Our reports from the field continue to reinforce the old saw that “all beekeeping is local.” As a vivid example, a correspondent in southwestern New Hampshire reports lower-than-average honey crops for 2019, while less than two hours to the east we hear of “once-in-a-lifetime” crops for some beekeepers. Northeast Adequate ground moisture in New Hampshire …
Read MoreThe Greatest Generation Per Meghan Milbrath (“The Greatest Generation,” January 2020 ABJ): “The reason we have such high winter losses is … we do not put enough attention into making sure that we have enough healthy winter bees. We know that varroa peak right when winter bees are getting formed.” Well, to compensate for that, …
Read MoreFirst Beehive Uses of the Currently Registered Active Ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis, subsp. aizawai strain ABTS 1857 EPA is proposing to register a pesticide product containing Bacillus thuringiensis, subsp. aizawai strain ABTS 1857 (Bta ABTS 1857) to prevent and control wax moths in beehives. This product offers beekeepers a new tool against destructive wax moth larvae. …
Read MoreGAINESVILLE, Fla. — Bee lovers can now start their journey to becoming Master Beekeepers through a new online training program from the UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab. “The number of people keeping bees in Florida increased about 500% since 2006, so there is a demand and need for beekeeper education,” said Jamie Ellis, …
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With virus vectoring Varroa destructor mites in about 90% of US beekeepers colonies, especially those in the commercial industry rely on some form chemical compound or miticide like amitraz to eradicate them. A promising new strain of honey bees is being developed at Purdue University that is helping reduce annual colony losses due to the …
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In the previous article, we examined some various shapes of frames, ending with a hexagonal standing frame hive. Besides being the external wall of the hive, those frames also spaced themselves. Frame spacing is the topic of this article, except the frames are inside the hive body in the usual way. The movable frame, announced …
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Pesticide residues are common in soils surrounding corn and soybean fields and are associated with fewer species of native bees. Last month’s “Notes from the Lab” focused on how landscapes dominated by corn and soybeans can be both good and bad for honey bees. Good because colonies grow quickly when soybeans (at least some varieties) …
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Everywhere you look these days, people are making, buying, and using beeswax food wraps. If the concept is new to you, a beeswax food wrap is a piece of beeswax-infused cotton fabric that is meant to be used in place of plastic or aluminum food wrap. Since they are reusable, beeswax wraps are thought to …
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Honey bee colonies die. At some point you will stand over the sad sight of a dead colony, and will have to make decisions about what to do with the equipment. Do you dump a new package of bees straight into the hive and move on with life? Do you burn everything in a fit …
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Microbes are giving us a new wave of defenses against hive pests and pathogens Bacteria are not something to be cringed at. Villains like E. coli, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus have given the whole bacterial kingdom a bad rap, but we can capitalize on beneficial microbes to work for us instead of against us. …
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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