Pollen: Why do bees and humans want it?
Pollen: What is it? We see pollen coming into the hive packed on the honey bees’ hind legs, we see it as a kaleidoscope of color packed in the cells of a frame of comb, but what is it really and why do the bees collect it. A basic answer is that pollen is the […]
Why Do Winter Bees Live Longer?
Introduction Winter can be a challenging time for beekeepers. As temperatures plummet, managing the internal conditions of beehives becomes critical and is a dance with nature. It’s clear that honey bees exhibit complex behaviors and physiological responses when managing their hive environment. The hive is in fact an extended phenotype (physical characteristic extending beyond its […]
Robbing Stress
Introduction Honey bees forage for kilometers across the landscape, and they have sophisticated adaptations that allow them to take advantage of sparse, ephemeral floral resources. During extreme resource scarcity, they can deploy a comparably extreme foraging tactic known as robbing. Robbing is a high risk, high reward, and a tactic whereby workers attack and often […]
Mono-Culture Landscapes, Sunflowers, and Honeybee Health
Introduction Landscapes can affect parasite cause and distribution in wild and agricultural animals. Honeybees are threatened by loss of floral resources and by parasites, principally the mite Varroa destructor and the viruses it carries. Existing mite control relies heavily on chemical treatments that can adversely affect bees. Alternative, pesticide-free control methods are needed to mitigate infestation with […]
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 […]
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, […]
