Weak Honey Bee Colonies May Fail From Cold Exposure During Shipping

by Kim Kaplan   FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, April 18, 2019—Cold temperatures inside honey bee colonies may cause colony losses during and after long-distance hauling, according to a preliminary study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. Every year almost 2 million honey bee colonies—nearly two-thirds of the managed colonies in the United States—are loaded aboard semi-trailers and shipped across the country multiple times to …

Droughts Bring Fewer Flowers for Bees

Bees could be at risk from climate change because more frequent droughts could cause plants to produce fewer flowers, new research shows. Droughts are expected to become more common and more intense in many parts of the world, and researchers studied the impact on flowering plants using a field experiment. They found that drought roughly halved the overall number of flowers. …

Wax On, Melt Off

Adding phase change materials, like paraffin, to concrete could make roads that melt snow and ice Drexel University New research shows that paraffin wax infused into pavement may help roads melt snow and ice faster. If the beeswax slumgum from rendering old combs had similar properties, beekeepers might have a new market for their wares.   Researchers from Drexel University, Purdue University and Oregon …

2017 US fall forecast: Warmth to Linger in Northeast; Conditions Ripe for Tornado Outbreaks From Texas to Tennessee

Courtesy of   AccuWeather Global Weather Center - August 2, 2017  - AccuWeather reports summer warmth will linger into fall across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, areas farther south will remain alert for tropical hits long after summer has faded. In the southern Plains, conditions will become ripe for severe weather, including possible tornado outbreaks. Warmth to linger into fall across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic As children head back to …

Dry Pattern to Offer No Wildfire Relief in Florida as West Mims Fire Evacuations Expand

Courtesy of Renee Duff, Accuweather meteorologist Beekeepers Are Losing Apiaries to the Fire Editors Note: Initial reports indicate that several commercial beekeepers have suffered severe colony losses in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge area where they had located apiaries for honey flows. As crews continue to battle the massive West Mims Fire, mainly dry weather will worsen the wildfire and drought situation across …

2017 US Summer Forecast: Early Storms to Hold Back Heat in Northeast; Wildfires to Rage in California

Courtesy of     AccuWeather Global Weather Center - April 26, 2017  - AccuWeather reports wet weather and severe storms will keep extreme temperatures at bay in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic this summer, while heat and humidity plague the South. Meanwhile, California will be at risk from wildfires due to abundant vegetation as the Northwest grapples with outbreaks of severe weather. Early storms to hold back extreme heat …