Beekeeping Through the Eyes of a Biologist
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The Status of Our Industry Regarding Varroa Management and What Can We Do About It? Part 2 First Published in ABJ August 2023 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com CATCH UP Last month I wrote about the options (legal or unapproved) that beekeepers are taking to deal with varroa as it evolves resistance to amitraz. In this […]
Read MorePesticides in the News Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in August 2019 Our beleaguered Environmental Protection Agency, tasked with protecting man and the environment, is caught between an unsupportive Administration and a public that is becoming more and more concerned about the effects of pesticides and climate change. I plan to return to […]
Read MoreContents Reinventing Nature. 1 Biopesticides (aka “biologicals”) 1 Resistant cultivars. 2 intensive agriculture. 4 Innovations in Mechanical Technology. 5 Agroecology and “regenerative agriculture”. 5 Resistance to change in a changing world. 7 Notes and citations. 8 The Pesticide Situation Part 5: Reinventing Nature Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ May 2019 In their […]
Read MoreThe Pesticide Situation: Part 4 Pesticide Resistance and Changes in Farming Practices Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ, April 2019 Although I’ve heard some activists call for a ban on all pesticides, the hard fact is that production agriculture, whether conventional or organic, will for the foreseeable future depend upon the application of plant […]
Read MoreThe Pesticide Situation: Part 3 Some Future Directions In Agriculture Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ, March 2019 Allow me to introduce this article with a disclaimer. I do not claim to be a crop farmer nor pesticide expert. But over the past decade, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to those with […]
Read MoreThe Pesticide Situation: Part 2 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ, February 2019 The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act requires that a pesticide will generally not cause any unreasonable risk to man or the environment — taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of the use of […]
Read MoreContents The Earth’s Biosphere. 1 The human population. 2 Insect populations in general 2 Agriculture’s situation. 3 The value of pollinators. 4 Who is the real enemy?. 4 Our three choices. 4 The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. 4 Acknowledgements. 4 References. 4 The Pesticide Situation Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com […]
Read MoreTHE CASE OF PRISTINE® AND THE DYING QUEEN CELLS– A PESTICIDE MYSTERY SOLVED? First published in ABJ March 2013 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com A combination of cooperation between beekeepers and a pesticide company, good sleuthing, good science, and good luck may have solved the mystery of the dying queen cells. Let me walk you through the […]
Read MoreThe Neonicotinoids: An Objective Assessment Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com April 2018 Updated 26 January 2020* (I wrote this article in response to a request following a presentation that I gave to the San Diego Master Gardeners. A revised version was later published by the University of California at http://ucnfa.ucanr.edu/files/280172.pdf) Everyone’s heard about the claim that honey […]
Read MoreEffect of Amitraz on Buildup of Nucs Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ October 2014 Introduction and Objectives I was surprised by the slow buildup and lack of drawing of foundation by the nucs in my 2013/14 Pollen Supp Trial. Although the colonies were started during a dearth, due to the near-continual feeding of […]
Read MoreAmitraz: Red Flags or Red Herrings? Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Condensed version originally published in ABJ October 2014 CONTENTS A Potential Bombshell Narrowing In On Suspects Another Possible Correlation? The Correlation Over Time Spurious Correlations In Defense Of Amitraz Amitraz And Varroa A Change In The Works Beekeeping Diligence Safety To Humans Prevalence Of Amitraz […]
Read MoreSick Bees Part 18F9: Colony Collapse Revisited – The Bee/Pesticide Problem Complex Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in January 2014 Examples Of Improved Technology The Transition The “Bee/Pesticide Problem Complex” Pesticide Hazard Quotients A More Relevant Figure? Wrap Up Acknowledgements Citations and Footnotes Part 1 In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a wholesale shift […]
Read MoreSick Bees Part 18f5: Colony Collapse Revisited Synthetic Pesticides First published in ABJ May 2013 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Synthetic Pesticides Preadaptation Interactions Between Synthetic and Natural Toxins Toxicological Eras in Honey Bee Evolution The “Varroa Era” Conclusion Addendum: The Beekeepers’ Responsibility Acknowledgements References Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com OK, I hope that since explaining that bees have […]
Read MoreSick Bees Part 18f4: Colony Collapse Revisited Environmental Toxins First published in ABJ April 2013 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com New Chemicals in the Environment Fear of Chemicals – It Ain’t Just Pesticides Irrational Fear of “Chemicals” Manmade Chemicals General Environmental Pollutants Natural Elements Those Danged Bees! Poor Colony Survival Reality Check Acknowledgements References and Notes Randy […]
Read MoreSick Bees Part 18f3: Colony Collapse Revisited Keeping A Leaky Boat Afloat First published in ABJ March 2013 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com the leaky boat analogy. 1 Why would bees collect toxic pollen?. 2 Almond pollen. 4 colony-to-colony variation. 5 bee genetics or gut endosymbionts?. 5 summary (so far). 6 Acknowledgements References The Leaky […]
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