The contribution from pesticides on colony loss has proven difficult to quantify, because exposure does not typically result in sudden death of an entire colony. It is far more likely to cause sublethal effects on individual bees that may go unnoticed. What can be accurately measured, however, is the concentration of residues found in hive products like wax and pollen. The...

As summer starts to wind down, the colony must begin producing bees that have a lifespan of five months, rather than five weeks. Understand the process that results in development of the winter cluster to guide summer management.
 
Successful overwintering is a simple matter of longevity. Interestingly, honey bees do not age chronologically. Their lifespan is highly variabl...

From hieroglyphics to higher priests, parliaments and charlatans, the beehive has represented an ideal society, one in which all members work harmoniously together for the greater good of the community. A more careful observation reveals that humanity is not the sole domain for selfish behavior, and the unity that characterizes a honey bee colony is highly vulnerable to the...

Soon will come the time to split hives. Beekeepers must decide between allowing the colony to raise a new queen or adding a mated queen from a breeder. In deciding which better serves your purpose, please keep in mind that recreational beekeepers are in a unique position to improve the health and survivability of honey bees. Beekeeping is not our livelihood. Most of us seek...

A new era in breeding honey bees began in the 1950’s when artificial insemination became a practical option. Managed crop pollination was in its infancy, and for the next fifty years selection was made on honey production, temperament and disease resistance (Oxley and Oldroyd, 2010). Meanwhile, demand for pollination services grew exponentially and soon became a critical co...

Colony loss is a process rather than an event, and it often goes unnoticed. An empty hive can be the first indication of a problem. Honey bees are masters of adaptation and extremely resilient. They readily adjust to changes in their e...

Hygroscopy

Most beekeepers are aware that honey is hygroscopic, which describes a material that absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. More accurately, it exchanges moisture with the surrounding air. Water may be gained or lost, depending primarily on the relative humidity. A hygroscopic material seeks to reach moisture equilibrium with its environment, at which point wa...

At issue is heated air that escapes the cluster and rises to the top of the hive. Upon contact with the cold hive ceiling the air cools and releases moisture. Condensed water now threatens to drip back down and chill the bees. Practically without exception, the solution given is to ventilate the upper hive to allow humidity to escape. A very excellent article published in B...

The unreliability of sticky boards and the dead bee effect of an alcohol wash has beekeepers doing the sugar shake. It works by tossing a half cup of bees (approx. 300) in a jar of powdered sugar to dislodge mites. Then you count them. This is supposed to give the beekeeper a fairly accurate estimate of the infestation level so a decision can be made on treatment. There’s b...

Ask ten beekeepers how to ventilate the hive in winter, get one answer. Something’s not right. Does adding ventilation holes at the top of the hive overcompensate for moisture? Having evolved in the warm, wet hollows of a tree cavity equipped with a single, small entrance at the bottom (Seeley 1976), apis mellifera is likely not a stranger to mold. Its presence in the hive...