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BEES for the world is a group of experts and entrepreneurs, building up sustainable value chains for bee products from the hive to the consumer market. At BEES for the world we have assembled a team with special knowledge in ecological beekeeping, bee health, bee races, biodiversity, ecosystem services, quality management, teacher education, social and health inequalities, business models, business administration and sustainable value chains. Together we want to be part of solving sustainability issues of deforestation, poverty, as well as bee and insect reduction. To reach this aim we work hand in hand with our partners worldwide with a focus on African countries. Our Vision. We design sustainable supply chains for high quality organic-certified bee products all over the world. The challenges we face. Bees: Local bee population drops because of night harvesting methods, as well as loss of forested ecosystems. Forest: Poverty-stricken communities are clearing forests to create additional farmland. Product: Raw beeswax from forest beekeeping is the best in the world. Mismanaged processing of bee products and missing quality control systems lead to low quality and low income. Community: Missing jobs and low income lead to poverty-stricken communities and the need of additional farmland. Our solution: Do it in the African way. Biodiversity: Work with local bee races in daylight beekeeping, which is advantageous for bee health, colony growth and has positive effects on local plant life and ecosystems. Education: Invest in communities through trainings in daylight beekeeping, processing of bee products, quality management and product presentation. Support young and socially disadvantaged groups. Empowerment: Create jobs on the rural countryside. Use only cost friendly and local available materials. Create income sources for local communities through additional harvests and production of high quality organic-certified beeswax. Sustainability: Work in non-contaminated rural environments. Protect local ecosystems by fostering environmentally friendly production techniques. Make forest areas economical valuable for locals.

With Environment America, you protect the places that all of us love and promote core environmental values, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and clean energy to power our lives. We’re a national network of 30 state environmental groups with members and supporters in every state. Together, we focus on timely, targeted action that wins tangible improvements in the quality of our environment and our lives. Every day, we see more heartbreaking evidence of the damage being done to our planet: climate change, plastic pollution, wildlife disappearing forever. But we also see the solutions all around us, practically begging us to adopt them: solar and wind power, electric cars and buses, more walkable and “bikeable” cities, reusing and repairing stuff instead of throwing it away, and on and on. Environment America’s mission is to transform the power of our imaginations and our ideas into change that makes our world a greener and healthier place for all. Our parks, forests, mountains, oceans and the wildlife that depend on them help define our country and who we are as a people. They need our protection, especially as bees and other pollinators die off in unsustainable numbers, public lands and waters are opened up to drilling and mining, and plastic pollution in our ocean puts wildlife at risk. Through research reports, news conferences, interviews with reporters, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor and more, we educate the public about what’s at stake and what can be done. Our canvassers and organizers meet people where they are—in public places, door to door or online—raising awareness, recruiting new supporters and activists, and securing funds to support our work. At Environment America we make the case for our environment and help people like you make an impact—through petitions, emails, letters, phone calls and more, all delivered to the right people, just when it matters most. Our staff work together for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. We stand up for the environment. You make it all possible. Bees are dying off at an unsustainable rate, with serious consequences for our natural world. They play a vital role as pollinators, and losing them would have a devastating ripple effect across all ecosystems. That’s why we’re working to expand bee habitats and stop the use of bee-killing pesticides. In recent years, beekeepers report they’re losing on average 29 percent — and sometimes nearly 40 percent — of all honeybee colonies each winter. It’s twice the loss considered economically tolerable. And, just as worrisome, wild bee populations are also in decline. There are more than 20,000 species of bees, and they are nature’s best pollinators. Ninety percent of wild flowering plants need animal pollinators. Without them, flowering plants will sharply decline, with dangerous consequences for all ecosystems. Scientists point to several causes for bee die-offs, including bee-killing pesticides, the loss of good habitat, disease and our changing climate. While we’re working to address each of these problems, the three things we can do right now to save the bees are to plant more pollinator-friendly plants; stop the use of bee-killing pesticides in parks, wildlife refuges and other places bees should be safe; and promote sustainable, less pesticide-reliant agricultural practices. 1. Reducing the sale and use of pesticides: Major retailers such as Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware and many others have made commitments to move the market away from selling bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, aka neonics. We’re calling on the online giant Amazon to do the same. 2. Protecting safe havens for bees: There are some places where bees should be safe. Parks, wildlife refuges, national parks and more should be free of bee-killing pesticides. Further, bee-killing pesticides have no place in our urban landscapes and backyards, as our urban environs have increasingly become important for bees. Already, Connecticut, Maryland and Vermont have banned the sale of bee-killing pesticides to consumers. America should do the same. 3. Planting pollinator-friendly plants: The great thing about habitat is that small spaces can do wonders. Parks, roadsides and government lawns are all perfect for wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants. We’re calling on cities, counties, states and the federal government to commit to planting wildflowers and other plants that benefit bees. We helped convince Congress to call upon the military to manage its 11 million acres of land to better protect habitat for pollinators. The Environment America approach is that each of our campaigns aims to move us toward a cleaner, greener America in a particular way. But they share a common approach. Each campaign strives to: Put the environment first. A clean environment is not a by-product of American prosperity. Rather, a clean environment is the necessary precondition for true prosperity. Through our research and public education, we’re working to shift more hearts and minds over to this point of view. Take a strategic approach. We must think big and act boldly, but progress comes one step at a time. We don’t make broad statements; instead, we work to protect the American landscape and make a difference in American lives by building support for specific shifts in public policy. Build on what works. We’ve won policies that have resulted in landmark growth in solar and wind power as well as cleaner air, have reduced global warming pollution in 25 states, and made cuts in single-use plastics. We know which policies work, how they can be improved and what it takes to win their approval. And we’re open to new ideas that could work even better. Work together. We endeavor to unite people from all across the political spectrum, whether they are farmers in Iowa who benefit from wind turbines on their land, or urban Californians who want to store and share the solar energy generated on their rooftops, or restaurant owners who are finding alternatives to foam containers and straws to reduce single-use plastics. Our advocates in Washington, D.C., work with members of Congress from both parties. Our advocates in the states build coalitions that include business owners, doctors and nurses, religious leaders and community activists. Our organizers and canvassers engage hundreds of thousands of our members and activists in all 50 states.

