The Xerces Society: Named After a Butterfly That No Longer Exists
The Xerces Society is named after a real extinct butterfly. The story of its 1971 founding and why that name was chosen deliberately.
BeeKeepersRealm Editorial Team
Articles published under this name are the work of the BeeKeepersRealm editorial team rather than a single writer. Drafting is AI-assisted. These articles have not yet had the two-person review described in our editorial policy, in which a named beekeeper takes responsibility for an article and a second team member reviews it. As each article goes through that review it is re-published under that person's byline, so an individual name means an individual has taken responsibility for that page. See the team page for who writes and who reviews.
The 2006 Honey Bee Genome Project: What Scientists Found
In 2006 scientists sequenced the honey bee genome and found a genuine surprise: fewer immune genes than expected, not more.
The COVID-19 Backyard Beekeeping Boom: What Really Happened
COVID-19 really did spark a surge in new beekeepers - but it also collapsed the package bee supply chain they needed to get started.
Sioux Honey Association: The Story Behind the Sue Bee Brand
Five beekeepers founded the Sioux Honey Association cooperative in 1921. How it grew into the Sue Bee brand and the countrys largest honey co-op.
Tel Rehov: The 3,000-Year-Old Apiary Discovered in Israel
Archaeologists found the worlds oldest known managed apiary at Tel Rehov, Israel - and the bees inside came from Anatolia.
Franklin’s Bumblebee: The Real Story of a North American Extinction
Franklins bumblebee has not been confirmed alive since 2006. What actually happened, and why a new study overturned the leading theory.
White House Pollinator Health Task Force: Obama’s 2014 Plan to Save the Bees
The history of the 2014 White House Pollinator Health Task Force, its 180-day deadline for a national strategy, and the $15 billion case behind it.
Beekeeping in World War II: Rationing, Beeswax, and a Wartime Priority
How World War II turned beekeeping into classified war-essential work, driven by 350 military uses for beeswax and wartime sugar rationing.
Frank Benton: The USDA’s Bee Explorer Who Imported Cyprian and Caucasian Bees
The real history of Frank Benton, the USDA bee explorer who verified Cyprian and Caucasian bee imports abroad and invented the modern queen mailing cage.