Randy,s Posts
Sick Bees – Part 8: Time for a Paradigm Shift!
Contents Understanding Viruses. 2 Bee/Virus Coevolution. 2 Viral Quasispecies. 2 Regional Bee Stocks. 3 The Natural Situation Prior to Varroa. 5 What’s Changed?. 7 The Seasonal Progression of Virus Infections. 7 Enter Varroa. 9 Things are Different These Days. 12 Varroa and Viruses. 14 Holding Yards. 17 Beekeeper-Applied Miticides. 17 Varroa changed everything. 19 Practical...
Bromenshenk
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Paper What Do Bromenshenk and the Army Claim to Have Found? The Team The Tools A Novel Approach Back to the Paper Q & A Iridescent Virus Practical Applications Acknowledgements References Bromenshenk Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in American Bee Journal December 2010 A man walking along the street one night...
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 1
We humans tend to anthropomorphize animal behavior, which is often just plain silly. The most caring, gentle, nurturing beekeeper can pamper a hive to no end, yet will still have her friendship rewarded with a volley of stings to the face should she move a bit too quickly.
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 2
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool Part 2 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in American Bee Journal May 2010 In the first part of this article, I explained how the allotment of the hive labor pool was largely controlled through communication via the process of sharing protein-rich jelly via trophallaxis, plus non-feeding interchange...
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool – Part 3
The Primer Pheromones and Managing the Labor Pool Part 3 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in American Bee Journal June 2010 I left you last month in the middle of explaining the current model for colony workforce allocation, and the influence of various primer pheromones. Please allow me to pick up where I left off....
The Primer Pheromones, Part 4 – Reproduction and Survival
The Primer Pheromones, Part 4—Reproduction and Survival Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in American Bee Journal July 2010 Queen Pheromone(s) We humans hear the term “queen” and immediately project all the royal attributes of leadership and omnipotence upon the mother of the colony. But is this really the case? Does the queen bee really “rule”...
Managing Varoa: Part 1 – IPM Realities
I welcome practical, tested tips, methods, and assessments from other beekeepers who are successfully keeping bees with varroa. I found this article to be a good reality check on certain varroa IPM methods. It was originally published in the March 2011 ABJ, and I asked the author if I could post it to this website. ...
Sick Bees – Part 11: Parasite Monitoring
Sick Bees Part 11: Parasite Monitoring Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ August 2011 Last month I was presumptuous enough to try to boil successful beekeeping down to four basic rules. Giving the bees a dry home with plenty of honey is pretty obvious, so I’m going to make the other three easy to...
Sick Bees – Part 12: Varroa Management – Getting Down to Brass Tacks
Sick Bees Part 12 Varroa Management—Getting Down to the Brass Tacks Randy Oliver www.ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ September 2011 Last month I showed how to make a mite shaker bottle, so that you could easily keep track of the actual mite levels in your hives. So now you may wonder, how do I use...
An Early Summer Test of Mite-Away-Quick Strips(tm)
An Early Summer Test of Mite-Away Quick StripsTM First published in ABJ September 2011 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com In the February issue of this Journal, I wrote about a fall trial that I performed with the new formic acid delivery method—Mite-Away Quick Strips (MAQSTM). I had been impressed by their efficacy and ease of use. Imagine...
Oxalic Acid Treatment Table
Table updated Dec 20, 2023. You can print this table directly from this page. It is critical to mix and apply oxalic dribble correctly (5 mL between each frame of bees), or you risk seriously harming your bees! Be sure to read: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-questions-answers-and-more-questions-part-1-of-2-parts/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-learning-curve-part-3-the-natural-miticides/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-dribble-tips/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-powerpoint-presentation/ Update Dec 20, 2023: We’ve experimented with using glycerin...
