The UC Davis Series By: Elina L. Niño Almond orchard at petal fall. As I’m writing this in early February, the first almond blooms are starting to pop in the orchards throughout San Joaquin Valley. This makes it only appropriate to kick off this article with a discussion of our work in almond pollination. Then we will venture to talk a little about the dreaded pesticides and continue with an equally somber discussion of the impact of climate change on honey bee health, and wrap up with a mention of a bee sampling technique veterinarians can use for histological analysis of honey bee health ..read more

It has come to our attention here at Bee Culture that there are some websites that are claiming to sell Bee Culture subscriptions. These are not real. We do have working relationships with some of the big beekeeping brands like Betterbee and Mann Lake, so any subscription through them is legitimate and will make it to us. However, we always suggest that you subscribe directly through us. Subscribing through us is the best way to guarantee you get your first issue on time and that if a problem should arise, we are in the best position to help you. Since there seems to be a rise in these website ..read more

International forum for action on sustainable beekeeping and pollination Bees for people, planet and peace Ljubljana (Slovenia), 22/05/2024 – 23/05/2024 For thousands of years people have kept and used bees to harvest honey. However, beekeeping goes far beyond the production of honey. Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in increasing agricultural yields, contributing to biodiversity and other ecosystem services. They also provide a tangible support to the livelihoods of rural communities and indigenous peoples, which leads to a steadier food security framework. Since beekeeping can be ..read more

The Surry County Beekeepers Association in North Carolina is having a Photo Contest which begins April 1st and ends June 30th . Participants will submit their own Photo of a honey bee(s) as a fundamental pollinator along with a 250-350 word Essay explaining and highlighting the Photo. The Photo must show the importance of Honey Bees as pollinators in gardens, production agriculture and supporting the stability of our environment. All Rules and Guidelines are posted on the SCBA website https://surrycountybeekeepers.org/. Five judges, Bob Binnie – Blue Ridge Honey Company, Gary York – 100.9 WIFM ..read more

We’re so excited to tell you that we’re teaming up with the amazing people from the University of Florida’s Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory to bring you their weekly podcast and new YouTube series. We’re always looking for new ways to share current, relevant, and accurate information that can be found online. While we can do a lot here at Bee Culture, there are some things that we can’t and we’re happy to share the work of the people who can. So, starting today, we will be sharing their weekly podcast episodes in Catch the Buzz on Wednesdays and their new episodes of Beekeeping Ac ..read more

For more information go to The Pollinator Stewardship Council https://www.pollinatorstewardship.org/ PSC Advocacy Efforts Lead USGA To Save Its Pesticide Map The Pollinator Stewardship Council has successfully petitioned the US Geological Survey (USGS) to safeguard the future of a crucial resource- the USGS Pesticide Map. Thanks to our combined efforts with other organizations, the USGS has decided to reverse its earlier decision and reinstate vital cuts made to this essential resource. The USGS pesticide mapping initiative involves the systematic collection, analysis, and visualization of dat ..read more

By: Vera Strogolova A new research article was recently published about SuperDFM-HoneyBee probiotics (Anderson, K.E., Allen, N.O., Copeland, D.C. et al. A longitudinal field study of commercial honey bees shows that non-native probiotics do not rescue antibiotic treatment, and are generally not beneficial. Sci Rep 14, 1954 (2024)). The title of the article suggests that the SuperDFM-HoneyBee probiotic is generally not beneficial. A person has the right to their opinion. However, the data in this article paints a different picture – and critical data appears to have been deliberately excluded ..read more

Seeds for Bees® encourages the adoption of cover crops to provide forage for bees in California orchards and beyond – all while improving soil health, benefitting farmers, and promoting sustainable farming practices. The seed mixes available through Seeds for Bees are designed to bloom at critical parts of the year, when natural forage is scarce, and pollinators need it most. Ready to Apply? The application for the 2024-2025 growing season opens on April 1, 2024. In the meantime, sign up for our Cover Crop Chronicle emails to receive notifications about the application opening and other educat ..read more

Stockton Beekeeper Charged with Conspiring to Receive and Sell Smuggled Illegal Pesticides Thursday, March 28, 2024 U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Paulo Perez-Mendoza, 44, of Stockton, charging him with conspiring to receive and sell smuggled pesticides into the United States and the unlawful distribution and sale of unregistered pesticides, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Jan. 1, 2019 and March 18, 2024, Perez recruited another indiv ..read more

Celebration of Kim Flottum’s Life April 13, 2024, 12:00 Noon Here is the link to the church Facebook page for Kim’s service. https://www.facebook.com/mcclife1?mibextid=LQQJ4d It will be a Facebook live. This will take you right to the church page at the time of service. It will also be recorded if you can’t watch then ..read more