Bees & Beekeeping: Past & Present – March 2024 The Dangerous Lives of Foraging Bees: Part 1
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
Away from the protection of the hive, foraging bees suffer a dreadfully high death rate. The various fates of the bees are not often photographed in a collection and shown to the beekeeping public. From photographs saved in various dedicated folders since 1998 (on a succession of hard drives), we will see how bees died or when they could have suddenly been killed. For most of the upcoming photographs, I have not released them for publication anywhere. Until now. Let’s begin. While poorly understood, some bees in winter will self-evict, presumably because they suffer from some malady. Strangely ..read more
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The Classroom – March 2024
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
Q  Bees chewing woodI have had a weird behavior in which I am not sure what the bees are doing. Hopefully you can see from this picture (Figure 1), the bees are chewing the woodenware along the inside edge. I have seen this once or twice before. This particular box is new woodenware and has been wax dipped but I do not think this is a contributing factor, since I only exclusively use wax-dipped equipment and have used 100+ boxes and have only seen this a few times. Any thoughts? Regina Rhoa Pennsylvania, January AWorker honey bees occasionally chew wood, likely to smooth out the roug ..read more
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Beekeeping Basics – March 2024 Good, Old-fashioned Spring Cleaning — with a Lye Bath
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
I had a good laugh last month when I looked at the calendar and saw the most horrible winter weather forecasts I’ve seen in a decade. The joke was on me — here, I had been writing about “mild winters” and “Super El Nino,” banking on unseasonably warm weather like it was a sure thing. But I’m very grateful for the good, old-fashioned winter. It’s hard on beehives, yes, but harsh polar vortices bring some of us a comforting feeling about climate change — the hope that we may stave it off in time to keep the young generation from facing a world with more problems than we have now. Concerning bees ..read more
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The Curious Beekeeper – February 2024 Baking with Honey: A Sweet but Sticky Saga
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
Cooking with honey is popular. Now more than ever, cooks are sneaking a gobbet of honey into recipes from salads to desserts. Some are searching for richer or fresher flavors, while others prize honey for its nutrients, a step beyond refined sugar.   The unintended consequences of cooking with honey During canning season about 15 years ago, I prepared an oversized batch of homemade barbecue sauce. The recipe called for a generous dollop of buckwheat honey, tomato sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and a miscellany of spices and herbs. An oppressive August heat filled the kitchen as I monitored th ..read more
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Plain Talk Beekeeping March 2024 – Problem Bee Packages – Sometimes things just don’t go right
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
When package installation goes correctlyLast month, I discussed some topics relating to hauling honey bee packages from the producer to the customer. The package bees have already been through an ordeal by the time the beekeeper acquires them. After the point of transfer from producer to customer, a second bevy of problems and challenges may begin to present themselves. The package release procedureThe procedure for installing packages is deceptively simple. Spray the packages with thin sugar syrup every few hours. Have your empty hive equipment ready. Remove the center four frames and then re ..read more
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FLORIDA BEEKEEPERS SEEK SUPPORT FOR “SAVE THE BEES” LICENSE PLATE
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
Floridians have the opportunity to provide funds for honey bee research with the purchase of a new Florida Specialty license plate, “Save the Bees.” The Florida Legislature authorized the Florida State Beekeepers license plate, “Save the Bees,” but the plate will not go into production unless … The post FLORIDA BEEKEEPERS SEEK SUPPORT FOR “SAVE THE BEES” LICENSE PLATE appeared first on American Bee Journal ..read more
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Letters to the Editor
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
Glutamate-stimulating Drugs Not Approved for Apicultural Use I enjoyed reading “Honey Bee Genetics Affect Foraging Behaviors” by Lori Thomas and Rodney Ewing [December 2023]. It is an excellent synopsis of research on scout bees conducted in my laboratory led by former graduate student Z. Sophia Liang, now a research scientist at Harvard University. I was, however, surprised by a statement in their article that said, “Beekeepers can stimulate foraging behaviors by safely administering glutamate-stimulating drugs to colonies …” This was not a conclusion that we drew from our research. There are ..read more
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Contents- March 2024
American Bee Journal Magazine
by abjadmin
1w ago
International Honey Market Report Ron Phipps                                                                                      241 Division of Labor in a Colony: Who does W ..read more
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The Classroom – February 2024
American Bee Journal Magazine
by ABJ
1M ago
Q  Oxalic acid chemistry  I would like to know if the oxalic acid treatment involves a liquid phase before vaporization or if oxalic acid sublimes, going directly from solid to vapor. I am not a chemist, and there is a lot of confusion on this topic in the available information. Marie-Hélène Majeau Québec, November A My team and I get this question a lot. Many folks are interested in using oxalic acid (OA) as a Varroa control. One of the common ways to administer OA to colonies is to heat the crystals, causing the OA to become a gas that permeates the hive. The question, though, is d ..read more
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Honey Extractors of the 1870’s: Part 2
American Bee Journal Magazine
by ABJ
1M ago
Honey extractors evolved in America as the fledgling apiculture industry began to see the value of these machines. To understand that historical development from primary sources, I collect honey extractors, study them, and search how their original design functioned in the old bee literature. I had to find one important design: an 1870s Novice Honey Extractor. A.I. Root made this extractor, beginning in the early days of the bee supply company he founded, the A.I. Root Company located in Medina, Ohio. The extractor had “Novice” painted on it in large prominent letters. “Novice” was Root’s pen ..read more
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