Sick Bees – Part 13: Simple Microscopy of Nosema for Beekeepers
CONTENTS Equipment Needed Taking Bee Samples Processing the Samples Bringing the Spores into Focus Spore Identification Counting the Spores Care and Feeding of your Microscope Coming Up Sick Bees – Part 13: Simple Microscopy of Nosema for Beekeepers Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ November 2011–this article extensively revised in March 2019. It...
Sick Bees – Part 14: An Update on the “Nosema Cousins”
CONTENTS Worldwide Status and Distribution Ceranae vs. apis Coinfection Seasonality Sample Interpretation What if You’re Dealing with N. apis? Seasonality Recommendations Acknowledgements References Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com In my last article, I described how to quickly sample for nosema. So what do the spore counts actually mean as far as colony health is concerned? I wrote...
Sick Bees – Part 14: An Update on the “Nosema Cousins”
Contents Worldwide Status and Distribution Ceranae vs. apis Coinfection Seasonality Sample Interpretation What if You’re Dealing with N. apis? Seasonality Recommendations Acknowledgements References Sick Bees 14: An Update on the “Nosema Cousins” First published in ABJ December 2011 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com In my last article, I described how to quickly sample for nosema. So what...
ScientificBeekeeping is a not-for-profit enterprise, and I’m happy to receive notes of thanks for how information on this site has contributed to my readers’ success at beekeeping (and sometimes saved them hundreds or thousands of dollars). It is your support that allows me to devote my life to this site. All donations go towards website maintenance, bee research costs (typically tens of thousands of dollars per year), re-donations to fund research by others, and a small amount to partially offset the huge number of hours that I spend in research and writing. I guarantee that every penny is pinched and well spent!
Your donations not only support our own research; we redirect a substantial proportion of donations to Scientific Beekeeping to organizations who we see making the most impact towards helping pollinators – notably those who work with farmers and landowners, or preserve critical habitat.
I appreciate the notes of support that I receive from all over the world. Seeing who is donating, their locations, and the little notes that come with contributions help to let me know how I should direct my research and writing. In appreciation, and in order to show who is supporting my research and writing, I honor below those who have recently made substantial donations:
REGULAR SERIOUS DONORS
Tracy Fasanella
Brandon Hertel
* Homestead in the Hood, Colorado
DaleLesser, Michigan
Conway Veterinary Hospital
Matthew McLean, Colorado
Jim & Paulette Lynn, Iowa
Karen Barnhart, Iowa
Jean Knudsen
Yumei Xiong
Thomas Kirwan
Andrew Dewey, Maine
Madeline Mead
Jill Lambie-ponce
RECENT MAJOR SUPPORTERS
John Gaut
James Jakim, Pennsylvania
Los Angeles County Beekeepers
Justin Ray
Alameda County Beekeepers Association, CA
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild, CA
Ihor Skrypka
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Chatham County Beekeepers Association
Darren Tressider
Charles Clark
Victorian Apiarists’ Association
Peter Krey
Chrisensen Family Apiaries, Michigan
Nebraska Beekeepers Assoc.
Hiatt Honey LLC
Miller Honey Farms, California
Paul Hosticka, Washington
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers Association, Oregon
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers, NH
Colorado State Beekeepers Assoc.
