The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
Volume 165 No. 12 December 2025 Cover American Bee Journal. Cover features a queen bee surrounded by worker bees. Cover Callouts: Managing pests and pathogens organically - 1321 Stem cells, weeds, and bees - 1337 Lower-energy beekeeping-1343

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – August 2021

US Crops and Honey Markets
Posted August 1, 2021

U.S. Honey Crops and Markets – August 2021

All beekeeping is local — where both forage and weather are concerned. California’s drought continues, much of the Midwest has been inundated with late-spring rain, and the rest of the country is somewhere between. Northeast Western Pennsylvania reports lower-than average spring rainfall, while the central and eastern regions report wetter conditions. Retail sales are strong, …

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Letters to the Editor – August 2021

Posted August 1, 2021

Letters to the Editor – August 2021

A Modest Proposal We all know about the “standard” queen marking colors: Blue — 2020 White — 2021 Yellow — 2022 Red — 2023 Green — 2024 However, may I point out that whomever decided upon this code was obviously NOT color blind (not TOTALLY color blind, but the more prevalent red-green-brown type). I would …

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POLLENS TO FIT A HONEY BEE’S EVERY SEASON

honey bee pollen
Posted August 1, 2021

POLLENS TO FIT A HONEY BEE’S EVERY SEASON

Tucson, Arizona — Whether the pollen honey bees collect comes from spring or fall flowers can be a vital factor in supporting the annual cycle of behaviors that sustain a honey bee colony, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service scientists. Biologists know that many animals such as deer or …

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HIVEALIVE FONDANT PATTY NOW AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA

Posted August 1, 2021

HIVEALIVE FONDANT PATTY NOW AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA

Due to significant demand among beekeepers, Dara Scott and the HiveAlive team created a ready to feed fondant patty that already has the correct dose of HiveAlive added as well as vitamins and amino acids key for honey bee health. The fondant patty is an easy-to-use solid sugar feed. It is put on top of …

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USDA-ARS STUDY SHOWS AMYGDALIN IN ALMOND NECTAR CAN REDUCE VIRUSES AND GUT PARASITES IN HONEY BEES

Posted August 1, 2021

USDA-ARS STUDY SHOWS AMYGDALIN IN ALMOND NECTAR CAN REDUCE VIRUSES AND GUT PARASITES IN HONEY BEES

BELTSVILLE, Md., June 22, 2021 – Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that a component in almond nectar and pollen can reduce honey bee viruses and gut parasites, which are some of the leading threats to bee health and colonies. The study, published in the journal Insects, …

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OFF-LABEL VARROA TREATMENTS POSE LONG-TERM RISKS FOR BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY

Posted August 1, 2021

OFF-LABEL VARROA TREATMENTS POSE LONG-TERM RISKS FOR BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY

Honey Bee Health Coalition Publishes Guide Documenting How Commercial Beekeepers Keep Healthy Hives without Consistent Use of Off-label Varroa Treatments   DENVER, CO, Keystone Policy Center — Commercial beekeepers are finding success treating Varroa, a parasitic mite that kills honeybees, in their hives without relying exclusively on off-label chemical treatments, according to a guide published …

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Contents – August 2021

Posted August 1, 2021

Contents – August 2021

Uncapping Comb: Managing Beeswax on a Small Scale Mike Haney – 849 The Bee Informed Partnership: Exploding the Mite Bomb Myth and Further Adventures in Data Mining M.E.A. McNeil – 853 The Honey Bee Pest and Disease Survey: Over a Decade of Data Mary Reed – 859 A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs 2020 …

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August 2021 ABJ Cover

ABJ_August_2021_Cover
Posted August 1, 2021

August 2021 ABJ Cover

Mmm … honey. Day laborers draw pristine wax cappings over fresh food stores, as scores of reflecting pools capture caricatures of an inquisitive beekeeper, each from its own unique perspective. The subject, Denise Roesler-Cunningham of Ballwin, Missouri, posted this image to Facebook, and we discovered it there.

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The Classroom – July 2021

The Classroom - ABJ - Jamie Ellis
Posted July 1, 2021

The Classroom – July 2021

Q  When not to merge bee colonies In a recent podcast [UF/IFAS: Two Bees in a Podcast], you discussed how bee colonies can be merged without newspaper. Is there a time when you should not just throw frames together? Howard Frysinger Pennsylvania, May A I combine colonies of all types, during all times of the …

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What if we could make bees immune to pesticides?

bees and pesticides
Posted July 1, 2021

What if we could make bees immune to pesticides?

Since my lab currently conducts pesticide risk assessments for bees, I sometimes hear feedback along the lines of, “Scott, it seems like you’re always focusing on the problems instead of finding solutions.” While I’m certainly sympathetic to this criticism, I would argue we first need to understand if (or when) there’s a problem before coming …

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