About the Author

Bridget Mendel

Bridget Mendel is the Program Manager at the University of Minnesota’s Bee Squad. She takes care of bees, teaches classes for beekeepers and the public, and manages interdisciplinary, pollinator-focused programs. She also writes grants and communications for Bee Squad's programs and research projects. Outside of Bee Squad, she teaches creative writing to college students. Her own work has appeared in DUSIE, Noo Journal, Beekeeper’s Quarterly, and Nous Zot Press. Bridget is the recipient of a Minnesota Emerging Writers Grant, and holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Minnesota.
Read More

Articles by Bridget Mendel

My Hive Failed. Now What?
February 13, 2022 · · Health & Pests

What can you learn from your spring dead-outs? Dig into your colonies and look for clues.

Read More
Dreaming of Summer
January 9, 2022 · · Plants & Pollination

Back in the day, bees could take flowers for granted. They just emerged in the spring, feasted, mated, and generally enjoyed life. Nowadays, food and habitat are much more precarious.

Read More
Moisture Control in The Hives: A Four-Season Approach
January 4, 2022 · · Hives & Equipment

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.

Read More
Hygienic Bees Smell Disease and Do Something About It
December 9, 2021 · · Health & Pests

One form of social immunity is called hygienic behavior, wherein many young workers resist the spread of pathogens and Varroa mites by detecting, uncapping, and removing unhealthy brood.

Read More
Combining Bee Hives
November 17, 2021 · · Beekeeping 101

Combining bee hives can improve overall colony health and success. Colonies can be combined at any point in the season, and for a number of reasons.

Read More
When and How to Store Honeycomb and Brood Comb
September 7, 2021 · · Hives & Equipment

Knowing how to store honeycomb and brood comb is an important aspect in beekeeping. Where do the honey bees stop and the equipment start?

Read More
How Bees Communicate with Pheromones
January 10, 2021 · · Health & Pests

Honey bees are eusocial, meaning they live in highly complex social colonies, with multiple casts and tens of thousands of individuals of overlapping generations.

Read More