Really American Bee Journal?????????????????????

[RABray]

So I received my February 2013 American Bee Journal in the mail this weekend and noticed I am up for renewal. I thought, I would read through this copy and make my decision whether to renew or not once it is read. As I was reading my way through I noticed the following article: “Bayer Bee Care Center Helps Solve Bee Health’s Toughest Challenges” on page 118. I was a bit taken aback by this and thought….now, now …read through the article and I might find there is no need to be so cynical.

Having finished reading very carefully I am totally dumb struck! Here is a renowned Bee Keeping Supply and Magazine company, steeped in a history of advocacy of bee keeping, printing an extremely pro Bayer article about all the remarkable wonderful things Bayer is doing for the betterment of our bees as well as our earth with their LEEDS campus.

Did I not read recently about a Bayer company launching many products with chemicals which are clearly lethal to honey bees yet they stated honey bees were not affected by their chemicals at all and our own government being mixed up in this mess passing along similar lies. Then an independent testing lab proved the original testing by Bayer was faulty and skewed to attain the results they were looking for. Soon after all this I heard Bayer purchased the lab and lo and behold no more information on the subject was forth coming. Now this wonderful project by Bayer…Is this just a Puritan soul cleansing event where Bayer funds a token project and everyone forgets the devastation they have created in their years and simply remembers this event and thinks “what a wonderful company”

Well; I remember! Good luck Bayer and American Bee Journal. I will make sure my money goes in a more appropriate direction….

[urbanoutlaw]

Allow me to put in my $0.02

I used to work for a scientific journal...we worked on various issues up to a year ahead of time. We actually had to decide on issue topics several years in advance due to the publication schedule. I don't know what kind of publication schedule ABJ has, but perhaps they had this article in the pipeline before the recent article.

At least I hope this is what happened. Bayer's recent statement seemed like a bit of doubletalk/intentionally convoluted language...shady at best and beyond disgusting at worst. I'd be upset too if I was a subscriber.

[PAHunter62]

I know this link was recently posted in another thread, but it is definitely worth watching when you have 30 minutes to spare ...

http://www.linktv.org/video/8123/kil...ry-responsible

It all comes down to money and greed. So, is Bayer helping, or hurting the honey bee?

[wdcrkapry205]

I know this link was recently posted in another thread, but it is definitely worth watching when you have 30 minutes to spare ...

http://www.linktv.org/video/8123/kil...ry-responsible

It all comes down to money and greed. So, is Bayer helping, or hurting the honey bee?

I'm mainly concerned whether or not they are hurting Varroa, and if there wasn't any money in it for them they wouldn't be doing it.

[Roland]

Would you rather be kept ignorant of what Bayer is doing? Was it not written somewhere to "keep your friends closer, and your enemies closer"?


Crazy Roland

[wdcrkapry205]

No Roland, your right; I'm all for information. I guess the tone to me just sounded like one of those evil capitalist conspiricy theories.
I'm just glad to know I may be able to legally use (if I choose to) a product that I know kills the heck out of mites, doesn't interupt brood production and doesn't appreciably build up in the comb. Oh, and also does this in one application; according to them.
I hope this doesn't turn into a "treat" or "not treat" deal, or about the pros and cons of Amitraz. Most people know all about that and have already made up their minds, I'm just glad to hopefully be able to ad this to the tool box.
OK Alabama Dept. of Ag., order the packet!

[779Hybrid410]

So why not breed a bee that produces a pheromone that mites do not like, example the smell of mite vomit?

[wdcrkapry205]

So why not breed a bee that produces a pheromone that mites do not like, example the smell of mite vomit?

Are you serious?
I'm only 55, but I'm not sure I'll live that long.

[Ramona]

Bayer alsó manufactures Check Mite and for many years has supported the bee journals by purchasing full page color ads for their product.

Ramona

[Markt]

So why not breed a bee that produces a pheromone that mites do not like, example the smell of mite vomit?

You do that and I'll take a thousand queens off your hands

[Marc]

I haven't read the article the OP mentioned, but when I saw the headline I thought it was in regards to ABJ's lack of relevant articles in general from my perspective. For the past two years or so I have been annoyed by the articles they featured in their magazine. I find most of them ok at best, not really that interesting, but in many cases slightly entertaining. Always fun to read about beekeeping in other countries, how they deal with varroa, breeding queens, etc. But why not focus on the major challenges we face day to day? Besides the article series by Dr. Mangum and Randy Oliver the really hands on articles, the nuts and bolts of beekeeping have largely been missing. In December I got so fed up I subscribed to Bee Culture magazine for two years to see if it is any better.