Amanda, bee conservationist and enthusiast has been studying bees since 2008, an interest fostered informally in childhood. She began building Buzz about Bees in August 2010. Deciding to create it because of her concern about bees, and because she believed that people can make a difference and help reverse threats and declines by planting lots of flowers in their gardens. She also loved sharing her enthusiasm for bees, and wanted to inspire others. She began raising awareness of the plight of bees in 2008, and was extremely active on Twitter from 2009, sharing links to information and organizing letter writing campaigns. Back then, there was little awareness of the problems facing bees, and about issues such as habitat loss and the impact of insecticides. There was also very little information available on-line at that time. She was one of a very small group of trail-blazing independent campaigners. The group included a few beekeepers across the world (Phil Chandler, Tom Theobald, Graham White), a retired Consultant Anaesthetist and a Dutch toxicologist. A number of supporters assisted in helping to build momentum, and almost all of them were beekeepers. It is hard to imagine now, but a number of us had to withstand significant on-line abuse, and a general disregard from decision makers. It took time to generate the momentum behind the campaign. At last, major charities came on board from 2012 onwards after the EFSA inquiry into the regulatory position and evidence around the threat of neonicotinoid insecticides to bees, and they have since helped to spread the message. Amanda writes a lot about tips to help bees, gardening for bees, and enjoy raising awareness of some less well-known solitary species. She also uses her website to help change the perception of insects such as wasps, which are mostly very valuable helpers in the garden. She particularly offers advice concerning nests, and other general queries about how people can help pollinators. Aside from doing what she could by including flowers for bees in her garden, she found that one of the most effective ways in which a difference has been created is via written letters (usually to politicians) – Many initiated by her website using social media. She also writes short, informal features for local magazines, and along with some of her independent campaigning colleagues, fed a number of important stories and items of research with the mainstream newspapers. Some of which was the result of time-consuming, background investigation work. Amanda began working with children too, every once in a while, planting pots of wild flowers and making simple bee houses, and giving talks locally to increase education and awareness around bees. Her site contains information about bumblebees, honey bees and solitary bees specifically, including information about life cycles, gardening for bees, conservation issues, as well as various articles and snippets of general 'bee information' which will help to answer many questions.

Environment Arizona’s mission is to transform the power of imaginations and ideas into change, that makes our world a greener and healthier place for all. They focus on timely, targeted action that wins tangible improvements in the quality of our environment and our lives. In a greener, healthier world, all of us would treat our air and water as the precious life-giving resources they are, not as dumping grounds for our waste. Environment Arizona takes concrete steps to move us closer to the world we want to live in, from holding illegal water and air polluters accountable to networking local citizens who serve as champions of the local waters they love. Funded by supporters, they research the challenges confronting our environment and advocate for solutions. Through research reports, news conferences, interviews with reporters, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor and more, they educate the public about what’s at stake and what can be done. Their canvassers and organizers meet people where they are—in public places, door to door or online—raising awareness, recruiting new supporters and activists, and securing funds to support their work. They make the case for our environment and help people like us make an impact—through petitions, emails, letters, phone calls and more, all delivered to the right people, just when it matters most. Each of their campaigns aim to move toward a cleaner, greener Arizona in a particular way. But they share a common approach. Each campaign strives to put the environment first. A clean environment is not a by-product of American prosperity. Rather, a clean environment is the necessary precondition for true prosperity. Through their research and public education, they are working to shift more hearts and minds over to this point of view. They adopt a strategic approach. Though thinking big and acting boldly, progress comes one step at a time. They shy away from making broad statements; instead, they work to protect the treasured landscape and make a difference in the lives of people in Arizona by building support for specific shifts in public policy. They build on what works. They have won policies that have resulted in landmark growth in solar and wind power as well as cleaner air, together with their national network they have reduced global warming pollution in 25 states, and have made cuts in single-use plastics. They are aware of which policies work, how they can be improved and what it takes to win their approval. Always open to new ideas that could work even better. Working together, they endeavour to unite people from all across the political spectrum, whether they are farmers who benefit from wind turbines on their land, home-owners who want to store and share the solar energy generated on their rooftops or restaurant owners who are finding alternatives to foam containers and straws to reduce single-use plastics. Their advocates in Washington, D.C., work with members of Congress from both parties. Their advocates in Arizona and partners in other states build coalitions that include business owners, doctors and nurses, religious leaders and community activists. Together, their organizers and canvassers engage hundreds of thousands of members and activists in all 50 states. Environment Arizona staff join a national team of more than 170 researchers, advocates, attorneys and communications experts to work together for more action and results. Environment Arizona, along with Environment America and its 29 state affiliates, are part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.

