This Old Bee House: Study Deems Hive Boxes Drafty, Inefficient
The classic wooden hive box used by beekeepers worldwide, first designed in the 1800s, is prone to temperature swings, a new study shows. That's bad news for the honey bees inside, who must expend energy to maintain their favored internal hive temperature.
Lab Test Rapidly IDs Potential Mite Pest of Honey Bees
Mites in the genus Tropilaelaps could follow in the footsteps of Varroa mites as significant threats to honey bees if they were to expand their range. A new test using analysis of the "melt curves" of DNA samples can discern the four known Tropilaelaps species and could be an important tool in surveillance for the mite pests in apicultural settings.
Use Miticides Wisely: Protect the Hive, but Save the Queen
Varroa mites are a constant threat to managed honey bee hives, but the most commonly used pesticide used against the mites appears to have negative effects on honey bee queens’ reproductive patterns. A new study explores these effects and offers beekeepers insight on balancing mite management and hive health.
Even Moderate Drought Conditions are Bad for Bees
A new study finds that reduced water availability—even if not quite drought conditions—lessens the quality of floral resources for honey bees and bumble bees, in turn negatively affecting their survival and reproduction rates.