Scientific Beekeeping

Thanks to Google for scanning this pioneering and widely-cited study.  Since this study is monumentally important to understanding honey bee nutritional requirements, I’ve unsuccessfully attempted to track down any copyright holder for permission to share it.  But as I understand copyright law, since this reprint does not contain any indication of this pre-1978 publication being The post de Groot 1953…

Observations on Pollen Subs Part 1 First published in ABJ July 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com I get a lot of questions about what the bees do with pollen subs, why, when, and how to feed them, or even if it’s worth the effort. Since I’ve done a goodly amount of investigation on this subject, allow The post Observations on Pollen…

A COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF THE POLLEN SUBS 2020 Part 1 Beekeeper-Funded Research First published in ABJ July 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com California has been in a “mega-drought” for a decade. In many areas, there is not enough natural forage in late summer for building colonies back up to cluster sizes large enough to supply strong The post A Comparative Trial…

In my research on pollen subs, I’ve come to find that some outperform others. Based upon their analyses, there’s a strong case to be made that getting the essential amino acids (EAAs) into proper balance is very important. So I created a calculator to help any beekeeper or manufacturer to check the EAA ratios of The post Randy’s Amino Acid…

A Field Trial of Probiotics Beekeeper-Funded Research First published in ABJ May 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com   In recent years, we’ve learned that the honey bee gut hosts a microbiome consisting of several core groups of bacteria (Figure 1), which if disrupted, may have detrimental effects upon bee health ].   Many beekeepers, in the hope The post A Field Trial…

Beekeeper-funded Research A Test of Thermal Treatment for Varroa Part 2 First published in ABJ April 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Last month I covered the theory of using thermal treatment (hyperthermia) to control varroa, and some of the designs of devices on the market.  I’d like to now answer some questions regarding thermal treatment. I The post A Test of…

calculation of nosema spore counts using hemacytometer Randy Oliver, ScientificBeekeeping.com From Cantwell 1970, assuming that each sampled bee is diluted with 1 mL of water.         Average spore count per bee is then: Average count per single small square x 4,000,000. Total count per large square (16 small squares) x 250,000. Or The post Calculation for nosema…

Beekeeper-funded Research A Test of Thermal Treatment for Varroa: Part 1 First published in ABJ March 2021 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com   Last month I wrapped up the report on my testing of mite treatments suitable for application during a honey flow.  A number of beekeepers have also asked me about using thermal treatment.  I found The post A Test of…