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

Too many honey bees can interfere with native wildflower reproduction

Posted April 1, 2023

Too many honey bees can interfere with native wildflower reproduction

One of the more controversial topics among beekeepers, conservationists, and land managers is the impact that managed honey bees can potentially have on native wild bees and native plants via competition for resources. I decided to wade into the science on this topic in last year’s March and September Notes from the Lab columns [162(3):325-327 …

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Letters to the Editor – April 2023

Posted April 1, 2023

Letters to the Editor – April 2023

Need advice on hive monitoring systems I have been exploring the value of various hive monitoring systems for my two hives. I was given a BuzzBox Mini for a present and proceeded to install following instructions, in fact repeated the various steps many times only to get fault messages. I have reached out several times …

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DNA RESEARCH FINDS LOW GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG U.S. HONEY BEES

Posted April 1, 2023

DNA RESEARCH FINDS LOW GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG U.S. HONEY BEES

U.S. agriculture owes many thanks to the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), as it plays the crucial role of pollinator within the nation’s food supply. Some of the nation’s food industries rely solely on the honey bee, and it’s estimated that the economic value of its pollination role is worth well over $17 billion each …

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2023 AMERICAN HONEY QUEEN AND PRINCESS

Posted April 1, 2023

2023 AMERICAN HONEY QUEEN AND PRINCESS

The American Beekeeping Federation is proud to announce that Selena Rampolla and Allison Hager were selected as the 2023 American Honey Queen and Princess. Queen Selena is the 21-year-old daughter of Faye Turke and Renato Rampolla of Lutz and Tampa, Florida. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s …

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Contents – April 2023

Posted April 1, 2023

Contents – April 2023

Book Reviews: Spring Reads Carol Hrusovszky – 371 Package Installation Using the Current Research Eric Talley – 389 Beekeeping Traditions of Ukraine Peter L Borst – 393 American Beekeeping Federation Urges Opening of Canadian Border ABF – 399 American Honey Producers Conference Wrap-up Mattie Joiner – 401 A Study on Bee Drift and Mite Immigration …

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ABJ April 2023 Cover

ABJ April 2023 Cover
Posted April 1, 2023

ABJ April 2023 Cover

They’re not always this easy. Gary Stansbery, at the Dadant home office in Hamilton, caught this swarm in April of 2020.

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ABJ MARCh 2023 Cover

ABJ March 2023 Cover
Posted March 14, 2023

ABJ MARCh 2023 Cover

Austėja is the goddess of honey and bees in Lithuanian lore. Patron of both bees and honey, her cult flourished from hunter-gatherer days to the 16th century. See Peter Borst’s “Beekeeping in Lithuania” in this issue. Illustration by VIKOBELO.

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The Classroom – March 2023

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

The Classroom – March 2023

Q  Commercial Beekeeping With 8-frame Equipment As a sideline beekeeper, I am thinking of taking my business to the next level. This includes providing locally adapted queens, nucs, and pollination services. I live close to the Missouri Bootheel and the watermelon producers of northeastern Arkansas. My question to you is this: Am I making a …

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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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