Stories we follow about honey bees, hive health, and the honey trade — curated from public sources such as American Bee Journal, Bee Culture, USDA, Auburn, and Texas A&M AgriLife.
Beekeepers have seen unexplained colony losses after renting hives to blueberry farms. A WSU study found colonies given a powdered mineral-and-sugar feed at the hive entrance grew noticeably larger than unfed colonies, and the team hopes to run a bigger trial in 2027.
Sampling 24 colonies, University of Sydney researchers found honey, propolis, wax and stored pollen are arranged in layers that work like an immune system — strongest at the hive entrance, protecting brood at the center — and that those defences depend on diverse, healthy forage around the hive.
Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association columnist Mark Gingrich rounds up fall: a strong El Niño pointing to a mild autumn, USDA counts showing more colonies on Jan. 1 even as keepers lost about 40% over the year, and why the last weeks for feeding and mite control matter.
Researchers from Lund and Oulu argue each queen and her colony act as one superorganism — a view that reframes Varroa resilience and raises questions about routine requeening and swarm prevention in modern beekeeping.
Texas beekeeper Tara Chapman covers winter prep for humid subtropical/southern climates — milder cold, intermittent foraging days, and why Central Texas winters still need deliberate stores, feeding, and management.
UCR researchers used machine learning to screen tens of millions of compounds and found seven that safely repel foraging honey bees in field tests — a step toward keeping bees off pesticide-treated crops without harming them.
Texas beekeeper Tara Chapman explains why raw honey crystallizes (supersaturated sugars seeking equilibrium) and why educating customers about natural granulation beats fighting for perpetual liquid jars.
National survey (Auburn / OSU / Apiary Inspectors) puts April 2025–April 2026 colony losses at 39.9% — down from two record years, but still high for backyard and commercial keepers.
Auburn-led U.S. Beekeeping Survey explains the 39.9% loss year, why backyard losses ran higher than commercial, and where parasites and forage still squeeze operations.
Bee Culture roundup of recent research — including USDA-ARS work on “hangry” bees when pollen is scarce, and how nutrition can shape colony defensiveness.
Texas A&M AgriLife’s USDA-funded SWARM project looks at queen and drone reproductive health — with outreach planned for Texas beekeepers.
Regional crop and market notes: winter outcomes, spring buildup, local retail demand for honey, and pressure from cheap imports on wholesale prices.
USDA figures show Texas commercial honey down sharply in 2025, while many small-scale Texas keepers reported steadier yields after timely rains and wildflower blooms.
Coverage of the USDA honey report: production and yield down in 2025, prices up, while fuel, labor, drought, and imports keep pressure on beekeepers.
ARS Bee Research Lab links recent commercial collapses to high levels of deformed wing and acute bee paralysis viruses spread by amitraz-resistant Varroa mites.
These links go to the original publishers. We may refresh this list about weekly as new reputable coverage appears. Wild Bloom Honey does not edit or host the full articles.
