."
- C.P. Dadant, Editor of ABJ 1912-1938
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