Extracted honey can never hold a candle to honey in the comb. Imagine harvesting the choicest Zinfandel, Chianti, Syrah, and Merlot, then swirling them altogether in a cavernous vat. The result is anemic red wine. The high notes and the low, the color and the bouquet, are all confused into an insipid muddle not memorable …
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The honey bee mating system is not just respectfully elaborate, it’s unbelievably dramatic. I spend most of my day thinking about sperm. Ah, the life of a scientist: The profession authorizes us to deeply muse topics which would otherwise be quirky, fringe, or inappropriate. Scientists are just highly educated weirdos, really. And this freedom lets …
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Today’s frame, based on the bee space, officially commenced with patent number 9300, on October 5, 1852, put forth by Reverend L. L. Langstroth (see Figures 1 and 2). Besides the standard sizes, currently the rectangular frames come with minor variations: The top bar has a removable wedge or is grooved; the bottom bar is …
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When my dog was due for a rabies vaccine, I took him to a veterinarian to get his shots. When I needed to sell some sheep to a farmer in Indiana, I called a veterinarian to get a health certificate. When my bees got sick, I never needed to call a veterinarian — until recently. …
Read MoreThe Condensing Colony Bill Hesbach – 175 How to Raise Queens in a Migratory Operation Tina Sebestyen – 181 Busting Queen Grafting Myths Nissa S. Coit, Gehrig R. Loughran, Elina L. Niño – 187 A Modern Approach to Producing Beeswax Queen Cups Ian Kennard – 193 Two from One: A Technique to Double the Number …
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Stan Gore took this gorgeous photo in mid-December, in his apiary near Burton, Texas. Note the golden light reflecting off the hive covers. “The image is right off my camera. The lighting was surreal, a sky like I’ve never seen before. It was there about five minutes and gone.”
Read MoreA Dream Team? Milbrath, Webster, Oliver and Ellis all in the same edition? AWESOME! That’s a whole lot of practical beekeeping with the science to back it. John G. Yakim RPh Pittsburgh, PA Playing Opossum Reference: Queens “Playing Possum” (December 2019 letters): First of all it’s spelled with a “silent” O! You can take the …
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Email Questions to Jamie at classroom@americanbeejournal.com Follow my lab on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram An introduction: Greetings everyone. My name is Jamie Ellis and I am the new columnist for the American Bee Journal’s long running column “The Classroom.” As all of you dedicated readers know, this column was authored by Jerry Hayes for …
Read MoreDecember Editorial Eugene, I just finished reading the Editorial. I’m an older man (age 68) and have been a beekeeper since 1980, and for me, beekeeping is a continuous learning process. I am also formerly president of the Essex County Beekeepers Society (New Jersey) twice over, and I well know the experience of leading a …
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It seems that honey harvests were down in more places than they were up this year. Bad weather played a big part in that, starting with a late winter and a cold, wet spring, which delayed California queens to many parts of the country. Next, heavy flooding in much of the country wiped out spring …
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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