The Beekeeper’s Companion Since 1861
American Bee Journal Vol 165, No. 2 February 2025 Cover Callouts: Understanding honeybee castes - 171, Build a groovy shim for winter feeding - 183, How bee look to each other - 191

EFB and AFB in the USA: Trends Between 2015 and 2022

A man dressed in a white lab coat and gloves is depicted holding and inspecting a a piece of honey comb in a lab setting checking for American Foulbrood (AFB).
Posted July 1, 2024

EFB and AFB in the USA: Trends Between 2015 and 2022

I spend a lot of time worrying about Melissococcus plutonius and Paenibacillus larvae, the bacteria that cause European foulbrood (EFB) and American foulbrood (AFB) diseases, respectively. Both are rare compared to that insidious parasitic varroa mite, but they can cause major problems if they rear their heads in my apiaries. I also teach veterinarians about …

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Ants: A Pest of Bees or Beekeepers?

Posted July 1, 2024

Ants: A Pest of Bees or Beekeepers?

Why did it have to be ants? It happened quickly. Literally, the second day that two nucs were set up, black ants were already in the top feeder of one of the new colonies. Overnight, foraging ants found the internal feeder long before the bees, and the ants had to travel a much greater distance. …

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A Beekeeper’s Introduction to the Other Stinging Insects – Paper Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets: Part 2

Posted July 1, 2024

A Beekeeper’s Introduction to the Other Stinging Insects – Paper Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets: Part 2

In the previous article, we briefly examined the vast biology of paper wasps and confronted a typical problem with yellow jackets. Here we continue with yellow jackets and finish these descriptions with the European hornet (Vespa crabro). Currently the European hornet is the most similar social insect to the Asian hornets (which occur as 22 …

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Keeping Bees is More Fun with Knowledge

A beekeeper performing a sugar-roll mite check. the beekeeper is holding the jar of bees over a white container on a black wire table clothed in a beekeepers jacket and veil with gloves.
Posted July 1, 2024

Keeping Bees is More Fun with Knowledge

I was taught early on that nothing in life is free. If you want something you have to work for it. My introduction to beekeeping started at an early age. I had a father, grandpa, and uncle to guide me. At times I wished that they did something other than keep bees. As a teenager, …

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Letters to the Editor – July 2024

Posted July 1, 2024

Letters to the Editor – July 2024

Queen Replacement I really enjoyed this excellent article by Eleanor Schumacher [“Queen Status — and Assisting the Coronation,” June], and would like to add my thoughts to her approach to requeening a dud colony. I find a great alternative to the shook swarm (or even hunting for a dud queen or laying bees), that will …

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SOME VARIETIES OF ANNUAL FLOWERS HAVE A PLACE IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Posted July 1, 2024

SOME VARIETIES OF ANNUAL FLOWERS HAVE A PLACE IN POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Begonias, impatiens, and other popular annual flowers can draw in pollinators— but only if you pick the right cultivars Annapolis, MD; May 13, 2024, Entomological Society of America—While wildflowers and perennials are a must for supporting pollinators, there’s no denying the popularity of many annual flowers for their colorful, visual appeal. Annuals are often thought …

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ASIAN YELLOW-LEGGED HORNET FOUND IN AUSTRIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Posted July 1, 2024

ASIAN YELLOW-LEGGED HORNET FOUND IN AUSTRIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

A yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina Lepeletier, was found in Austria, near the city of Saltzberg, on April 9, 2024, the first time that this hornet has been detected in Austria. This invasive hornet continues its dispersal throughout Europe and was also discovered in the neighboring Czech Republic in 2023. The yellow-legged hornet is believed to …

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Contents – July 2024

Posted July 1, 2024

Contents – July 2024

Book Reviews: Summer Reads Rusty Burlew, Carol Hrusovsky – 697 What’s Blooming in your Neck of the Woods? Ed Szymanski – 712 Something Different – Cordovan Bees Peter L Borst – 727 Can Robbing Screens Reduce Mite Immigration – Part 1 Randy Oliver Michigan Guild Promotes Sustainable Practices to Nation’s Beekeepers Tina Sebestyen – 733 …

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ABJ JULY 2024 COVER

A Cordovan Bee perched on a purple flower. Cover callouts: The cordovan bee -pg.727, What's blooming in your neck of the woods? - pg, 712, and Power Lines and flower lines - pg.772
Posted July 1, 2024

ABJ JULY 2024 COVER

Jamie Hooper took our cover photo in his garden in Junction City, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. He is a professional photographer, and his partner Judy Scher is a beekeeper and ABJ subscriber. She identified this bee as a cordovan and suggested he send it to us. See Peter Borst’s article about cordovan bees …

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The Classroom – June 2024

The Classroom - ABJ - Jamie Ellis
Posted June 1, 2024

The Classroom – June 2024

Q More on Comb Orientation Regarding your [May] answer regarding cell orientation in the nest: I recently left a half frame flat [horizontal] in an eke [spacer] on top of a colony to let them clear out some old feed that was still [in the frame]. A week or three later, [upon] returning to the …

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