Microplastics in Our Hives and Honey Bees

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic particles (or fibers) that have become widespread […]

The Nest of the Honey Bee by Dr Seeley and Dr Morse 1976

Summary “The natural honey bee nest was studied in detail to better understand the honey bee’s natural living conditions. To describe the nest site we made external observations on 39 nests in hollow trees. We collected and dissected 21 of these tree nests to describe the nest architecture. No one tree genus strongly predominates among […]

What do Honey Bees want?

It’s interesting to consider that most beekeeper management practices come, as might be expected, from the perspective of the beekeeper.  Many questions being asked are answered based on what the beekeeper knows, wants or thinks.  I guess that is to be expected as well.  I mean, you can’t actually have a discussion with bees, and […]

Dearth and Colony Impact

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. A nectar dearth or simply dearth is a natural seasonal gap when few or […]

Health and Immunity

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Honey bees are constantly exposed to contact with many types of pathogens. […]

The Old Beekeeper – The natural rhythms of the colony.

This blog will be a little different than my normal research focused topics.  No summarized reference materials. No data or numbers. And no long confusing terms needing a Google search to understand.  This one is simply my thoughts. I hope it makes you think too…   Now I’m old enough to know you can’t “turn […]

Pollen: Why do bees and humans want it?

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Pollen: What is it? We see pollen coming into the hive packed […]

Why Do Winter Bees Live Longer?

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Introduction Winter can be a challenging time for beekeepers. As temperatures plummet, […]

Robbing Stress

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Introduction Honey bees forage for kilometers across the landscape, and they have […]

Mono-Culture Landscapes, Sunflowers, and Honeybee Health

DISCLAIMER: The blog below is generally created from the research listed in the “Referenced Material” section.  This is not my research. All credit is given to these studies and researchers who are helping beekeepers better understand how we can improve our management practices. Introduction Landscapes can affect parasite cause and distribution in wild and agricultural […]