In 1873 the Carniolan Association for Prudent Beekeeping was established in Ljubljana, which represents the beginning of the organisation of the Slovenian beekeepers. Since 1898, they have been publishing the technical magazine Slovenian Beekeeper (Slovenski čebelar). Today, the beekeeping organisation is known as the Slovenian Beekeeper’s Association. It includes 207 beekeeping societies and 14 regional beekeeping associations, with a total of about 7,500 beekeepers. Its main tasks include the education and training of beekeepers in the framework of lifelong learning, publishing the Slovenian Beekeeper monthly and various technical books, the preparation of exhibitions, discussions and symposiums, the organisation of school clubs, beekeeping camps and workshops, raising the public awareness about the importance of bees in the preservation of the environment, the promotion of bee products in healthy nutrition and the list goes on and on. Slovenian Beekeeper’s Association (SBA) is also registered as a Research institution. Within the institution operate four different researchers and three technicians. The Unit participates in research projects, which are mainly from the field of providing safe bee products, protection of Carniolan bee and technologies of beekeeping. Within the institution operates a laboratory for analysis of bee products and, when needed, even a different number of bee colonies, which are intended for research. Since 2007 every third Friday in November, Slovenian beekeepers have been organising an educational-promotional campaign for kindergarten and primary school children entitled “Honey Breakfast”. On this day, children have Slovenian honey for breakfast (it is mostly donated by various beekeepers). The idea for the educational-promotional campaign stems from the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, which now presents an initiative to establish the “European Honey Breakfast”. TheBreakfast in Slovenia has been supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Honey Breakfast is based on a collaboration of beekeepers and teachers and is co-ordinated by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and Public Advisory Service on Beekeeping. Every year, beekeepers societies from local areas collect honey and most of it is donated to kindergartens and schools. Also, an educational publication is published and distributed among children. Besides beekeepers who are in charge of presentations and children’s workshops, mayors, various officials, athletes and many other prominent figures are present at the Breakfast too. It is supported by the media as well; they publish numerous articles and thus raise the awareness of the public on the importance of beekeeping.

Environment California’s mission is to transform the power of our imaginations and our ideas into change that makes our world a greener and healthier place for all. Funded by supporters like you, they research the challenges confronting our environment and advocate for solutions. Through research reports, news conferences, interviews with reporters, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor and more, they educate the public about what’s at stake and what can be done. Their canvassers and organizers meet people where they are—in public places, door to door or online—raising awareness, recruiting new supporters and activists, and securing funds to support their work. They make the case for our environment and help people like you make an impact—through petitions, emails, letters, phone calls and more, all delivered to the right people, just when it matters most. Environment California approaches are to move us toward a cleaner, greener California in a particular way. But they share a common approach. Each campaign strives to: Put the environment first. A clean environment is not a by-product of American prosperity. Rather, a clean environment is the necessary precondition for true prosperity. Through our research and public education, they’re working to shift more hearts and minds over to this point of view. Take a strategic approach. They must think big and act boldly, but progress comes one step at a time. They don’t make broad statements; instead, they work to protect our treasured landscape and make a difference in the lives of people here in California by building support for specific shifts in public policy. Build on what works. They’ve won policies that have resulted in landmark growth in solar and wind power as well as cleaner air, together with our national network they have reduced global warming pollution in 25 states including California, and they have made cuts in single-use plastics. They know which policies work, how they can be improved, and what it takes to win their approval. And they’re open to new ideas that could work even better. Work together. They endeavor to unite people from all across the political spectrum, whether they are farmers who benefit from wind turbines on their land, homeowners who want to store and share the solar energy generated on their rooftops or restaurant owners who are finding alternatives to foam containers and straws to reduce single-use plastics. The goal of “Save the Bees” program is to plant more pollinator-friendly plants, thus protecting safe havens for bees and reducing our reliance on pesticides.

The Bee Health Collective is a collaboration of stakeholder organizations to gather and share current, credible information about honey bee health. Founded by Project Apis m. and the National Honey Board in 2019, the Bee Health Collective is a repository of information about bee health in the USA. The mission of this project is to gather and provide a ‘one-stop shop’ resource of accessible, credible information about honey bee health, honey bee research, the bee-keeping industry, and how these relate to important things like agriculture, resource management and food. Humans rely on honey bees for the production of many crops. Along with providing important pollination services, honey bees produce about 150 million pounds of honey in the USA each year along with other hive products like beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and pollen. Humans have been keeping bees for thousands of years. Over time, methods have evolved and even today beekeeping practices differ around the world. In the United States, it is important to understand that most beekeepers are backyard beekeepers, each having only a few colonies for personal use. Most colonies in the U.S. belong to a much smaller number of commercial beekeepers. Unfortunately, all bees are facing serious health threats. This is driving high annual honey bee colony losses, making it increasingly difficult for beekeepers to provide pollination for crops and run sustainable businesses. In 2006, Colony Collapse Disorder devastated many beekeepers and honey bee colonies across the US. Colony Collapse Disorder is a syndrome characterized by some very specific symptoms: the majority of worker bees in a hive disappear and leave behind a laying queen, plenty of food and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees and the queen. It's as if a booming metropolis suddenly emptied its working population. As a result, the hive dies. Scientists still don’t know for sure what causes Colony Collapse Disorder, and it is infrequently seen today. Even though CCD is not at the forefront of honey bee health concerns today, we continue to see high annual losses related to this. There are many organizations dedicated to helping honey bees and pollinators. From research to habitat to education and policy - however you want to help, there is an organization that can utilize your donation. Project Apis m. is a founder of the Bee Health Collective and supports honey bee research and habitat projects.

