Articles

The basis of honey bee winter survival lies in their ability to fo rm a winter cluster. The winter cluster is a precisely organized, dynamic structure that functions like a biological heating system. It is worker bees instinctively gathering together, centered around the queen and remaining brood. Ideally the winter cluster will form between boxes (in 2-3 box hive configurations). It moves upward as the season progresses to maintain contact with honey stores. This initial po

Most of us will use harvested honey as a dietary carbohydrate. I trust you were satisfied with the honey you were able to harvest this season?  Your honey might be directly consumed or used to sweeten beverages, desserts, salads, cooked into main dishes, be dribbled on toast and used to help keep baked goods fresher for a longer period of time. Honey is a natural sweeter, perhaps preceding all other concentrated sugar sources to benefit human  nutrition. There is another i

WVBA members were encouraged to complete a web-based survey document in a continuing effort to define overwintering losses/successes of backyard beekeepers in Oregon. This was the 16 th year of such survey activity. I received 250 reports from Oregon beekeepers keeping anywhere from 1 to 49 colonies; Willamette Valley members sent in 173 surveys, four more than last year but three below average return for the past 6 years = 20.5%. Overwintering losses of WVBA respondents =

The pnwhoneybeesurvey remains OPEN until April 30 th .  Please participate  @ https://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey/  .  This will be the 16 th year. I have modified the survey so you can simply enter survival/loss this past winter; select Fast Track to pass around questions on management if you wish. The 19 WVBA members so far responding (3 below average of 22 last five years) to the 2024-25 survey report a 16.5% winter loss level, well below the 10 year WVBA average winter