Genetic Diversity Matters
History The honeybee originated in the Old World, where it diverged into more than two dozen recognized subspecies. Initial introduction of the honeybee (subspecies A. m. mellifera) to North America occurred in the 17th century and records indicate that another seven subspecies were introduced by 1922, when further importations were restricted. With the notable exception […]
Propolis: Honeybees Love It for Good Reason
Introduction A beekeeper with their hive tool in hand will often be wondering what the best way is to separate and lift frames that are not only sticking together but also sticking to their gloves, tools and ruining their clothes. It’s like a sticky piece of tape that you just can’t seem to get off […]
Is Moisture Normal…In a Hive?
Introduction Water plays a critical role in honeybee biology and overall health. Honeybees rely on water for various purposes, from maintaining their internal temperature to diluting food sources and supporting the growth of their brood. In regulating the internal temperature of the hive, honeybees use water to cool down the hive by using evaporative cooling […]
Honeybee Medicine Cabinet
Introduction The coevolutionary dependencies between pollinators and plants has enabled pollinators including honeybees to derive benefits from pollen and nectar but today they face challenges from declining natural flowering habitats and diverse floral (polyfloral) resources. They are also affected by increasing metabolic stressors, such as the exposure to plant protection products (agrochemicals), dietary limitation, monofloral diets, […]
Thermal Energy Efficiency and Honey Desiccation
Energy-Intensive Process Honey ripening or desiccation of nectar to produce honey by honeybees is an energy-intensive process, as it involves a change in the concentration of sugars in the nectar from typically 20 to 80% by vaporization and its modification by the secretion of enzymes. After collection from numerous flowers, sometimes at the considerable distance […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 7 of 7 – Helping Honey Bees Thrive
What will you do to help honeybees thrive? During the last decades, the beekeeping industry has seen very few changes and improvements on the widely used Langstroth wooden hive. The recent development of new insulation materials with higher proprieties compared to wood could provide better alternatives for the beekeeping industry. For example, a study of […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 6 of 7 – Humidity and Varroa Mortality
Humidity Regulation and Varroa Destructor Mortality The thermofluid physics in the production and removal of water vapor binds the behaviors of the honeybee colony. Honeybees must produce and dispose of considerable quantities of water vapor to convert nectar into honey. This is typically 4 to 7 times the weight of the honey and as warm […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 5 of 7 – Summer Heat
Summer Heat The worldwide distribution of honeybees and their fast propagation to new areas rests on their ability to keep up optimal ‘tropical conditions’ in their brood nest both in the cold and in the heat to achieve thermal constancy of 34–36°C/93–97°C. Honeybee colonies behave like ‘superorganisms’ where individuals work together to promote reproduction of […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 4 of 7 – Spring Brood and Dead Outs
Early Spring Brood Rearing and Dead Outs To save resources, honeybee colonies in the northern states stop brood rearing during winter. Brood rearing is resumed in late winter to build up a sufficient worker force that allows the exploitation of floral resources in the upcoming spring. The timing of brood onset in hibernating colonies is […]
Langstroth’s “Intelligent Cultivator” Part 3 of 7 – Clustering A Stress Response
Clustering – Stress Response (Heat Sink) Most research today is done using man-made wooden enclosures 19mm/3/4” thick which as we mentioned in a previous blog have 4 to 7 times more thermal conductivity than tree nests. So, are honeybees forced to cluster in man-made enclosures or is it a benign reaction? Is clustering a form […]