Crown Bees are people with a passion for bees and pollination who care about environmentally conscious products and practices. In 1994, Dave Hunter, the Founder of Crown Bees, and his wife noticed that their neighbours’ apple trees had way more apples than the ones growing in their own yard. Dave, being a "why" person, needed to know more. After talking with their neighbour, he learned the secret of his success were mason bees. The following year, he experimented with a backyard bee garden of his own and watched their apple trees flourish! Years later, his passion took over, and he decided that he had to find a way to help these amazing pollinators thrive. So, he converted their garage into a work space and in 2008 Crown Bees was born. Over the years, they’ve outgrown the garage. And, while we're still a small company, they’ve had a big impact. Through collaborations with researchers, peers, and community groups, they have set the standard for best practices in solitary bee raising and have helped thousands of people across the United States and Canada grow fresh, healthy food. That desire to know "why" still drives Crown Bees. It's what keeps them informed on current challenges facing bee populations and brings them together to find sustainable solutions. Crown Bees helps create vibrant communities of bee raisers by providing healthy hole-nesting bees and bee raising supplies, along with quality support and educational programs to farmers and backyard gardeners. Crown Bees places huge emphasis on putting Bee's Health First Their criteria for safe and healthy bee’s rests on meticulous harvesting techniques to remove pests and pollutants, educating their bee raisers on research-based best practices, bee-safe products, and sorting their cocoons by ecoregions to give the bees a better chance of survival when they emerge in the spring. They are continuously updating their business practices to be more environmentally responsible and look to nature first for inspiration. They are committed to being transparent about their sustainability goals and progress towards their targets. They work and partner with beekeepers, landowners, researchers, K-12 schools, universities, non-profits, and government agencies to stay informed on the current challenges facing bee populations and to bring together the best practices for solving those challenges They sell mason bees for spring pollination and leafcutter bees for summer pollination. Their processes and product designs are driven by research and community partnerships to ensure they are bee-safe and sustainability-focused. Solitary bees, while they don't make honey, are expert pollinators! These gentle bees are known to improve pollination efficiency and increase fruit set (the process in which a flower becomes a fruit) by twice that facilitated by honey bees! Their goal is to help people help bees. Through educational and community programs, school resources, an evidence-based online knowledge base, newsletters and blogs, and their self-service support centre, they aim to help people address food insecurity, sustainability, and solitary bee conservation.

Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment! Pesticide Action Network (PAN) was founded in 1982 and is a network of over 600 non-governmental organisations, institutions and individuals in over 60 countries worldwide working to minimise the negative effects of hazardous pesticides and to replace their use with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. Its projects and campaigns are coordinated by five autonomous Regional Centres. PAN Europe is the regional centre in Europe. It was founded in 1987 and brings together 38 consumer, public health, and environmental organisations, trades unions, women's groups and farmer associations from across Europe. They work to eliminate dependency on chemical pesticides and to support safe sustainable pest control methods. PAN Europe is committed to bringing about a substantial reduction in pesticide use throughout Europe. Pesticide (including biocides) reduction is a prerequisite for improvements of public and workers' health, protection of the environment, and its strict implementation is in line with the precautionary principle. PAN Europe's vision is of a world in which high agricultural productivity is achieved by truly sustainable agricultural production systems in which agrochemical inputs and environmental damage are minimised, and where local people control local production using local varieties. PAN Europe's vision is of a world in which agricultural productivity is achieved by truly sustainable agricultural production systems in which agrochemical inputs and environmental damage are minimised, and where local people control local production using local varieties. PAN Europe strives to eliminate hazardous pesticides in Europe, reduce dependency on pesticides, and promote ecologically sound alternatives to chemical pest control. In order to achieve this vision, PAN Europe carries out advocacy, policy analysis, networking and campaigning activities on pesticides. It serves as the focal point for NGO advocacy and public participation in EU pesticide policy and work closely with representatives of the European Parliament, the Commission, and the Council to engage key decision-makers in reducing the use of hazardous pesticides. Our initiatives also include working with farmers, scientists, academics, retailers and trades unions. Because developments in agriculture, human health and the environment are often complex, the availability of up-to-date scientific information is paramount. To meet this demand, PAN Europe commission's regular reports focussing on key aspects of the debate. These are essential in informing a diversity of external stakeholders on change. The more people know about hazardous pesticides, the more people understand the need for action. That's why PAN Europe works to engage a wider audience on the presence of hazardous pesticides in our food, water systems, soil and air. PAN Europe prepares and disseminates regular information briefings on specific policy topics and issues press releases on a wide range of pesticide related issues. PAN Europe regularly provides informed comments to journalists writing on pesticides issues. PAN Europe – Save the Bees and Farmers - They are coming together from across the whole European Union to call for a bee-friendly agriculture to the benefit of farmers, health and the environment! With the European Citizens’ Initiative, they call on the European Commission to support an agricultural model that allows farmers and biodiversity to thrive in harmony. To protect bees and people’s health, they call on the Commission to propose legal acts to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity, and to support farmers in the transition. Main objectives include phasing out synthetic pesticides in EU agriculture by 80% by 2030, starting with the most hazardous, to become free of synthetic pesticides; restore natural ecosystems in agricultural areas so that farming becomes a vector of biodiversity recovery; reforming agriculture by prioritising small scale, diverse and sustainable farming, supporting a rapid increase in agro-ecological and organic practice, and enabling independent farmer-based training and research into pesticide-and GMO-free farming.

