Genetic diversity within a honey bee colony
Someone asked me why their honey bee workers were different sizes. I can’t give a concrete answer to this question, but it brings up the subject of honey bee genetics. Honey bees, like many other...
View ArticleBees of a different color
Ever wonder why you sometimes see bees of a different color in one hive? Maybe some are black and some are yellow? The answer is simple genetics. Since a queen may mate with many different drones (as...
View ArticleOf feral colonies and varroa mites
I received many well-reasoned responses to yesterday’s post. Rather than attempting to answer them separately, I decided to write a follow-up. You are absolutely right that honey bees are not native to...
View ArticleDiploid drones are a result of inbreeding
In bee school you learned that the sex of a bee is determined by the fertilization status of the egg. A fertilized egg becomes a female; an unfertilized one becomes a male (or drone). You may have also...
View ArticleWhy did they die?
Why is this year so different? Every day I get messages that say basically the same thing: “I just checked my hive and all the bees are dead. They have plenty of honey and lots of pollen. What did I do...
View ArticleWhy are my honey bees different colors?
“I’m worried about my bees. They are very busy and the brood frames are full but the bees are so different; some are yellow, some brown or gray, and some are almost solid black. Is my hive being...
View ArticleHoney bee genetics: where’s the miracle?
For a long time, genetics has been the answer to our agricultural problems. I don’t mean modern gene-splicing where you combine genes from different species, but the old-fashioned kind of breeding...
View ArticleThe lifestyles of wild and healthy honey bees
Thomas Seeley’s article on Darwinian beekeeping has unleashed a fury of discussion among beekeepers. Of particular interest are the ways in which feral colonies handle parasites and pathogens. Feral...
View ArticleWhy is it so hard to breed better bees?
Those new to beekeeping frequently ask why we don’t just breed better bees. This is a logical question because breeding has long been the answer to many agricultural problems. When I say “breeding,” I...
View ArticleHow Can You Save a Bee?
You’ve seen posters and read bumper stickers. You’ve watched news videos and opened colorful solicitations for money. Cries of “Save the bees!” and “Protect our pollinators!” are ubiquitous, having...
View ArticleCRISPR: the basics you need to know
CRISPR headlines make the news every day, served with a side order of alphabet soup that can make your head spin. To say the acronyms and initialisms are off-putting is an understatement. However,...
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