NCDA&CS confirms first finding of yellow-legged hornet in the state, asks beekeepers to watch for predator hornet Identification: Adult yellow-legged hornets are about an inch long. The most distinctive feature is that the bottom half (the ‘feet’ or tarsi) of all its legs are yellow. It has a dark thorax (or ‘chest’), with the abdomen dark at the base growing lighter …
The preliminary results of the 2023-24 U.S. Beekeeping Survey have been released and they’re not great. Estimated losses according to the report: Read the report.
As a precaution, all beekeepers should be learning about Tropilaelaps mites. The Honey Bee Health Coalition’s Tropilaelaps webpage has all the info you’ll need, including PDF guides such as the below 2-page info sheet.
The Honey Bee Health Coalition has published an updated version of Honey Bee Nutrition: A Review and Guide to Supplemental Feeding. This short guide is jam-packed with useful information and worth your time.
The Honey Bee Health Coalition (HBHC) has a new blog post highlighting Dr. Katie Lee’s research on spring mite loads as well as a timely reminder to monitor your colonies. Worth a read! Also worth your time, HBHC’s Tools for Varroa Management Guide.
The Honey Bee Health Coalition has just released a revised version of Tools for Varroa Management Guide. The guide is free and invaluable, so take a look!
In case you missed it, the Ulster Beekeepers Association’s 2022 Winter Webinar series on Sustainable Beekeeping is now online.
NC Apiary Inspector Lewis Cauble has recently posted the “results of my varroa monitoring efforts in my own bees and the interesting things I saw in my monitoring” during 2021. It’s a quick watch that’s worth your time.
Have you taken a mite count lately? Check out the Honey Bee Health Coalition’s Varroa management guides and tools. They include: …and much more. The HBHC’s website is an invaluable resource! Additionally, everyone should watch (and rewatch) Oxalic Acid Application for Varroa Control: What really works, what doesn’t by Jennifer Berry from our May 2021 meeting.
