HONEY RANKS AS AMERICANS’ #1 PREFERRED SWEETENER FOR FIRST TIME

Posted January 1, 2021

HONEY RANKS AS AMERICANS’ #1 PREFERRED SWEETENER FOR FIRST TIME

In 2020 Consumer Survey, Honey Surpasses White Sugar for the First Time Longmont, Colorado, November 18, 2020 – The sweetener made by Mother Nature claims the number one spot among Americans as their most preferred sweetener. The ranking, revealed in the National Honey Board Consumer Attitudes & Usage Study 2020, asked consumers to choose their …

Posted January 1, 2021

January 2021 Table of Contents

Winter Reads: Book reviews Tina Sebestyen, Carol Hrusovszky and Eugene Makovec – 29 Honey Bees and Native Pollinators: Us vs. Them? Shannon Durham – 49 How to Keep Bees Away From Your (and Your Neighbor’s) Pool! Joe Conti – 57 Thaddeus Minor: Connecticut resident may have written the first New World beekeeping book Alphonso Avitabile …

Posted January 1, 2021

January 2021 Cover

Winter yard, Atlantic Canada: Our beautiful cover photo was taken by Erin Carver as she was preparing her bee yards for the New Brunswick winter. This apiary is located in Hopewell Hill.

Posted December 1, 2020

The Classroom – December 2020

Q Apivar’s shelf life Yesterday and again today, the bees on one of my hives covered the entire front from top to bottom in a heavy mass. Clear skies and 70 degrees. The hive consists of two deep supers and both are full of honey for winter. Also, after treating the bees with Apivar, I …

Posted December 1, 2020

Summer Swarms: A prelude to usurpation (colony takeover)

Beginning in late June, well after our spring nectar flow, comes the time I call usurpation season. I stop the truck well away from my hives and walk slowly into my research apiaries looking down, searching. I keep the area clear around the hives so I can spot any unusual bee behavior –– especially on …

Posted December 1, 2020

Notes from the Lab – December 2020

Honey bees recognize their sisters because their gut microbes make them smell similar Serious question: If you close your eyes, can you imagine the smell of your brother, sister, mother or father? My guess is you probably can, even if it’s been a few years since you’ve thought about it. That’s because each of us …

Posted December 1, 2020

Food from Bugs: Insects that Feed Humans

Countless bee organizations have lists of “honey bee facts” that are entertaining, if not exactly factual. Many such lists claim that honey bees are the only insects that produce food that’s eaten by humans. That might seem true if you’re looking only as far as your local grocery store, but lots of insects collect nectar …

Posted December 1, 2020

Feeding Pollen Might Not Be as Useful as You Think

It might make us feel like good beekeepers, but fall protein supplementation doesn’t produce more winter bees Many beekeepers do it. Local bee clubs suggest it to their members, and some old-timers have done it for decades. Even some apiculture authorities suggest it. But it might not be providing our colonies with the benefits that …

Posted December 1, 2020

Using Wax to Preserve Woodenware

Ever notice that the word “pain” is in “painting”? While I love bees and beekeeping, I hate painting boxes. My sideline operation in Michigan is limited by both space and time, and paint needs both to dry. Since I operate out of a small shared building, and Michigan weather is not always reliable for drying …

Posted December 1, 2020

Letters to the Editor – December 2020

Beekeeping in National forests After reading the “Say No to Banning Honey Bees in National Forests” letter [Letters to the Editor, October] and downloading and reading the Xerces petition, I would say both have valid points. The petition pointed out a concern of mine; that introduced managed bee colonies might bring the risk of introducing …

HONEY RANKS AS AMERICANS’ #1 PREFERRED SWEETENER FOR FIRST TIME

Posted January 1, 2021