Featured Stories
Steps for Successfully Filtering Beeswax
We have tried several ways of filtering beeswax and our favorite way is to filter the wax on the stove top.
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Setting Honey Prices, Labeling, and Marketing Homestead Honey
In the beginning, we didn’t have any extra honey, but after a while, we had more than our family could use and we decided to sell some.
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Moisture Control in The Hives: A Four-Season Approach
We work with the seasons and the bees’ own incredible ability to self-regulate to keep heat, cold, and moisture in check. While it is useful to look at how bees live “in the wild” to understand their natural preferences, it’s good to remember that honey bees are adaptable and live all over the world, in all climates.
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How to Make a Quilt Box
A quilt box is a great way to absorb the water that condenses from bees’ respiration during the colder months. While bees can tolerate cold temperatures, the moisture can be deadly.
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How Do I Combine Two Double-Deep Hives?
Before you begin to combine the two double-deep hives, try to consolidate the brood nests in each hive. For example, If one hive has five frames of brood in one box, and two in the other box, try to put all seven of them in one box. Repeat this process in the other hive.
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Is Moisture Killing My Bees?
As long as they are dry, honey bees are wizards at staying warm. But a moist hive can be a death sentence because evaporation is a cooling process that steals the heat from a bee’s body. Living in a damp hive is like standing in a cold room while dripping wet from a shower.
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Swarm Prevention Methods
Though swarming is a natural, colony-level reproductive process, it’s often viewed as beekeeper negligence. Learn swarm prevention methods so you don’t lose honeybees or potential hive products.
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Marketing Your Honey
Marketing and selling surplus honey takes a bit more than word of mouth if you have more than a few gallons to sell. So, here’s a primer on how to start marketing and selling your surplus honey this season.
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Different Ways to Obtain Bees
There are several ways to obtain bees locally and from afar in the form of swarms, packages, cutouts/trap outs, and nuclei.
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Your Seasonal Beekeeping Calendar
When you are new to beekeeping, it’s good to have a game plan. Today let’s explore a seasonal beekeeping calendar and your to-do’s throughout the year.
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How Long After a Swarm Should I See Signs of a Queen?
On average, a newly emerged queen takes about two weeks, give or take, before she begins to lay eggs.
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Supering up for a Honey of a Summer
The beekeeper’s role is to keep things on course. Problems tend to propagate if not dealt with, and a small problem uncorrected becomes a disaster.
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Honeybee History: A Spring Preparation
We share a long and intimate history with the honeybee, much further back than most would ever imagine. Prep for spring with knowledge.
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5 Honey Bees to Consider, Including Buckfast Bees
One of the first questions a beekeeper asks is, “What kind of bees should I keep?” There are many bees to choose from: Carniolan, German, Italian, Russian, and Buckfast bees, to name a few. Which is the right one to keep?
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How Much Do Beekeepers Make?
How much do beekeepers make per hive? With as few as two successful hives, you can recover expenses to get into the hobby and pocket a little extra cash.
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Beginning Beekeeping Supplies: Used Equipment
Beginning beekeeping supplies can be expensive, so learn what to consider when purchasing new or used beekeeping equipment.
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