Apparently not much is known about this little bee which I found in my backyard last June. I sent my photo into BugGuide.net where the bee was identified by John Ascher of the American Museum of Natural History. It turns out to be a Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus sensu lato) ovaliceps in the family Halictidae. That’s a […] Read more
After I posted about the new book by Wilson and Messinger Carril, several people wrote with their own suggestions for wintertime reading. Following is a summary of those books. Since I’m uncomfortable recommending those I’m not familiar with, I’ve only included those I’ve read. As many of you know, I strongly believe the best beekeepers […] Read more
I am in love . . . with a book. I pre-ordered the new bee book by Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia Messinger Carril not knowing anything about it, but when it arrived, I became immediately and hopelessly enthralled. I read until dinner and read while I mashed potatoes. Later, I read late into the […] Read more
For several years I’ve been looking for a way to combine a moisture quilt with a candy board. I wrote a post about this a while back, but the board in that example contained cooked candy. I wanted a no-cook candy board for several reasons. The first reason is that cooking sugar syrup is both […] Read more
It’s time for my annual list of holiday gifts for beekeepers. The items range from very inexpensive stocking-stuffers to more expensive “serious” gifts. If you are a beekeeper, you can print this list, stick it on the fridge, and hope for the best. Microscope with camera: a microscope of only 400x is enough to do […] Read more
If hamburgers were designed for honey bees, they would need to be served like coins standing on edge. A burger on edge would roll off the table and fall apart—the reason bees seldom order them. While most animals have a jaw that moves up and down, honey bee mandibles (like those of many insects) move […] Read more
Colony death by yellowjacket is common, but I’ve never heard as many yellowjacket stories as I have this year. People describe how colonies that seemed strong a month earlier are now gone, replaced by yellowjacket scavengers. Or they describe seeing yellowjackets freely entering the hive and seizing prey, undeterred by guards. What is going on? […] Read more