Platform for beekeeping practice and know-how

Faced with the current context—polluted environments, pesticides, climate change, varroosis, etc.—beekeeping is confronted with multiple challenges. However, this context does not explain everything. In order to act effectively, it appears necessary to address the “health aspect” of bee colonies in a holistic manner. This approach assumes that the biological functioning of bees is similar to that of other living organisms and that all these factors share the characteristic of being influenced by human actions. Such reflection should guide beekeeping interventions in a way that respects the health of the bees.

<p>The idea that an animal or a plant is merely the product of the genes inherited from its parents is increasingly being questioned. Until now, it was known that the environment can, sometimes to a non-negligible extent, influence the characteristics of living beings, in their appearance or behavior (the phenotype). It now appears that the imprint of the environment can in some cases be transmitted to subsequent generations without any modification of the genetic information itself. The set of mechanisms governing this heritable component influenced by the environment is referred to as “epigenetics”.</p>

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What is the approximate brood volume as a function of the queen’s egg-laying capacity? How many brood frames does the queen need in order to lay eggs without space limitation?

The garden aster is a perennial herbaceous plant reaching 90–150 cm in height and flowering from August to November. Native to North America, Aster novi-belgii was introduced to Europe in the 18th century as an ornamental plant. Having escaped cultivation, it now grows spontaneously in many places, preferably on rather calcareous soils: in gardens, meadows and moist woodlands.

Varroa destructor, a killing machine!

The many scientific articles available to beekeepers make it possible to understand the physiology of bees, drones and, of course, varroa. However, it is essential to grasp the relationships between these different actors within the hive and over the course of the months, that is, the pathophysiology of these three populations. Joseph Létondal provides a comprehensive perspective, and the curves in his diagrams allow potential varroa-related problems to be anticipated before it is too late. This video is very rich in a wide range of practical information.

It has become clear that honey bees can develop several strategies to reduce infestation by Varroa. This has been demonstrated both in untreated wild colonies and in selected colonies (such as bees exhibiting the VSH behaviour of the USDA in Bâton-Rouge). Resistance strategies can be classified into two types: those associated with the brood and those associated with the period during which Varroa is present on adult bees.

What qualities are required to be a good beekeeper? They are numerous, as beekeeping draws on a wide range of techniques and fields. Some are present from the outset, while others are acquired over time.

Although substantial research has been conducted on the causes of colony collapse disorder in the European honey bee Apis mellifera, there has been increasing evidence over the past two decades that another pandemic affecting both domesticated and native bees is emerging. This pandemic is the result of the spread of fungal pathogens of the genus Nosema.

It sticks, it stains, and we sometimes curse it when inspecting our beehives; yet it gives beekeeping one of the fragrances that contribute to its charm and is also an increasingly sought-after product, representing a growing source of income for beekeepers. Although omnipresent in our hives, propolis is the result of a harvest and a processing effort that is anything but simple for the bee. A demanding but indispensable task; for this resinous substance, whose medicinal properties have been appreciated since Antiquity, fulfils multiple functions within the colony.

The art of economy (Janine Kevits)

Winter represents a formidable challenge for fauna, as it must cope both with cold temperatures and with food scarcity. Some insects have “chosen” to avoid it by migrating to warmer regions; this is the case, for example, of the painted lady butterfly. Others concentrate their chances of survival on a few individuals—reproductives that are abundantly nourished during the favorable season and whose task is to found a new colony on their own the following spring; this is the strategy of wasps, hornets, and other solitary bees. The honey bee, by contrast, has found a different path: it is the powerful organization of the colonies it forms that enables it to meet this challenge, by implementing two means that are entirely original in the insect world—on the one hand, the storage of reserves, and on the other, the reorganization of the colony to form the winter cluster, a system characterized by the absence of brood and by modes of functioning that differ fundamentally from those of the summer colony.