Bee Science: Spring Colony Growth - Managing Expansion, Nutrition, and Swarming

Have humans truly domesticated the honey bee? In this Bee Science Short, Dr. Dewey Caron looks at that question through the history of honey bee breeding and the growing interest in locally adapted stock. Dewey explains that honey bees don't fit neatly into the same domestication category as cattle, chickens, or dogs. Managed colonies can swarm and survive as feral populations, yet generations of beekeepers have clearly selected for traits such as gentleness, hygienic behavior, productivity, and appearance. He then traces changes in bee breeding from imported Italian bees and early queen-rearing systems to hybrid lines and today's commercial queen industry. A major focus is genetic diversity and genotype-environment interaction: the idea that bee stock adapted to one environment may perform differently somewhere else. Dewey reviews COLOSS research in Europe in which locally adapted colonies showed better survival, strength, and productivity than non-local stock under the conditions tested. BSD-11 - Domestication He closes with examples of U.S. efforts to maintain or develop locally adapted, mite-resistant, and survivor stock — and leaves beekeepers with an ongoing question: should we continue moving selected genetics widely, or place greater emphasis on bees adapted to local conditions? Notes and references: Cobey, Susan, W.S, Sheppard and Dave Tarpy, 2011. Status of Breeding Practices and Genetic Diversity in Domestic U.S. Honey Bees. IN Honey Bee Colony Health, Chapter 4. CRC (Routledge).

Recorded live at the Pacific Northwest Beekeeping Conference in Wenatchee, Washington, this episode brings together five experienced voices for a fast-moving discussion of some of the biggest issues facing beekeepers today. Jeff Ott moderates a panel featuring Adam Pachl, Dr. David Peck, Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Kamon Reynolds, and Fred Dunn. The conversation begins with a familiar question: after nearly 40 years of Varroa in the United States, are we actually making progress? The panel looks at resistant stock, improved management strategies, RNAi technology, and the reality that Varroa will likely remain part of beekeeping for years to come. The discussion then turns to invasive pests and the importance of vigilance in port states such as Washington, including Tropilaelaps and invasive hornets. Panelists emphasize that local clubs and individual beekeepers can play an important role in early detection and monitoring. Audience questions bring practical issues to the forefront: creating brood breaks, queen caging, pheromones, warm winters, mite-treatment choices, amitraz resistance, oxalic acid, and the limitations of current Varroa monitoring methods. The panel closes with one simple challenge: go home, look carefully at your colonies, prepare them for winter, and keep learning from the bees. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org The National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com

How is a changing climate reshaping the way honey bee colonies grow, forage, and survive winter? Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman returns to Beekeeping Today Podcast to discuss her new book, The Honey Bee and Climate Change, and what nearly four decades of honey bee research have taught her about the connections among climate, nutrition, Varroa, and colony survival. Gloria explains how unusually warm fall and winter weather can keep bees flying later in the year, changing colony age structure while extending opportunities for Varroa mites to move among colonies. At the same time, heat and drought can alter flowering periods and reduce both the quantity and nutritional quality of pollen and nectar available to bees. The conversation explores the annual nutritional cycle of the colony, the differences between summer and winter bees, and why fall pollen can be so important for successful overwintering. Gloria also discusses research into cold-storage overwintering as one possible response to increasingly unpredictable fall conditions. Finally, Jeff, Becky, and Gloria look at what beekeepers can do now: improve access to diverse forage, monitor and control Varroa carefully, consider mite-resistant stock, and recognize that yesterday's reliable management calendar may not always fit tomorrow's conditions. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Gloria's book on Climate Change and Honey Bees at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VJdANQ

You've spent hours preparing your honey show entries—but how do you get them safely to the judging table? This month on Winning at Honey with Stephanie, Stephanie Slater tackles the challenges of transporting competition entries by car, shipping, and air travel. She shares her own techniques along with advice from experienced honey judges who regularly travel with competition honey. You'll learn how to protect jars and delicate beeswax entries, why temperature matters, what to include in a competition cleanup kit, and how to prepare for the inevitable bubbles and honey above the fill line after a flight. Stephanie also discusses TSA liquid restrictions, checked luggage, shipping mishaps, spare honey, fresh lids, and even a clever hotel-room trick for encouraging bubbles to rise. Before getting on the road, Stephanie talks with 2026 Wisconsin Honey Queen Emily Skala about the Honey Queen program, youth involvement in beekeeping, honey shows, and Emily's plans to compete for the American Honey Queen title in January. Finally, the Honey Show Spotlight looks at upcoming competitions around the country and previews the American Honey Show at the 2027 American Beekeeping Federation Conference in Galveston, Texas. Whether you're driving across town or flying across the country, careful transportation is part of preparing an award-winning entry. Blue skies and blue ribbons! Websites mentioned: Honey Show USA - https://honeyshowusa.com/ Wisconson State Fair Honey Show - https://wistatefair.com/competitions/honey-products/

Steven Coy returns to Beekeeping Today for a wide-ranging conversation about the challenges facing American beekeepers—and the role genetics may play in building more resilient colonies. Steven is president of the American Honey Producers Association and a longtime commercial beekeeper and Russian honey bee breeder. He begins by explaining how the AHPA represents commercial beekeepers through advocacy, Farm Bill work, anti-dumping efforts, and programs such as ELAP. He also discusses the proposed Honey Integrity Act and why the industry wants a federal standard of identity for honey. The conversation also examines declining U.S. honey production, imported honey, consumer confidence, and efforts to encourage consumers to buy American honey and support domestic beekeepers and pollination agriculture. In the second half, Steven takes Jeff and Becky inside his Mississippi operation and nearly three decades of experience with Russian honey bees. He discusses Varroa resistance, wintering, brood production, honey production, defensive behavior, and why resistant stock still requires thoughtful mite management. Steven also makes the case for evaluating genetics at the apiary level, explaining why mite drift and surrounding colonies can mask the advantages of resistant stock. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: American Honey Producers Association: https://ahpanet.com