Apiculture is the human-managed practice of maintaining honey bee (primarily Apis mellifera) colonies for the purposes of pollination services, hive products, and research. It encompasses the design and operation of artificial nesting systems (hives), colony reproduction management (e.g., swarming control, queen rearing, and genetic selection), nutritional supplementation, and health management targeting parasites, pathogens, and environmental stressors. As a human activity, apiculture interfaces with agricultural systems, landscape management, and biosecurity regulation, and provides an experimental framework for studying social insect biology, ecotoxicology, and the impacts of climate and land-use change on pollinator populations.
Researchers from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of California, Davis, are helping beekeepers protect their colonies from destructive varroa mites. In a new study, the researchers investigate ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 19, 2026
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Late last year, the New South Wales government announced an additional A$9.5 million in funding to support honeybee keepers in the wake of the 2022 arrival and subsequent spread of the Varroa mite.
Plants & Animals
Jan 15, 2026
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Bees, and other pollinator species, are dying. Between pesticides, the climate crisis, and habitat loss, bee colonies are becoming weaker, leaving them more vulnerable to parasites like the greater and lesser wax moths. Vulnerable ...
Ecology
Dec 4, 2025
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A monitoring system devised by the University of Cordoba ascertains the flowering stages of each hive, with high precision, exploiting data on bees' behavior.
Biotechnology
Dec 2, 2025
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When the results of Canada's national honey bee colony loss survey were published in July 2025, they came as no surprise. According to the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists, an estimated 36% of Canada's 830,000 ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 24, 2025
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It sounds like the plot of a medieval historical drama: A once-powerful monarch, weakened by illness, is overthrown by her previously loyal subjects. But in honey bee colonies, such high-stakes coups aren't just fantasy—they're ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 27, 2025
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Late summer in Lower Franconia: There are hardly any flowering plants left, and food for honey bees is becoming scarce. Researchers at the Biocenter have investigated how bees cope with this situation.
Plants & Animals
Oct 21, 2025
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119
You might think honeybees are thriving—after all, the honey industry is growing and its bees are well looked after by beekeepers. But not all honeybees live in hives. Across Europe, colonies still live in the wild, nesting ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 13, 2025
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New research from the University of Waikato shows how nectar supply varies with changes to climate, offering sweet insights for industry and conservation alike.
Plants & Animals
Oct 3, 2025
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A honeybee hive, with its large stores of pollen, wax, and honey, is like a fortress guarding treasure: with strong defenses, but a bonanza for enemies that can overcome those. More than 30 parasites of honeybees are known, ...
Ecology
Sep 30, 2025
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