Joe Miller inquired:

>It seems in most of the bee magazines that I get and on online discussions
>I read that there is an awful lot of opinion as to what works in
>beekeeping.  I have taken an approach as I learn, to pay attention to
>those that have had success, in particular commercial operators.  But even
>some of these people do things very differently.

    Successful commercial operators are your best source of
information.  At the last CA Beekeepers Convention, attendees visited
three such operations during the second day and learned a great deal.

    Amateur beekeepers (in my experience) often exhibit superstitious
behavior in their management.  That approach may yield good results
for a short time but may fail miserably later.

>Is there a scientific journal with an emphasis on beekeeping that
>publishes research results in a reliable format?  What I am looking
>forward to is something comparable to medicines Lancet or JAMA.  If not,
>what are the PHD bee people publishing their results in?

    The Journal of Apicultural Research, published in Britain (with
editors in other countries), is the most focused on beekeeping per
se.  Insectes Sociaux, published in France (with editors in other
countries, again), covers research on all social insects.  The
Journal of Insect Behavior is another source.  I just had a paper
published there and can mail you a copy if you furnish a mailing
address.  You can also access that paper at:
www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/jib2002

    Other than those journals, researchers try to get what they
consider "hot" into journals such as Nature or Science.  For
instance, the latter journal is now considering a paper on training
honey bees to find land mines (it worked).

    Both Bee Culture and the American Bee Journal sometimes carry
relevant papers that have gone through a review process.

    Hope that helps.

                                                Adrian
--
Adrian M. Wenner                (805) 963-8508 (home office phone)
967 Garcia Road                 [log in to unmask]
Santa Barbara, CA  93103        www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/index.htm

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*    "T'is the majority [...that] prevails.  Assent, and you are sane
*       Demur, you're straightway dangerous, and handled with a chain."
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*                                    Emily Dickinson, 1862
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