Master Bee-keeper Charlotte Anderson has been active in the bee-keeping community for more than 13 years. One of her favourite passions is helping people learn more about honey bees and creative ways to use beehive products. Charlotte believes that honey bees are very important to our way of life. When you help honey bees, you help all pollinators. Her quest is to promote a better understanding of bees. Beekeeping is an activity enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. Beginning beekeepers often feel overwhelmed with the massive amount of new terminology. The bee-keeper must understand the importance of various bee-keeping tasks. Knowing how to feed bees, where to place a hive and how to perform hive inspections are all vital skills. Even the experienced bee-keeper must control hive pests, such as varroa mites, to keep the bees healthy and productive. Those who invest time and effort into the practice of bee-keeping may reap a golden honey harvest. In addition, knowing that they work with one of the most fascinating insects in the world. Among the thousands of species of bees in the world, only 1 is used to produce food for humans. Honey bees are appreciated for the sweet honey that bees produce from plant nectar. Also, bees collect pollen and add billions of dollars to modern agriculture efforts. The Queen honey Bee is the most important member of the colony, but she does not work alone. Beekeepers who understand the dynamics of the hive are more likely to be successful. And all bee lovers enjoy learning more about this fascinating insect. Beeswax is produced by bees in the genus Apis – honey bees. Worker bees make beeswax from special wax glands on the underside of their abdomen. This wax forms the many combs inside hive. Beeswax, however, is not only used by bees! We humans have numerous ways to use beeswax in and around our homes. From making beeswax candles to creating healing beeswax balms for cracked heels, you are sure to find a beeswax recipe to try. Beeswax is a valuable product of the hive. It sells for more per pound than honey and provides another income stream for beekeepers. Beekeeping involves a fascinating journey into the world of the honey bee. It is much more than simply putting a family of bees into a box. To have healthy, productive hives, you must learn how to care for your bees. To help educate people about bees, Charlotte has published a step-by-step guide to becoming a successful bee-keeper, with over 500 tips for keeping bees, harvesting honey & crafting with beeswax! Buzz into Beekeeping gives you the exact beginner bee-keeper information that you need to start your bee-keeping experience in the right way.

For over 150 years, Dadant and Sons has produced and sold the best beekeeping supplies & equipment available to beekeepers throughout the world. Whether you’re an experienced beekeeper or a new hobbyist, we can provide you with the proper equipment and information you need to be a successful beekeeper. The Dadant family has been interested in beekeeping for over 180 years. The founder, Charles Dadant, was born in 1817 in Vaux-Sous-Aubigny, a small village in eastern France, the second of seven children born to a small village doctor. He became interested in bees as he helped a neighboring priest remove honey from straw skeps at the early age of 12. Disillusioned with the business possibilities in France, he decided to accept an invitation of an old friend Mr. Marlot, then of Basco, IL, to come grow Champagne grapes and raise bees. In 1863, at the age of 46, he emigrated from France to America and settled in Hamilton, Illinois. The growing of grapes here did not prove to be lucrative, so he abandoned them in favor of honey bees. By the end of the Civil War, Charles had nine colonies of honeybees, and traveled with his young son, C.P. Dadant across the Mississippi River to sell honey and beeswax in a neighboring town. His interest in making quality candles grew from his love and knowledge of beekeeping. Charles was once the largest producer of extracted honey in America as well as one of the first to import queen bees from Italy on a large scale as he was unhappy with the common black or German bees he found here. He began a series of experiments on the size of hives and wrote a great deal on the large hive that appeared in both American and European journals. In 1872, he was offered the editorship of The American Bee Journal, but refused because of his unfamiliarity with the English language. He learned to read the New York Tribune by digging at the words one at a time with a pocket dictionary so that he could then translate it back into French for his wife. Charles was a dreamer, a man with ideas and determination. He was the experimenter who became more widely known abroad than in his adopted country. With the recent addition of Gabe Dadant (6th generation) and Matt Ross (7th generation) to the company, the family tradition will continue well into the future. Both of these young men are learning the different aspects of running the business. The company continues to remain the largest manufacturer of beekeeping supplies and is still a believer that “it pays to furnish good goods.”

