Vermont Beekeepers Association

Apiology

Apiology – (from Latin apis, "bee"; and Ancient Greek -λογία, -logia) is the scientific study of honey bees.

Colony Size, Rather Than Geographic Origin of Stocks, Predicts Overwintering Success in Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Northeastern United States

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are key pollinators of agricultural crops. However, approximately 30% of managed colonies die each winter in the United States. There has been great interest in breeding for ‘locally adapted stocks’ which survive winter conditions in a particular region.

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Varroa destructor: A Complex Parasite, Crippling Honey Bees Worldwide

Varroa is also a highly efficient vector of honey bee viruses and drives changes in virus distribution, prevalence, and virulence.

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Effect of Bodily Fluids from Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Larvae on Growth and Genome-Wide Transcriptional Response of the Causal Agent of American Foulbrood Disease (Paenibacillus larvae)

Paenibacillus larvae, the causal agent of American Foulbrood Disease (AFB), affect honey bee health worldwide.

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Efficacy in the Varroa Mite, Varroa destructor, within commercial beekeeping operations

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor and the associated viruses it transmits are responsible for most instances of honey bee colony losses in the United States. As such, beekeepers utilize miticides to control Varroa populations. Widespread resistance has developed to the miticides fluvalinate and coumaphos. However, Varroa has largely maintained susceptibility to amitraz despite a long and extensive use history.

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Coronavirus stings world's top honey makers with China beekeepers locked down

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beekeepers in China, the world's top honey producer, are bracing for a bleak start to the key spring pollinating season as travel curbs aimed at containing a coronavirus outbreak keep them at home while their bees go without food for weeks.

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Functional Properties of Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly

Honey, propolis, and royal jelly, products originating in the beehive, are attractive ingredients for healthy foods. Honey has been used since ancient times as part of traditional medicine.

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What You Need to Know (And What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD

You may have noticed that cannabidiol (CBD) seems to be available almost everywhere, and marketed as a variety of products including drugs, food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and animal health products.

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Beekeeping in Vermont

How Honey Bee Gut Bacteria Help to Digest Their Pollen-rich Diet

The honey bee gut is colonized by specialized bacteria that help digest components of the floral pollen diet and produce molecules that likely promote bee health. In a recent study published in PLOS Biology, a group of researchers from Switzerland uncovered which bacterial species perform which specific digestive functions in the bee gut.

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Details: Last Updated: 14 March 2018 14 March 2018

What's bugging our bees?

There are approximately 20,000 bee species in the world and 1,600 species in California. Despite this diversity, honey bees are still arguably the most important managed pollinator, and this brief overview willfocus on issues plaguing this charismatic insect. However, many of the same stressors are certainly affecting other pollinator populations. In agriculture, honey bees are used for pollinating numerous food plants that make our diets more exciting and nutritious, including many fruits, vegetables and nuts, and they are a crucial contributor to healthy ecosystems.

However, beekeepers in the past decade have been reporting annual honey bee colony losses that have reached 45%, which is more than double the acceptable loss deemed by beekeepers.

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Details: Last Updated: 19 March 2018 19 March 2018

Effects of oxalic acid on honey bee larval development

In 2015 oxalic acid was approved by the EPA for use as a pesticide for mite control in the United states (Reinhold, D). The mite Varroa destructor feeds on the hemolymph of immature and adult honeybees causing deformed wings in developing bees and reduced lifespan in adult bees (Ellis, J. 2010).

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Details: Last Updated: 19 March 2018 19 March 2018

CATCH THE BUZZ : Sick Bees Eat Healthier.

In the study, published recently in the journal Microbial Ecology, the researchers first gave groups of bees different kinds of pollen. They found that sick bees, and not healthy bees, lived longer when they had access to the pollen that was more nutritious, even though it also increased the number of parasites found in their gut.

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Details: Last Updated: 14 March 2018 14 March 2018

Food stressed larvae make poor adults

Inadequate access to pollen during larval development has lifelong consequences for honey bees, leading not only to smaller workers and shorter lifespans, but also to impaired performance and productivity later in life.

EAS 2018 August 13-17, 2018

Eastern Apiculture Society will deliver another amazing Honey Bee Conference in the summer of 2018. This year we will be at a conference center with plenty of space and all under one roof.

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Details: Last Updated: 13 March 2018 13 March 2018

CATCH THE BUZZ : Study Finds Parallels between Unresponsive Honey Bees and Human Autism

Honey bees that consistently fail to respond to obvious social cues share something fundamental with autistic humans, researchers report in a new study. Genes most closely associated with autism spectrum disorders in humans are regulated differently in unresponsive honey bees than in their more responsive nest mates, the study found.

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Details: Last Updated: 14 March 2018 14 March 2018

Honey Bees: USDA CCD Summary

The European honey bee ( Apis mellifera) is known for its importance for honey production. In addition to honey production, A. mellifera is the most commonly used species as a pollinator in the U.S. Honey bees are managed and used to pollinate over 100 crops grown commercially in North America. Although there are many hobbyist beekeepers, commercial beekeepers are responsible for providing the majority of pollination services to growers. Bumble bees ( Bombus), leafcutting bees ( Megachile rotundata), and to a lesser extent alkali bees (Nomia melanderi) and mason bees (Osmia spp) are also managed for use as pollinators in the U.S (National Resource Council of the National Academies 2007) .

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