The Australasian Beekeeper magazine subscription

From the publisher

With January, The ABK charges into 2021 with loads of information for commercial and recreational beekeepers alike.
Ann Harman gives us the insights into preparing our hives, and getting a check up on their condition and how we can be ready for the end of bee season, in her article ‘mother nature does not wait, and there is sooooo much to do…’

Clarence Collison informs us about immunity in our honey bee colonies and the defence mechanisms that have evolved in Honey Bees.
We introduce the 5 Bees program from the Wheen Bee Foundation, that is about Building Better Beekeeping Businesses. The program focuses on beekeeping business viability and supports beekeepers to make decisions and chances that will improve their business productivity, performance and profit in the face of climate variability. ‘In the Apiary’ this month has a detailed story from Rob Bourke from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, as he shares pertinent information about American Foul Brood and the barrier systems available to protect your hives.

In a new series ‘The history of Two Queen Hives’, Alan Wade covers The origin of the single-queen colony in Part 1, and goes through the ancestral origins of the honey bee species. We have a look into the specialised equipment that drones have, as the male of the species, and how their specific design stops them cross mating with other bee species. We also have a very interesting article on how honey bees lose the ability to sleep after ingesting non-lethal doses of pesticides that resemble nicotine.
As always, there is our readers letters section where you can ask our editor Des Cannon a question, including the fascinating readers letter from Paul on bees that are missing their abdomen that were found in a recent swarm he rescued.


Get your January 2021 copy of The ABK today.