Apiology

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

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.

More:Amitraz

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.

More: CoronaVirus

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.

More: Propolis

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.

More:Cannabis

A mathematical model of honey bee colony dynamics to predict the effect of pollen on colony failure

The decline in colony populations of the honey bee, known as the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is a global concern. Numerous studies have reported possible causes, including pesticides, parasites, and nutritional stress.

More: Pollen Model

Drone and Worker Brood Microclimates Are Regulated Differentially in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones and workers show differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior. Because the functions of drones are more related to colony reproduction, and those of workers relate to both survival and reproduction, we hypothesize that the microclimate for worker brood is more precisely regulated than that of drone brood.

More:Microclimate

'Intensive' beekeeping not to blame for common bee diseases

More "intensive" beekeeping does not raise the risk of diseases that harm or kill the insects, new research suggests.

Intensive agriculture—where animals or plants are kept crowded together in very high densities—is thought to result in higher rates of disease spreading.

But researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of California, Berkeley found this is not the case for honeybees.

More:Intensive

Beekeeping in Vermont

March 4 Meeting Minutes Posted

VBA Members: Meeting minutes from the March 4 board of directors meeting are available in the Members Only area. (Login required.) There are a few issues being looked at, including honey adulteration, and the definition of local as it applies to honey and Vermont products.

Details: Last Updated: 11 March 2020 11 March 2020

Available Now - Order Online

The LAND of MILK & HONEY

Available Now - Order Today!

From a small state comes the big book of beekeeping history. "The Land of Milk and Honey" is here! Six members of the Vermont Beekeepers Association have gathered the geniuses and oddballs, inventors and saints of Vermont's 200 year history of beekeeping. That includes some of YOU.

You may buy the book online, at your local book store, or directly from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Details: Last Updated: 08 March 2020 08 March 2020

VBA 2020 Workshops

The Vermont Beekeepers Association offers hands-on training workshops for beekeepers of all levels. These workshops are free and open to the public; no experience necessary.

The 2020 Workshops are starting next month (April 18th).

Details: Last Updated: 05 March 2020 05 March 2020

Calico, Bee Lights, Hexs & Honey

Uncommon Ingredients in VBA’s Bee Booth

By Cheryl Dorschner;
Stephen Mease Photography

I was thinking about 2021 last Thursday morning during the drive to Champlain Valley Expo to work the final shifts of the Vermont Beekeeper’s Association (VBA) booth; then pack it up for another year. All week our booth sat across from one of the slickest of the 130 booths at the 2020 Vermont Farm Show – hyper branded from banners to business cards, it clearly benefited from an ad agency and big budget. Down the aisle the media booths, chock full of handouts, looked like they were a snap to pop up, take down and carry with their stretch fabric walls, table covers and banners.

Details: Last Updated: 01 March 2020 01 March 2020

Struggling beekeepers undercut by cheap honey imports, says new report

Honey pricing as been under pressure for decades. This issue is also discussed in the new book "The Land of Milk and Honey", Pg. 134 indicating that Chinese imports have been under cutting US prices decades ago. Today the issue remains the same. Take a look at this article about the pressures in Europe from adulterated Chinese imported honey.