Backyard Beekeeping 101: The #1 Source For Apiculture Enthusiasts. The bees are back! Well, maybe not yet, but we can hope, can’t we? For years now the message has been constant, the bees need our help. The only problem is sometimes we can do more harm than good when we act without the right information. A lot of new beekeepers are doing exactly that. So how can aspiring beekeepers make sure that they are helping their bees? Arriving at Backyardbeekeeping101.com is a great first step. Annie, lifelong nature lover, beekeeper, and educator. Her goal for this site is to provide you with easy to read condensed information about bees and beekeeping. The two are separate entities because the bees can exist without beekeepers. Annie doesn’t just want to give you a how-to manual on apiculture. Instead, she wants you to draw on the years of experience that I have as a professional beekeeper and help you understand why you do what you do. Why is that important? Well, failure to understand why, may have caused the predicament that bees are going through right now. Had we taken the time to observe the diverse needs of the bees, perhaps the state of California wouldn’t need to import bees from other states when the almond trees are in bloom. Had we taken the time to understand the cycle of the varroa mite, perhaps we wouldn’t have created these pesticide resistant vectors. Couldn’t we have taken a little more time understanding the effect pesticides have on friendly insects? CCD wouldn’t automatically conjure up images of dead colonies. Instead, it would still stand for Census County Division or any one of over 100 different meanings of that same acronym. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom guys. Beekeeping isn’t just a feel-good activity. The products from the hive are extremely beneficial, some even help to pay the bills. It’s also known to be a great stress reliever because it helps you commune with nature. There’s so much for the beginner and a few nuggets for the experienced as well. Annie's goal is to answer your questions and keep you updated when new questions arise. I do have to warn you, bees can create an obsession in you. It’s almost an addiction once you get started. Everything you look at falls under two categories: Bee friendly or bee enemy. I think it’s a very healthy addiction and I hope it spreads. This isn’t just for beekeepers, it’s for bee enthusiasts. The world needs more bee friends than it does beekeepers. Bees exist in the wild and we have the same responsibility to them as we do to our whales and polar ice-caps. Every little bit helps. Bees have so many secrets that studying them is like reading a murder mystery. Even when disaster strikes, you’re transfixed and can’t help but turn the page and learn more.

National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that educates consumers about the benefits and uses of honey and honey products. Their research, marketing, and promotional programs are funded by an assessment of domestic and imported honey and are designed to increase awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the food service industry, and food manufacturers. To achieve their goals, they fund research projects designed to find new and improved uses for honey in foods and other products. They offer consumers honey information through recipes and photographs of honey-serving ideas that are provided to newspaper and magazine editors across the country. National Honey Board provide information for special honey and beekeeping stories that appear in newspapers, the internet, and on radio and television stations. They provide honey merchandising materials to honey industry producers-packers, retailers, the food service industry, and honey handlers. Also, they fund research projects to find ways to maintain the health of honey bee colonies and, they fund programs to educate chefs on the uses of honey. The National Honey Board began in the mid-1980s when a group of honey producers and other industry representatives got together to discuss a powerful new idea: What would happen if they pooled their resources to work to spread the word about honey? By working together, they theorized, the industry could advertise, conduct research, and promote honey in ways that were simply too costly and time-consuming without a cooperative effort. The original National Honey Board was authorized by an Act of Congress and established under the rules and regulations of a subsequent Federal Order. The Board began operation in early 1987. In April 2008, the first handlers and importers of honey and honey products voted to approve a new national honey packers and importers program. The vote was taken in a referendum conducted by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Operations of the previous Honey Board were picked up by this new program and the name National Honey Board was kept. The Board is authorized by the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 and was established under the rules and regulations of the Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order that was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2008. The Board's programs are administered under USDA supervision.

Bee Better Certified™ works to give bees a healthy place to live. Bee Better Certified™ partners with farmers and food companies to conserve bees and other pollinators in agricultural lands. Our work advances more resilient pollinator populations and sustainable crop production. The Bee Better Certified seal identifies and celebrates farmers and businesses that adopt farm management practices that support pollinators, and gives consumers confidence that their purchasing decisions benefit pollinators and the farmers working to protect them. The Xerces Society and Oregon Tilth joined forces to create and implement the Bee Better certification program. The Xerces Society provided the technical expertise and scientific foundation necessary to identify key factors that farmers can alter to benefit pollinators. With over 40 years of certification experience consulted on the development and implementation of the Bee Better Certified Standards, which allow farmers to get certified with ease. Without bees we wouldn’t have the abundance of apples, pumpkins, strawberries, blueberries, or almonds that we enjoy. Of the foods and beverages that we consume daily, over 30% rely on or benefit from a pollinator.1 Pollinators even help milk production: the alfalfa and clover cows graze is replenished by seed pollinated by bees. Pollinator populations rebound when they are provided with habitat13–16 and protected from other threats. To promote pollinators on farms, The Xerces Society developed a comprehensive set of Production Standards guided by the most recent science and rooted in over a decade of on-farm trials. Bee Better Certified farmers create flower-rich habitat, provide nesting locations, and create a safer environment for pollinators by protecting them from pesticide exposure and the spread of disease from commercially managed bumble bees. By buying Bee Better Certified products, you can help transform our farmland into a landscape that nourishes pollinator populations, providing vibrant habitats that help pollinators thrive while making agriculture more resilient.

