Countryside Magazine Contributor, Author at Backyard Beekeeping

A List of Plants That Attract Bees

February 28, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Plants & Pollination

For thousands of years, bees have been helping feed people, but now in the face of an onslaught of chemicals and disease, they’re in need of a helping hand. One course of action you can take is growing plants that attract bees.

What’s Better? Buying Bees or Catching Swarms?

January 19, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Beekeeping 101

Add to Favorites By Ed Dane – Is buying bees better than catching bee swarms? It is if you buy nucs. There are several ways to start beekeeping. Most beginners start …

The Varroa Mite: Know Your Enemy

January 12, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Health & Pests

Add to Favorites By Josh Vaisman – Honey bees currently face three difficult challenges to their survival — a lack of quality nutrition, ubiquitous pesticides in the environment, and the …

Fascinating Queen Bee Facts for Today’s Beekeeper

January 4, 2022 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Beekeeping 101

Queen bees are fascinating and sophisticated creatures. Before starting your honey bee farm, there are some queen bee facts you must know in order to be a successful backyard beekeeper.

Emergency, Swarm, and Supercedure Cells, Oh My!

March 20, 2021 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Health & Pests

I remember seeing the queen in our first ever hive and thinking to myself, “I’ll never find supercedure cells since I’m going to do all I can to keep her alive forever.” Of course, that’s not the reality of beekeeping.

Natural Bees Comb Building: Boon or Bust?

December 9, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Hives & Equipment

The construction of natural bee’s comb is a wonder to behold. Festooning bees clasp legs to form hanging chains, a behavior many beekeepers describe as measuring, and set to work building hexagonal cells using wax flakes they excrete from abdominal glands and shape with their jaws. Each bee appears to work independently, yet somehow cells built by many bees working on different areas of comb come together seamlessly.

5 Tips for Starting Beekeeping

December 14, 2019 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Beekeeping 101

Will you utilize the most commonly used hive style, the Langstroth beehive or do you fancy yourself a top bar or Warre beekeeper? For protective equipment, you could use a veil, a jacket with vail, or a full body bee suit – which works for you? Location of your hive can impact your bees based on sun exposure (summer v. winter), wind exposure, accessibility, proximity to neighbors, and so on.

Propolis: Bee Glue that Heals

February 5, 2019 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Honey & Beeswax

Honeybee propolis is a brown or reddish resinous substance made by bees to protect the hive against animal and bacterial invaders. The word “propolis” is a compound of the Greek words “pro” and “polis” and translates to, “Before the city.” Bees use propolis as a building material to fill gaps and crevices, varnish combs and shape entrances, sometimes creating fantastic gobs that supposedly aid ventilation in the hive.

From Point A To Point Bee

February 5, 2019 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Hives & Equipment

When I sell bees to a new beekeeper, the question of moving bees often comes up. I get questions like, “Why do you move them after dark?” or “Can I move them again once they are set?” or “Why do they have to be moved at least two miles away?” These and other questions about the subject are not easily understood and can be very confusing to beginners. Yet, the more we learn about bees the easier they are to understand.