Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist
Thanks to these sponsors, you can enjoy this website without annoying popup ads! You can show your appreciation by clicking on their banners above to go directly to their websites.
About me I’m a healthy, youthful, happy, and loving guy, who could be the dream partner in a dream life for the right woman. I’m not looking for a date — I’m looking for a new life partner to share my exciting and joyful days with. That said, I and my lifestyle would not be a […]
Read MoreContents Resistance vs. Tolerance or “Survival” 1 Managed apiaries vs. natural evolution. 2 Background. 3 The necessity of Mechanical Agitators 3 The resistant colonies 6 So what’s our progress so far?. 10 A built-in lag inherent in open mating programs 13 Exhibit A: Mite-count tracking for our 2022 breeders 14 Coming. 16 References. 16 […]
Read More2022 Extended-Release Oxalic Update Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ March 2022 As more and more beekeepers try to wean themselves off amitraz, there is great interest in oxalic acid. Unfortunately, a dose of OA by any of the currently-approved application methods exhibits little residual action, so has limited efficacy if […]
Read MoreAn Online Model for Varroa Management Randy Oliver and Trish Harness First published in ABJ February 2022 Beekeepers worldwide have been using Randy’s Varroa Model with great success since its release in 2017. But there has been a demand for an online version that did not require Excel, and could be used on a […]
Read MoreHOPGUARD 3 AS A SUMMER TREATMENT Beekeeper-Funded Research Randy Oliver, with collaboration by Aris Roberts First published in ABJ February 2022 In the summer of 2020, I tested using Hopguard 3 to control varroa. Unfortunately, the label was not clear, and I didn’t realize that for summer treatment I was allowed to repeat the […]
Read MoreContents Diving into de groot Understanding what De Groot did The problem with normalizing to tryptophan Re-interpreting de groot’s findings Protein conversion — Patty into bees Justus von Liebig’s Law of the Minimum and essential amino acids My diet calculator So how about the tested diets? The homebrew formulation Not yet done … References […]
Read MoreA COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF THE POLLEN SUBS Part 4: Why did some Subs Outperform Others? Beekeeper-Funded Research Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Contents Back to my 2020 california trial Have we been focusing on the wrong suspects? Protein in Animal feed formulations Mixing of protein sources Crude Protein and Amino Acids EAAs as percent of crude […]
Read MoreObservations on Pollen Subs: Part 3 Placement of the Pollen Patty First published in ABJ October 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com There doesn’t appear to be a benefit from feeding pollen sub when there’s already a substantial natural pollen flow going on. On the other hand, during a dearth, pollen subs may perform better when the […]
Read MoreThis is a very contentious subject, but how much of the media alarm over glyphosate is based upon actual risk assessment? Having run my garden and orchard organically for many years, I was faced with invasive Vinca major and Himalaya blackberries that were taking an excessive amount of my time to control. Weed whacking, horticultural vinegar, […]
Read MoreObservations on Pollen Subs Part 2 Why Didn’t My Test Hives Grow? First published in ABJ September 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com After the first of July we find it difficult to get nucs to grow, despite continual feeding. Is the lack of response to feeding due to the heat, the day length, the lack […]
Read MoreA COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF THE POLLEN SUBS 2020 Part 3 Beekeeper-Funded Research First published in ABJ September 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Some research institutions avoid the testing of name-brand products for obvious reasons, and some trade magazines won’t publish articles that might offend their advertisers. We beekeepers are fortunate that Dadant & Sons and […]
Read MoreA COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF THE POLLEN SUBS 2020 Part 2 First published in ABJ August 2021 Vincent Riciglianoa and Randy Oliverb aUSDA-ARS, bScientificBeekeeping.com Last month I described how we set up our comparative trial of several pollen subs. Now it’s time to bring in my collaborator, Dr. Vincent Ricigliano, to show the results of […]
Read MoreRefining the Mite Wash: Part 3 Dislodgement, Precipitation, and Separation Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in September 2020 In my last article I showed how mites will quickly drop off the bees’ bodies if immersed in 91% alcohol. But there are still more steps remaining to separate the mites from the sample of […]
Read MoreI Googled the word “beekeeping” today, which came back with 39 million results — far too many for most of us to read! The other issue is that with the advent of the Internet, those with strong opinions are free to upload their thoughts, without anyone first checking them for supportive evidence. And in beekeeping, there […]
Read More