Randy Oliver Reading the combs Understanding bee biology over the course of a season

Randy Oliver now helps his sons to run a commercial beekeeping operation of around 1500 hives in the foothills of Northern California, managing them for migratory pollination, nuc sales, and queen and honey production. This frees Randy to engage full-time in beekeeper-funded research projects. Randy analyses and digests the scientific research, to figure out best management practices for beekeepers everywhere, which he then happily shares through his various articles, lectures, and on his website: www.ScientificBeekeeping.com This lecture summarises his series “Understanding Colony Buildup and Decline.” By acquiring an understanding of the biology of the honey bee colony over the course of the season, and seeing how to "read the combs," the beekeeper can then make their own informed management decisions adapted to their particular situation and goal. He discusses the cues that trigger bee behaviour, colony nutrition, and the impacts of parasites and pathogens.