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.
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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Organic beekeeping can support healthy and productive honey bee colonies, and a new study led by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found that adopting organic honey bee colony management is ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 18, 2025
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There's more than one way to build a honeybee hive, depending on the needs of the bees, according to a study published August 26 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Golnar Gharooni-Fard of the University of Colorado ...
Ecology
Aug 26, 2025
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A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, University of Greenwich, and the Technical University of Denmark could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 20, 2025
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EPFL researchers are developing robotic beehive frames that help locate honey stores inside of beehives over time, without relying on cameras. The aim is to develop new observation tools to study honeybee behavior that better ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 28, 2025
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Sweat covers Isaac Barnes's face under his beekeeper's veil as he hauls boxes of honeycomb from his hives to his truck. It's a workout in what feels like a sauna as the late-morning June temperatures rise.
Plants & Animals
Jul 21, 2025
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Tiny but mighty, honey bees play a crucial role in our ecosystems, pollinating various plants and crops. They also support the economy. These small producers contribute billions of dollars to Canada's agriculture industry, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2025
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Lifting up the hood of a Beewise hive feels more like you're getting ready to examine the engine of a car than visit with a few thousand pollinators.
Ecology
Jun 30, 2025
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Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are helping to protect honey bee populations while developing new strategies for managing fire ant populations. Honey bees are a vital part of pollinating our crops, while fire ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2025
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