The Magazine of American Beekeeping, is designed for Beginning, Sideline and Commercial Beekeepers who want the latest information on keeping bees. A small division of Root Candles, Bee Culture Magazine has been published by this company for nearly 140 years as a part of the now retired beekeeping supply business the company was once in. Now, they manufacture candles... and publish our magazine. Editor of Bee Culture magazine, Jerry Hayes, started out in life as a High School teacher. He hated it. He went into another business where he worked with a beekeeper. Back many years ago, Jerry knew about Honey Bees, but nobody actually knew a ‘Beekeeper’, did they? Jerry asked him questions, picked his brain, became more interested and fascinated and started reading everything he could get his hands on about Honey Bees. He turned into the consummate backyard beekeeper. He did all the fun and crazy things backyard beekeepers do and built and experimented with. He wondered if he could get into the Beekeeping world and support a young family. So, with the support of his family, he went back to school under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Tew, at The Ohio State University. “Top 10 Best thing I ever did,” Jerry said. Years later he looks back on his opportunities as a Research Technician at the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab, Dadant and Sons Regional Mgr., Dadant And Sons New Product Dev., and AR Mgr., Chief of the Apiary Section for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Monsanto Honey Bee Lead, VP. of Vita Bee health North America and now Editor of Bee Culture magazine with awe and amazement. Add to the above the Classroom Q&A Column of the American Bee Journal for almost 40 years, the ‘Classroom’ Book, Author or Co-Author on 23 research papers and a variety of Honey Bee related articles in a variety of publications. Plus, Past President of Apiary Inspectors of America, Heartland Apiculture Assoc., Colony Collapse Working Group, CAPS Science Advisor, PAm Science Advisor, AHPA Science Advisor and many Professional Presentations internationally and media opportunities. Emma Wadel is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a BFA in Visual Communication and Design and a minor in User Experience Design. All of that is fancy talk for graphic design. She has recently come onboard to help with all elements of design and a bit of customer service. So far, she’s taken over the website and all the content updates and is now the graphic designer behind the magazine. Even though her main job is design, with such a small team she’s doing a little bit of everything. If you have any questions or concerns about either the magazine or the website, she’s the person to contact! Jen Manis comes from a well-rounded background in the retail industry, having served many roles from customer service lead, to visual merchandising, to marketing. She earned her BA in psychology from Kent State University, and an AAS in graphic arts and photography from Stark State College. Her diverse background and interests make her well prepared for her many different roles she plays at Bee Culture Magazine, including customer service and advertising.

Two Queen Bees promoting Honeybees, while educating and building a network of urban beehives throughout the city of Detroit! Since 2010, Bees in the D founder, Brian Peterson-Roest, has been a hobbyist beekeeper and has come to realise that bees are one of the most amazing creatures on this Earth. He has stated that, we need to act now, for if we do not, they will be on the brink of extinction, having a devastating impact globally. He would like to see Detroit become a national leader in the conservation of pollinators and promotion of urban beekeeping. Bees in the D is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to create a cooperative effort between residents, schools, organizations, and businesses in the city of Detroit and Southeast Michigan to contribute to both the health of honey bee colonies and native pollinators, and the education of their importance to our environment. Bees in the D is creating a community wide effort to educate on the importance of pollinators and honeybees by engaging guests with hands-on beehive tours. They are revitalizing vacant lots in the Core City neighbourhood of Detroit by building the Michigan Pollinator Centre and Botanical Gardens. They placed their first 6 hives in 2016, and grew to over 200 hives in 2021! They maintain an apiary at Oakland University, University of Detroit, and MLK High School to educate about honeybees and their conservation. They have Installed 4 hives and an interactive live honeybee exhibit at the DNR Outdoor Adventure centre. They advise ordinances in favour of beekeeping within city and urban communities, they organize honey harvests to engage the public and educate about the process. Bees in the D uses state of the art Hive Tracks Software to compile data and reports for clients and data compiled for the betterment of beekeeping globally. They are working together to make Detroit the best it can BEE! By partnering with local businesses to use their honey in their products, placing hives within community gardens to increase crop yields for enjoyment of the community. They brought back the beekeeping patch to Girl scouts of S.E Michigan, and act as Ambassadors with The Bee Conservancy and other pollinator groups. Bees in the D, presents and educates neighbourhood groups to ease misconceptions, they work with local children's groups, boy-scouts, and girl-scouts, and hold interactive presentations at nature centres about gardens, beekeeping, and other pollinators.