Alameda County Beekeepers Assoc, Calif
New Mexico Beekeepers Assoc
Colonial Beekeepers Assoc, Virginia
Help Save the Bees Foundation, Nevada
James Jakim, Pennsylvania
RECENT $100+ SERIOUS SUPPORTERS
Rick Hyde
Mohawk Valley Trading Company
Ron Morrison
Susan Ament
Richard Reid
San Mateo Bee Guild, California
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Vincent Aloyo, Pennsylvania
Rick Anderson, Kansas
Perry County Beekeepers Club
Lawrence Huba
Charles Reichert
Charles Clark
Charlean Andes
Always Summer Herbs, Florida
Bill Hall
David George
Dean Christie
Roy Manicke
Jersey Cape Beekeepers Association
Kansas Honey Producers Association
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Chester County Beekeepers Assoc, Pennsylvania
Debbie Hewitt, Maryland
Mile Hive Bee Club, Colorado
Dale Lesser, Minnesota
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild, California
Stevan Huffman, Alaska
Flower Street Farm
Cara Ching, California
Terry Barrett
Robert M Simonson
Vincent Aloyo, Pennsyvania
Byron Godard
Southern Oregon Beekeepers Association
Lawrence Chismar
Middlesex Beekeepers Association, Massachusetts
Montgomery County Beekeepers, Maryland
Charles Clarke, California
Andrew Dewey
Ralph Carter, California
Barnstable County Beekeepers Association
Mary Aho
Sonja Percival
New York Bee Wellness
Liz and Terry Huxter
David Ball
Paul W. Garges
Andrew Levi
Jim Veitch, California
Mark Simonitsch, Massachusetts
Kenneth Sallitt
Kelle Frymire
Tamiko Panzella, California
Rodd Hall, Wisconsin
James Baerwald
Jean Knudsen
Yosef Shochat, Israel
Nicolas Geant
Charles Clark
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers
Michael Cummings
Bryce Lord
Jersey Cape Beekeepers
Busy Bee Honey, Vermont
Rick Anderson
Steve Sweet, Idaho
Ulster County Beekeepers Association
Jan Lawson
Honey Bee Club of Stillwater, Minnesota
Black Hills Area Beekeeping Club, South Dakota
Richard Ozero, Alberta
Paul Yanus, Vermont
Suddabees Honey LLC
Dean Christie
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Jane Sebring
Vincent Aloyo
Connecticut Beekeepers Association
Jim Lyssy
Wyoming Beekeepers Association
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers, Oregon
Yosef Shochat
Dale Lesser
Jill Lambie-ponce
Deborah Corcoran
Justin Ray
Idaho Honey Producers Association
Capital Area Beekeepers Association, PA
Mark Simonitsch, MA
Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
Roy Manicke
Kansas Honey Producers Association
Charles Bailey Jr
Richard Reed
Gregory Quinn
John Allison
Joshua Sewell
Chris Abbot, Virginia
Owyhee Honey Company
Idaho Honey Ranch
Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association, California
Charles Bailey Jr
Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association
Mike Tooley
Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild
Pamela Stegemerten
Vermont Beekeepers Association
Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association
Michael Kurtz
Dan Geer
Ross Honey Company
Steven Greenwood
Julie Spezia
Stephen Lamb, California
Pam Rogers, Indiana
El Dorado Beekeepers, California
Bill Mares, Vermont
Mike Stoops
Adam Bagerski, Oregon
Dorothy Hammett
Janine Cohen, California
Neil Nordquist, California
Richard Hyde, California
Bonnie Bee & Co., California
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers Association, New Hampshire
Laura Risk, Colorado
Capital Area Beekeepers Association, Pennsylvania
West Sound Beekeepers Association, Washington
Beekeepers’ Guild San Mateo, California
Omaha Bee Club, Nebraska
Joplin Area Beekeepers Association
Steve Sweet, Idaho
Bill’s Bees
Rich Blohm, New York
James Baerwald
Kip Glass, Missouri
Charles Vorisek
Carlos Perez, California
Debra Morey
Margaret Varney
Chester County Beekeepers Association, Pennsylvania
Thomas Dahl
Vince Aloyo, Pennsylvania
Charles Bureau
Help Save the Bees Foundation, Nevada
Aaron Bergman, Florida
Alan Herzfeld, Idaho
Eli’s Bees, California
Ghislain De Roeck, Belgium
Buncombe County Beekeepers, North Carolina
Robert Holcombe, Rhode Island
Alex Naumenko, Florida
Honey Bee Club of Stillwater, Minnesota
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers, New Hampshire
Blossomwood Honey, Al
Bee Thankful Raw Honey
Skip Smith
Jean Knudsen
Jason Hough, Maryland
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers, Oregon
Craig Falls, New York
Michael Aaby, Maryland
Keith Scott
Randall Carter, Alabama
Thomas Kirwan
Nicolas Geant, California
Lee Bussy
Jean Knudsen
Andrew Dewey, Maine
Jason Wester, Michigan
Everything on this website is open access and freely given to beekeepers and researchers worldwide, on a not-for-profit basis. I gladly accept supportive personal gifts of appreciation from my readers. You can donate via Paypal below (or better yet via Venmo as a gift to @RandyOliverBeekeeper). I will treat all Paypal donations as “gifted grants to be applied towards beekeeping research” given by you with “detached and disinterested generosity out of affection, respect, admiration, charity or like impulses,” and not in the expectation of any goods or services. Since I am not a 501(c)(3), your gifts are not tax deductible.
