Topics
Reading material
Below are links to some classic beekeeping publications: Farrar 1944 Productive-management-of-honeybee-colonies USDA 1967 Beekeeping in the United States Scroll down to Moeller’s “Managing Colonies for High Honey Yields” Beekeeping-in-California_1987 I also recommend (or have had recommended): Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees, 2nd Edition: Honey Production, Pollination, Health, Malcolm Stanford. Malcolm has an easy-to-read writing...
Randy’s Varroa Model
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 those who don’t have Excel...
Resources for beginners and those wishing to help pollinators
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. The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else...
Refining the Mite Wash: Part 3 – Dislodgement, Precipitation and Separation
Refining 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...
A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs 2020: Part 2
A 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...
A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs 2020: Part 3
A 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...
Observations on Pollen Subs: Part 2 — Why Didn’t My Test Hives Grow?
Observations 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...
Glyphosate fact checking
This 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,...
Observations on Pollen Subs: Part 3–Placement of the Pollen
Observations 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...
A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs: Part 4–Why did some Subs Outperform Others
A 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...
A Comparative Trial of the Pollen Subs: Part 5– Revisiting de Groot
Contents 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...
Hopguard 3 as a Summer Treatment
HOPGUARD 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...
An Online Model for Varroa Management
An 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...
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
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
Mohawk Valley Trading Company
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
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





