Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist
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I feel that our industry and research community has long needed a useful, accurate, and user-friendly varroa population model–so I spent a year of early mornings and weekends creating this one. You can use this model to predict what sort of mite management strategy will work in your area. For Joe Beekeeper, the model is […]
Read MoreOpen the link below to view the annotated pictorial presentation. 2017 KISS Breeding and if you want to see us doing smokin’ hot mite washin’ in real time, Rachel surprised me by figuring out how to prop up her cell phone to take a video of us washing a yard–to see the 36-second video, click […]
Read MoreMite management of top bar hives The varroa mite does not care that you’re keeping your bees in a top bar hive–colonies in top bar hives are just as susceptible to the mite. Unless you are running a truly mite-proof bee stock, you can expect the same sort of buildup of mite populations as in […]
Read MoreThis page is for the sharing information on the extended-release method for oxalic acid application–by dissolving it in glycerin, and then applying to the hive on a cellulose matrix. You can view my article on the subject here: Beyond Taktic. A big thanks to EPA, ARS, and CDPR for working with me toward registering this application method […]
Read MoreDear U.S. beekeeper, Recent studies by Dr. Stephen Martin and associates have found that there is apparently a benign form of DWV that can out compete the virulent form, thus allowing colonies to survive despite varroa infestation. If this is true, it raises the possibility that we may be able to minimize the effect of […]
Read MoreHere is a slide show for general public presentation. Contains some old 35mm photos, which I hope to soon replace. Public general presentationPublic general presentation Share:
Read MoreUpdated Nov 2: The science of the effects of neonics upon pollinators is so contentious, that I am often asked to comment on new published studies. This study, which claimed an effect of neonics on queen mating, immediately garnered such requests. Unfortunately, the lead author was at conference at the time, and was unable to […]
Read MoreA Review of Dr. Lu’s paper on neonics in Massachusetts By Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com August 18, 2015 I was recently asked by a couple of extension horticulturalists to comment on Dr. Alex Lu’s most recent publication on the neonicotinoid insecticides. I hesitated to do so, since Dr. Lu feels that I’ve picked on him. […]
Read MoreBuilding a Better Mite Washer – Larry Clamp Notes from Randy: Tinkerer Larry Clamp put together a very nice set up illustrated instructions for building mite washer cups, and is generously sharing them. Thanks, Larry! The thin black screen from package bee cages (or some older veils) is easier to work with than hardware cloth, and […]
Read MoreUpdate 20 Sept 2017 There are YouTubes being circulated recommending using a heat fogger to apply oxalic acid. Retired chemist Dick Cryberg, who is a very sharp guy whose observations I deeply respect, posted the following to Bee-L: I tried fogging with 10% oxalic acid dissolved in water. I fogged ten five over five deep […]
Read MoreSeasonal demographics of a colony headed by a vigorous young queen, shed wintered in Manitoba. Each band of color represents the proportion of bees in each 12-day age class at any time point. Red (0-12 days of age) through green (61-72 days) age cohorts represent short-lived “summer bees,” which rarely live longer than two months. […]
Read MoreTips for Designing Bee Research Projects Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Revised 26 Feb 2017 Beekeepers are known for being of curious and experimental minds. Since factors affecting beekeeping are continually changing, new unanswered questions are bound to arise; the beekeeper “citizen scientist” can often answer them himself by performing a well-designed experiment, and then share those results […]
Read MoreI’m open to suggestions for interesting websites on beekeeping in countries other than the U.S. to link to–please email me suggestions. Ukraine:A commercial honey sales website, but with a nice summary of the history of beekeeping in that country http://www.honey-export.com/ Share:
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