Thank you and happy beekeeping!
Randy
Supporters
ScientificBeekeeping is a not-for-profit enterprise, and I’m happy to receive notes of thanks for how information on this site has contributed to my readers’ success at beekeeping (and sometimes saved them hundreds or thousands of dollars). It is your support that allows me to devote my life to this site. All donations go towards website maintenance, bee research costs (typically tens of thousands of dollars per year), re-donations to fund research by others, and a small amount to partially offset the huge number of hours that I spend in research and writing. I guarantee that every penny is pinched and well spent!
I appreciate the notes of support that I receive from all over the world. Seeing who is donating, their locations, and the little notes that come with contributions help to let me know how I should direct my research and writing. In appreciation, and in order to show who is supporting my research and writing, I honor below those who have recently made substantial donations:
REGULAR SERIOUS DONORS
Tracy Fasanella
Brandon Hertel
* Homestead in the Hood, Colorado
DaleLesser, Michigan
Conway Veterinary Hospital
Matthew McLean, Colorado
Jim & Paulette Lynn, Iowa
Jean Knudsen
Yumei Xiong
Thomas Kirwan
Madeline Mead
Jill Lambie-ponce
RECENT MAJOR SUPPORTERS
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers, Oregon
Denis Watts
Kebin Duesman
James Jakim, Pennsylvania
Los Angeles County Beekeepers
Justin Ray
Alameda County Beekeepers Association, CA
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild, CA
Ihor Skrypka
Mike Tooley
Chatham County Beekeepers Association
Darren Tressider
Charles Clark
Victorian Apiarists’ Association
Peter Krey
Chrisensen Family Apiaries, Michigan
Nebraska Beekeepers Assoc.
Hiatt Honey LLC
Miller Honey Farms, California
Paul Hosticka, Washington
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers Association, Oregon
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers, NH
Colorado State Beekeepers Assoc.
Alameda County Beekeepers Assoc, Calif
New Mexico Beekeepers Assoc
Colonial Beekeepers Assoc, Virginia
Help Save the Bees Foundation, Nevada
James Jakim, Pennsylvania
RECENT $100+ SERIOUS SUPPORTERS
Rick Hyde
Ron Morrison
Susan Ament
Richard Reid
San Mateo Bee Guild, California
Zach Suddaby
Cara Ching, California
Vincent Aloyo, Pennsylvania
Rick Anderson, Kansas
Perry County Beekeepers Club
Lawrence Huba
Charles Reichert
Charles Clark
Charlean Andes
Always Summer Herbs, Florida
Bill Hall
David George
Dean Christie
Roy Manicke
Jersey Cape Beekeepers Association
Kansas Honey Producers Association
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Chester County Beekeepers Assoc, Pennsylvania
Debbie Hewitt, Maryland
Mile Hive Bee Club, Colorado
Dale Lesser, Minnesota
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild, California
Stevan Huffman, Alaska
Flower Street Farm
Cara Ching, California
Terry Barrett
Robert M Simonson
Vincent Aloyo, Pennsyvania
Byron Godard
Southern Oregon Beekeepers Association
Lawrence Chismar
Middlesex Beekeepers Association, Massachusetts
Montgomery County Beekeepers, Maryland
Charles Clarke, California
Andrew Dewey
Ralph Carter, California
