Beekeepers
We know beekeepers are on the front line when it comes to bee health and hive management issues. Find out more about beekeeping safety tips, how to monitor your colonies’ health and more.
The Young Beekeeper Award seeks to recognize the next generation of leaders in honey bee and pollinator health. Learn more about how you can apply.
Dick Rogers, principal scientist and entomologist with the Bayer Bee Care Program, discusses how beekeepers can monitor their hives for Varroa and other threats.
As colorful flowers start to bloom and temperatures warm, one thing is clear: beekeepers are entering their busiest time of year. Spring is when honey bees are most active, so it’s best to begin assessing the health of your hives and monitoring for pests before the season is fully underway.
Dick Rogers, principal scientist and entomologist at the Bayer Bee Care Program, shares his tried and true methods and a handy flowchart for effective sampling of honey bees.
Regardless of whether you manage honey bees for a living or as a hobby, there’s one thing of which you can be certain: somewhere, sometime you will be stung. While many professional beekeepers are used to this workplace hazard, nobody likes to be on the receiving end of a sting. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid potential stings and steps to take to protect you or others from serious injuries.
Over the past three decades, Varroa destructor, Acarapis woodi, Aethina tumida, numerous viruses, and a variety of other stressors, have presented increasing challenges to honey bee colony health. The result, in recent years, is that colony health can change dramatically over a short period of time. Therefore, monitoring honey bee colonies is essential.
One thing most honey bee experts can agree on – the Varroa mite, just 1.6 mm in length, is the biggest enemy of the honey bee worldwide. There are virtually no honey bee colonies that are not affected by Varroa.