The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Volume 166 No. 4 April 2026 Cover features children's art work depicting honey bees. Callouts: Reduce Supersedure in Packages - 443, Why the hexagon - 419, Educating the Future - 403

How to keep queens in the “Goldilocks zone,” even during shipping

"Goldilocks zone" beekeeping
Posted April 1, 2021

How to keep queens in the “Goldilocks zone,” even during shipping

Temperature stress can damage the sperm stored in queens, but different queen packing strategies reduce this risk. It’s hard to imagine that by the time this issue arrives in your mailbox, it will be almost time to start making splits. Maybe past time, depending on your region. As I am writing this, it’s the middle …

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Swarm Priorities

honey bee swarm
Posted April 1, 2021

Swarm Priorities

It was about 9:30 a.m. on a very promising day in the middle of May. The skies were sunny and clear with a rising barometer. My weather app promised temperatures in the mid-80s with high humidity and a slight westerly breeze. The table was set for a massive foraging day. I was in my windowless …

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2ND MICHIGAN BEEKEEPING CLUB DONATES HONEY TO HEALTHCARE HEROES

Posted April 1, 2021

2ND MICHIGAN BEEKEEPING CLUB DONATES HONEY TO HEALTHCARE HEROES

Inspired by another Michigan Beekeeper’s Club, The Saginaw Valley Beekeepers Association (SVBA) has completed its Honey donation to our healthcare heroes in our Tri County Area. Honey donations were made to four area hospitals as a way of honoring and recognizing the work of our Covid-19 front line workers. SVBA members donated over 540# of …

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HONEY BEES FEATURED ON NEW FLATWARE DESIGN

Posted April 1, 2021

HONEY BEES FEATURED ON NEW FLATWARE DESIGN

“Honey bees! They’re everywhere.” That’s what Alice Roberts told her husband Matt Roberts while thinking of new flatware patterns for Sherrill Manufacturing brand Liberty Tabletop, in Sherrill, New York. Matt is the President and Co-Founder of the company and Alice is his “beautiful bride,” as he calls her, his wife of 33 years who also …

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PARASITE HIJACKS IRON IN HONEY BEES

Posted April 1, 2021

PARASITE HIJACKS IRON IN HONEY BEES

BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND, February 18, 2021—An Agricultural Research Service entomologist has discovered that the Nosema ceranae parasite that causes major problems and death in honey bees works by hijacking its host’s iron for itself. Iron is as essential a micronutrient for honey bees as it is for people. Honey bees usually get enough to meet their …

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2021 AMERICAN HONEY QUEEN & PRINCESS HAIL FROM WISCONSIN & TEXAS

american honey queen and princess
Posted April 1, 2021

2021 AMERICAN HONEY QUEEN & PRINCESS HAIL FROM WISCONSIN & TEXAS

The American Beekeeping Federation is proud to announce that Jennifer Hinkel and Virginia Allen were selected as the 2021 American Honey Queen and Princess. Queen Jennifer is the 23-year-old daughter of Bill Hinkel of Franklin, WI.  She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a …

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Letters to the Editor – April 2021

Posted April 1, 2021

Letters to the Editor – April 2021

Horsefly Traps and Bees I am writing to inform the beekeeping community about a situation that I did not know existed until a few weeks ago. In a conversation with a landowner adjacent to a property on which I wanted to locate a new out-yard, I was told that he owned horses and that his …

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April 2021 Table of Contents

Posted April 1, 2021

April 2021 Table of Contents

The Bee Informed Partnership Tech Teams: Data-driven Answers to the Most Important Questions M.E.A. McNeil– 388 Beekeeper-funded Research: A Test of Thermal Treatment for Varroa, Part 2 Randy Oliver – 407 Handling Defensive Bees Dewey M. Caron – 421 Large-scale Beekeeping: How It Came About in the U.S. Peter L Borst – 427 Keeping Honey …

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April 2021 ABJ Cover

Posted April 1, 2021

April 2021 ABJ Cover

Finally, spring! Eastern redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) bursting into color are a sure sign of the season in south central Missouri. Charlotte Wiggins took this photo last April, in her backyard in Rolla.

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The Classroom – March 2021

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

The Classroom – March 2021

Q Boardman feeders to supply water I have three hives in my back yard and I supply them with plain water via a front entrance Boardman feeder and a quart Mason jar filled with water (that I boil first and let cool) for each hive. When the jar is empty, and I take if off …

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