Scientific Beekeeping

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Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist

The scientific beekeeper doesn’t want to just be told how to do it, but to understand the reasons why. Scientific beekeeping is not about test tubes and lab coats, but rather about helping you, as a beekeeper, to make management decisions based upon knowledge and understanding of the biology and behavior of the fascinating superorganism we call the honey bee colony.

Nosema ceranae

The Nosema Problem: Part 5 – Monitoring and Disinfection

Contents What the beekeeper can do. 1 seasonality. 2 detection and Sampling. 3 Queens And Nosema. 6 Deadout equipment. 7 citations and notes. 8   The Nosema Problem: Part 5 Monitoring and Disinfection First published in ABJ October 2019 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Some beekeepers are concerned about the current unavailability of fumagillin. Although the Canadians...

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The Nosema Problem: Part 7b – The Causes of Dysentery in Honey Bees:  Part 2

Contents The bees’ need for water. 1 Water and the winter cluster. 1 Water Balance. 2 Water homeostasis and buffering in the winter cluster. 3 Water in the gut. 3 Atmosphere and Humidity within the winter cluster. 3 Evaporation via respiration. 5 Defecation/Dysentery. 6 Literature cited. 8     The Nosema Problem: Part 7b The...

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The Nosema Problem: Part 7C – The Prevention of Dysentery

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...

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Calculation for nosema spore count using a hemacytometer

calculation of nosema spore counts using hemacytometer Randy Oliver, ScientificBeekeeping.com From Cantwell 1970, assuming that each sampled bee is diluted with 1 mL of water.         Average spore count per bee is then: Average count per single small square x 4,000,000. Total count per large square (16 small squares) x 250,000. Or...

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