Posts Tagged: queen bees

Zeroing in on Honey Bee Decline

Honey bee guru Eric Mussen talks a lot about the declining honey bee population. After all, he's served as the Extension apiculturist with the UC Davis Department of Entomology since 1976. Over the last several weeks, however, he's been fielding scores...

Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen answers questions from a Woodland crowd. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen answers questions from a Woodland crowd. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Queen bee and her retinue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Queen bee and her retinue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Peanuts, Popcorn, Cracker Jacks? No, Queen Bee Cells

With the opening of baseball season, it's "peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jacks!" But to beekeepers, it's peanuts. Or rather, peanut-like shells. Immature queen bees grow to maturity in cells that resemble peanut shells.  When UC Davis bee...

ROWS OF QUEEN BEE CELLS are framed against the blue sky. This photo was taken at the apiary of C. F. Koehnen & Sons, Inc., Glenn, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

ROWS OF QUEEN BEE CELLS are framed against the blue sky. This photo was taken at the apiary of C. F. Koehnen & Sons, Inc., Glenn, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

BUSY WORKER BEES are cleaning out the queen bee cells, once occupied by growing queen bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

BUSY WORKER BEES are cleaning out the queen bee cells, once occupied by growing queen bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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