Many beehive viruses introduced by varroa, researcher says

Many of the viruses now being discovered in beehives are introduced by the varroa destructor, according to Philip Moore, a bee researcher at the University of Tennessee. Moore spoke to the November meeting of the Blount County Beekeepers Association on Nov. 10 on emerging trends in honeybee health. The picture he painted is not a pretty

Researchers in Australia working on self-pollinating almonds

One of the things I tell people who ask about bees is that in this country, bees pollinate 100 percent of the almonds we grow. And almonds, I add with only a slight flourish in my tone, are California’s number one agricultural export. It won’t happen anytime soon, but one of these days, I may

Beekeepers are using Russian bees to fight varroa

One of the developing non-chemical methods to fight varroa is to use Russian bees and to acquire Russian queens. That’s what Tom Conlon, a beekeeper in Massachusetts and a member of the Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association, is doing. A recent article in a local Massachusetts newspaper about him says: As a member of the

Marla Spivak on why we are in a honeybee crisis

Marla Spivak of the University of Minnesota is one of the nation’s leading researchers on bee health and beekeeping. She is articulate and eloquent spokesperson for honeybees, the reasons they are in danger, and sensible sustainable beekeeping. In this 16-minute video, she outlines some of the reasons that we should all be paying attention to

The sounds of the bees: Scots are trying to find out what they mean

Are the bees trying to tell us — really tell us — what’s going on inside the hive? Scottish beekeepers and researchers are trying to listen to the bees and figure out what they are saying.