What I would really like to see are articles for example on beekeeping with nucs, how to overwinter hives succesfully, interview beekeepers small and large on what works for them, from different areas of the country. Have an article on what it means to be a professional beekeeper with thousands of hives, follow a migratory beekeeper for a year, that alone would make a couple articles in itself. What about interviews with pro and con on small cell beekeeping? I know it always fires up heated discussions on here, but why not feature different beekeepers from each side and report on how they do their beekeeping, maybe talk about why it works or doesn't work for them? Results they see, techniques they use, etc.

And when was the last article featuring hands on advice about raising queens on a small or large scale using different techniques? I know, much of their advertisement comes from nuc and package sellers and queen breeders. Speaking of, how about an interview with Glenn Apiaries and their decision to retire, plans with their lines of bees, etc? Where are we with research on breeding varroa resistant queen lines? Talk about the different treatment options that are now available, things like that. We are heading into spring soon, what about an article or two about different swarm prevention techniques? How about the status of Russian bees in the fight against varroa?

Well, I better step down from my soap box now, but I have been frustrated by the lack of really interesting articles for a while now. I keep asking myself, would a new beekeeper learn a lot fro reading ABJ? Sadly, for the past year plus I would answer that with a definitive no. I don't know if the other bee magazine will be much different, but I am willing to switch after 7 years and give them a try.

[Vance G]

I don't think you will find bee culture better. Most articles are about maiden Aunt Tess and her relating to her bees carefully cultured in specially organically woven habitats made out of dryer lint. Very little of actual value in learning beekeeping.

[libhart]

I don't think you will find bee culture better. Most articles are about maiden Aunt Tess and her relating to her bees carefully cultured in specially organically woven habitats made out of dryer lint. Very little of actual value in learning beekeeping.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[Charlie B]

What I would really like to see are articles for example on beekeeping with nucs, how to overwinter hives succesfully, interview beekeepers small and large on what works for them, from different areas of the country. Have an article on what it means to be a professional beekeeper with thousands of hives, follow a migratory beekeeper for a year, that alone would make a couple articles in itself. What about interviews with pro and con on small cell beekeeping? I know it always fires up heated discussions on here, but why not feature different beekeepers from each side and report on how they do their beekeeping, maybe talk about why it works or doesn't work for them? Results they see, techniques they use, etc.

And when was the last article featuring hands on advice about raising queens on a small or large scale using different techniques? I know, much of their advertisement comes from nuc and package sellers and queen breeders. Speaking of, how about an interview with Glenn Apiaries and their decision to retire, plans with their lines of bees, etc? Where are we with research on breeding varroa resistant queen lines? Talk about the different treatment options that are now available, things like that. We are heading into spring soon, what about an article or two about different swarm prevention techniques? How about the status of Russian bees in the fight against varroa?

Great story ideas. Are you listening ABJ?

[jim lyon]

I am going to be the lonely voice of dissension here. I have been subscribed to the ABJ for at least 30 years and it brightens my day when I get it out of the mailbox. Sure I find articles all the time that I either dont find interesting or that I dont agree with but I spend at least an hour reading it and always feel it is time well spent. Come on folks I would pay the $2.00 just for the great pictures they put in there not to mention all the regular features from the honey market to Larry Connor to Wyatt Mangum to Jerry Hayes....yes Jerry Hayes and they almost always feature a story about a unique beekeeping operation somewhere around the world. So what does everyone plan on spending their $2.00 savings on each month?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAD-Magazine...item1e7212d653
Wait a minute I'm taking back everything I just said.

[Keith Jarrett]

So what does everyone plan on spending their $2.00 savings on each month?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAD-Magazine...item1e7212d653
Wait a minute I'm taking back everything I just said.

And here me thinks of Jimmy stuck in a SD snow bank.... Comic Magazine wasn't the first magazine to come to mind.

[tommyt]

Bayer
They are fighting again
Hypocrites
IMHO
http://www.avaaz.org/en/hours_to_save_the_bees/?cfsyhab

[Roland]

Marc, you have some good ideas, but since much of the knowledge of commercial people is proprietary, and their livelihood depends on them keeping it that way, don't expect to have them "spill the beans". It would be less than intelligent to do so, so anyone that does spill the beans might not have the most intelligent ideas.

I find Randy Oliver's writings amusing, the Honey market reports valuable, and Jerry Hayes publishing a private e-mail of mine curious.

Crazy Roland

[j.kuder]

maybe bayer bought abj? be afraid be very afraid

[Ian]

cynical is right,

any of you going to be in line if or when they develop a progressive treatment option for your hives?
benefits from R and D come from organizations who direct attention towards R and D