The protein vitellogenin has long been known to play an important role in colony health. It is known to regulate queen bee and forager life span, and it affects social behavior, immunity, and stress response. Previous research has shown that worker bees with suppressed vitellogenin levels forage earlier, prefer foraging for nectar, and live shorter […] Read more
Blogging frustrates me because when I think I am communicating, I am not. Just when I think I am being crystal clear, the reader comments prove me wrong. It can get so bad, I wonder why I bother. Yesterday’s post on organic sugar vs. refined sugar elicited a barrage of comments, e-mails, and Tweets that […] Read more
A number of beekeepers have said they feed their bees organic sugar (usually organic evaporated cane juice) and they firmly believe they are doing the best possible thing for their bees. Other folks are horrified at the idea because these products are not pure white and, therefore, contain impurities that may cause honey bee dysentery. […] Read more
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is traditionally celebrated with an over-sized meal based on a stuffed turkey. Since the turkey always takes center stage, many refer to it as “turkey day.” However, to be fair we should call it “bee day.” Think about bees if you will be eating broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, […] Read more
Precocious foraging describes a situation where “underage” bees are required to take up foraging duty. Precocious foraging may result from any situation that causes a large percentage of the field force to die, including pesticide kills, disease, predation, or shortened lifespans due to chemical exposure. When large number of nurse bees are re-assigned to the […] Read more
Let’s say you have a brand new colony of bees that is guaranteed to be uninfected by Varroa mites. How does your colony become infected and how fast do the mites reproduce? Let’s take it from the top: One fine spring day one of your bees shares a flower with an infected bee from another […] Read more
Pesticide residues are known to appear frequently in wax combs. Since most pesticides are either lipophilic or dissolved in oil-based carriers, it is no surprise that we find them residing in beeswax. These chemicals can be brought into the hive by the bees themselves in the form or contaminated pollen and nectar, or they may […] Read more