Barnstable County Beekeepers Association
Mary Aho
Sonja Percival
New York Bee Wellness
Liz and Terry Huxter
David Ball
Paul W. Garges
Andrew Levi
Jim Veitch, California
Mark Simonitsch, Massachusetts
Kenneth Sallitt
Kelle Frymire
Tamiko Panzella, California
Rodd Hall, Wisconsin
James Baerwald
Jean Knudsen
Yosef Shochat, Israel
Nicolas Geant
Charles Clark
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers
Michael Cummings
Bryce Lord
Jersey Cape Beekeepers
Busy Bee Honey, Vermont
Rick Anderson
Steve Sweet, Idaho
Ulster County Beekeepers Association
Jan Lawson
Honey Bee Club of Stillwater, Minnesota
Black Hills Area Beekeeping Club, South Dakota
Richard Ozero, Alberta
Paul Yanus, Vermont
Suddabees Honey LLC
Dean Christie
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Jane Sebring
Vincent Aloyo
Connecticut Beekeepers Association
Jim Lyssy
Wyoming Beekeepers Association
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers, Oregon
Yosef Shochat
Dale Lesser
Jill Lambie-ponce
Deborah Corcoran
Justin Ray
Idaho Honey Producers Association
Capital Area Beekeepers Association, PA
Mark Simonitsch, MA
Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
Roy Manicke
Kansas Honey Producers Association
Charles Bailey Jr
Richard Reed
Gregory Quinn
John Allison
Joshua Sewell
Chris Abbot, Virginia
Owyhee Honey Company
Idaho Honey Ranch
Mount Diablo Beekeepers Association, California
Charles Bailey Jr
Raritan Valley Beekeepers Association
Mike Tooley
Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association
Santa Clara Valley Beekeepers Guild
Pamela Stegemerten
Vermont Beekeepers Association
Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association
Michael Kurtz
Dan Geer
Ross Honey Company
Steven Greenwood
Julie Spezia
Stephen Lamb, California
Pam Rogers, Indiana
El Dorado Beekeepers, California
Bill Mares, Vermont
Mike Stoops
Adam Bagerski, Oregon
Dorothy Hammett
Janine Cohen, California
Neil Nordquist, California
Richard Hyde, California
Bonnie Bee & Co., California
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers Association, New Hampshire
Laura Risk, Colorado
Capital Area Beekeepers Association, Pennsylvania
West Sound Beekeepers Association, Washington
Beekeepers’ Guild San Mateo, California
Omaha Bee Club, Nebraska
Joplin Area Beekeepers Association
Steve Sweet, Idaho
Bill’s Bees
Rich Blohm, New York
James Baerwald
Kip Glass, Missouri
Charles Vorisek
Carlos Perez, California
Debra Morey
Margaret Varney
Chester County Beekeepers Association, Pennsylvania
Thomas Dahl
Vince Aloyo, Pennsylvania
Charles Bureau
Help Save the Bees Foundation, Nevada
Aaron Bergman, Florida
Alan Herzfeld, Idaho
Eli’s Bees, California
Ghislain De Roeck, Belgium
Buncombe County Beekeepers, North Carolina
Robert Holcombe, Rhode Island
Alex Naumenko, Florida
Honey Bee Club of Stillwater, Minnesota
New Hampshire Beekeepers Association
Merrimack Valley Beekeepers, New Hampshire
Blossomwood Honey, Al
Bee Thankful Raw Honey
Skip Smith
Jean Knudsen
Jason Hough, Maryland
Tualatin Valley Beekeepers, Oregon
Craig Falls, New York
Michael Aaby, Maryland
Keith Scott
Randall Carter, Alabama
Thomas Kirwan
Nicolas Geant, California
Lee Bussy
Jean Knudsen
Andrew Dewey, Maine
Jason Wester, MIchigan





