Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist
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Contents Review.. 1 Balancing moisture elimination and heat loss. 2 Broodrearing in the winter cluster. 3 So let’s do the arithmetic!. 5 Practical applications. 5 Optimal Cluster size. 5 Winter stores ― honey and beebread. 8 Hive placement. 8 Hive insulation. 9 Hive ventilation. 10 Literature cited. 11 The Nosema Problem Part 7c The Prevention […]
Read MoreOverwintering of honey bee colonies This subject has long generated endless debate among beekeepers. There are a few excellent resources by those who have collected hard data: Dr. Floyd Moeller was a USDA researcher who performed extensive field research to test various beekeeping management practices. This excellent publication covers practices to improve overwintering success, and […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 13d The Impacts of Parasites and CO2 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ October 2016 Winter is the most stressful time for the honey bee colony, and during times of stress, some parasites find opportunity in the hive. How can a beekeeper help his/her bees? The honey bee […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 13c The Winter, and Hive Design Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in September 2016 I begin the process of writing most of my articles thinking that I’ll cover the subject in a single piece. Next thing I know, I’ve got so many notes that I realize that […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 13b The Winter Continued Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ August 2016 In the previous article I summarized the basic mechanics and physics of the winter cluster. But I still had some “leftovers” worthy of further discussion… The Optimal Size of the Winter Cluster I showed in Part […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline Part 13a The Physics of the Winter Cluster Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ July 2016 Updated in blue: 21 March 2019 In cold-winter locales, the temperature becomes too cool for workers to forage, and there is no nectar or pollen to be had anyway. In response, the […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 12 Late Summer Through Autumn Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ are June 2016 I took a slight detour in my last article to address the “other bug” that we keep in our hives—the varroa mite. I plan to soon return to the mite. But first, let’s get […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 11 Varroa and Late Season Collapse Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in April 2016 I’m writing this article shortly after moving my hives to almond pollination. The supply of strong, healthy hives was short this season, but that came as no surprise. I’d heard reports from all […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 10 Summer Downsizing And Varroa Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in March 2016 At this point in time, the desperate intensity of spring buildup has long since passed, swarming season is over, and the colony has had its chance to use the main honey flow to put […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 9b The Regulation of Bee Longevity Randy Oliver Scientific Beekeeping First Published in ABJ in February 2016 In the first part of this article, I looked at the regulation of the lifespan of the long-lived “winter” (diutinus) bees. Now it’s time to turn to the question of why “summer […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 9a The Regulation Of Bee Longevity Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in January 2016 CONTENTS The Business Model Of The European Honey Bee The Phases Of Colony Life Cycle It’s All About Most Efficient Use Of Resources Reversing The Question The Regulation Of Aging The Honey Bee […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline: Part 8 The Main Honey Flow Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ Oct and November 2015 The moment has now arrived for our honey bees to earn their name. Unlike other insects in temperate climates, the honey bee maintains an elevated body temperature throughout the frigid winter. It does […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline – Part 7b Minimizing Swarming Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in Sep 2015 CONTENTS The Beekeeper’s Dilemma The Reproductive Urge It’s Not Just Crowding Cues And Thresholds Involved In The Swarming Impulse The Condition Of The Broodnest And Amount Of Open Comb Backfilling Availability Of Empty Drawn Comb […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline – Part 7a The Swarming Impulse Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in Aug 2015 CONTENTS The Swarming Impulse Terminology Reproductive Swarming And Emergency Swarming The Effect Of Swarming Upon The Colony Predicting Swarming Issuance Of The Swarm Acknowledgements References One of the main challenges of keeping bees for […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Colony Buildup and Decline – Part 6 Hiccups in Colony Linear Buildup Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in July 2015 CONTENTS Return To Playing Catch Up Real World Hiccups The Effect Of Cold Weather The Effect Of Rainy Weather Spring Starvation From Too Little To Too Much Brood Survivorship Adult Survivorship Take […]
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