Bees for Development helps some of the world’s poorest people become self-sufficient through bee-keeping. All their work is based on the understanding of the inter-linked and sustaining relationship between bees and flowering plants. Plants provide bees with a bountiful supply of free nectar in exchange for the pollination services that ultimately underpin the production of fruits, nuts and oilseeds on which humans and wildlife depend for food. When they started work in 1993, bee-keeping was considered a marginal activity, and they struggled to get our point across. They knew the importance of bees in helping to make marginal livelihoods more resilient and successful. Yet not everyone shared their vision! All of their work is aimed at promoting bee-keeping to change people’s lives for the better while supporting ecosystem integrity. Beekeeping is not just one of their areas of expertise – it is what they all do, all day, every day. Most of them are beekeepers, they talk to beekeepers, they implement bee-keeping projects; they read the research, follow global developments and question, puzzle and think about what really works, for whom and why. A unique feature of Bees for Development is the way they stick to the principles of natural bee-keeping. They recognise that for poor people, nature is wealth. In bee-keeping this means using the natural behaviour and immune responses of bees to keep them healthy. Above all, they recognise that beekeepers in difficult environments need to be empowered with access to skills, knowledge, information and connections. Bees for Development started life as an organisation delivering information, and this aspect of their work remains at our core. Their full range of information services can be accessed through their Resource Centre. There you can find all the past issues of Bees for Development Journal and how to subscribe to future editions – free of charge to beekeepers in poor nations, and you can search their online library, access their manuals, guides and fact sheets. Users’ enquiries will be answered by their team of specialists. Their emphasis on building local capacity permeates every aspect of their work. They always work with local partner organisations and this partnership working is effective, lasting and impactful. Their work is based upon the interdependent and sustaining relationships between bees, and flowering plants and people – through the craft of bee-keeping. Plants provide bees with bountiful nectar in exchange for their pollination service, which enables the production of fruits and seeds on which humans and wildlife depend for food. The supply of nectar – transformed into honey comb – is often so plentiful that a surplus can be harvested and sold as honey and beeswax without harming this essential system. Bees for Development recognises that the exploitation of this bee-plant relationship – otherwise known as bee-keeping – can be done in a way that is wholly self-sustaining and beneficial. In pursuit of the Sustainable Development Agenda, humans face huge challenges to reduce the negative trade-offs between meeting people’s needs and conserving ecosystems. Beekeeping is an activity that delivers only positive synergies, yielding income for beekeepers and pollination services for life on land. Beekeepers know that their bees need plants to thrive, and hence are champions of floral diversity and conservation. In short, bee-keeping supports people and nature!

BeekeeperFacts is owned and operated by EcomEagle. The author Joe has always loved beekeeping and wanted to learn more about this charming activity. He decided to finally take the plunge and learn everything he possibly could and share that information with you. From writing about how to setup hives, caring for your honeybees and extracting honey, I strive to share my experiences and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for your interest in beekeeping. We are David and Sheri Burns and we operate a beekeeping business in east central Illinois. As a family business, we believe we can give you the personal touch you need to become a successful beekeeper. We started beekeeping in 1994 and began building beekeeping equipment in 2005. We live down a long lane, and thus was born Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. Beekeeping is our love and passion and livelihood. We enjoy helping others get started in beekeeping. David began beekeeping in 1994 after hiving a swarm from a fallen tree. After moving those hives from Ohio to Illinois, the hives were lost due to mites, and the yard had to be started all over again. In the beginning, the Burns family just sold honey, but as time went on and the yard became bigger, the Burns family began building their own hives and selling them to other beekeepers. Knowing that the success of beekeepers was all dependent upon education, David began blogging and uploading videos to YouTube. In order to make sure beekeepers had the best and latest of scientific information on bees and beekeeping, David took several years to become a Certified Master Beekeeper. A graduate of Lincoln Christian University, and now a Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society since 2010, workshops on beekeeping are taught all year at the Training Center in Fairmount, IL. He also has a mentorship program, talks throughout the country at beekeeping association meetings, and heard frequently on radio shows and podcasts. He is also a competitive sportsman and competes throughout the US. Sheri is a former teacher who joined the business in 2008. A graduate of Lincoln Christian University with a degree in business management, she does just that - manages the business and customer service and can often be heard on podcasts with David. While she has staff in the office that helps her, she often prefers to talk to customers on the phone herself to make sure they get exactly the help that they need. In her spare time, Sheri raises and teaches their one child still at home, takes care of chickens and gardens, sings in a community choir, and likes nothing better than to hang out with her grandchildren or read a book. David and Sheri are the authors of the book Backyard Beekeeping - Everything You Need to Know to Start Your First Hive, available everywhere 7/20. Buy your bees and equipment before every one beats you to it. We know you can run off to a big box store to buy your beekeeping supplies, but we are a small, American hard-working family that would appreciate your business. Thank you for your support. We support our customers with expert advice, not myths and opinions. Some beekeepers and clubs are private and keep information close to their chest. You've probably met beekeepers who will not help you. We are here to help and as you can see throughout our site, videos and podcast, we freely share information that will help you become a better beekeeper. We hope you'll show your appreciation by purchasing your equipment from us, which enables us to stay in business. We have become known for our amazing beekeeping courses and our really fun and highly informative online beekeeping courses. We introduce thousands of new beekeepers to beekeeping each year through our thorough, yet simple to understand beekeeping lessons, which are available online and in person at our training center. Our goal is to provide the best urban and basic rural beekeeping materials possible at an affordable price. We manufacture all hive components and ship to all 50 states. When you purchase from us, not only does it allow us to live out our dream of making a living from beekeeping, but it allows us to continue to work hard at helping more and more people start beekeeping. We need more backyard beekeepers to help save the honey bee. David is a certified Master Beekeeper of the Eastern Apicultural Society of North America. Beginning beekeepers call us from around the country asking for advice and opinions. It is such a joy for us to see more and more people become involved as beekeepers!