Apiology

The study of honeybees...

Do managed bees have negative effects on wild bees?: A systematic review of the literature

Managed bees are critical for crop pollination worldwide. As the demand for pollinator-dependent crops increases, so does the use of managed bees. Concern has arisen that managed bees may have unintended negative impacts on native wild bees, which are important pollinators in both agricultural and natural ecosystems.

More:Native Bee Pressure

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and bee age impact honey bee pathophysiology

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies continue to experience high annual losses that remain poorly explained. Numerous interacting factors have been linked to colony declines. Understanding the pathways linking pathophysiology with symptoms is an important step in understanding the mechanisms of disease.

More:CCD

A clue on bee glue: New insight into the sources and factors driving resin intake in honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are threatened by numerous pathogens and parasites. To prevent infections they apply cooperative behavioral defenses, such as allo-grooming and hygiene, or they use antimicrobial plant resin. Resin is a chemically complex and highly variable mixture of many bioactive compounds.

More:Propolis

Honey bee diseases and pests: a practical guide

Honey bees play a vital role in the environment by pollinating both wild flowers and many agricultural crops as they forage for nectar and pollen, in addition to producing honey and beeswax.

More:Guide

Trophallactic interactions in the adult honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)

Abstract - Trophallaxis, the transfer of food by mouth from one individual to another, occurs among adults of honeybee colonies. The drones and the queen consume but do not donate, while the workers are recipients and donors.

More:Trophallaxis

Catch the Buzz

General Beekeeping News...

Beekeeping in Vermont...

VBA Now Offers Student Memberships

In an effort to encourage new beekeepers to join the Vermont Beekeepers Association, the VBA membership approved a bylaws change authorizing a new student membership category at the organization's annual meeting this past Saturday in Swanton.

Individual high school and college students are eligible for membership at the reduced rate of $5.00 per year. Students may join online or by mail to take advantage of the VBA's programs.

VBA Summer Meeting

Thanks to the Franklin County Beekeeping Club for hosting another successful summer meeting of the Vermont Beekeepers Association.

Fred Putnam Jr. of Brandon joins the board as VBA's Recording Secretary.

Watch for a write-up and photos from the meeting...

North Yard Workshop Photos

Great weather at today's ACBA workshop where "Talking Bees with Chaz Mraz" was the program. Chaz covered many topics including making nucs, recognizing types of queens cells, mite monitoring, and treatment options as well as wide-ranging questions on Spring and Fall hive management. Pics (provided by Fred Putnam) are available on the VBA website gallery.

Mares on Bee Democracy

VBA's Bill Mares on VPR recently discussing democracy as practiced by honeybees - with a nod to Thomas Seeley's Honeybee Democracy.

(VBA's Twitter feed also features the link and can be followed with RSS on our newsfeed page.)

VBA May Board of Director Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the May 9th VBA Board of Directors meeting (held via conference call) are now available online. VBA members may read the minutes by logging in to the site and selecting Meeting Minutes under the Members Only top menu heading.

Great Weather, Great Information

The group (pictured here) attending the May 12th North Workshop presented by the ACBA's Scott Wilson and Fred Putnam enjoyed good weather and a wealth of information. Topics included how to perform a beehive post-mortem following what has turned out to be a concerning winter for Vermont beekeepers with higher than usual losses reported and management of Varroa - of course.