About the Author

Josh Vaisman

Josh Vaisman is an avid beekeeper and instructor in Northern Colorado. An active member of the Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association, Josh has been involved in the education of new beekeepers on behalf of the association and privately. Like most people who study apiculture, Josh started into beekeeping as a hobby, and offers valuable experience to those wanting to start beekeeping about the learning curve involved, what to do, and what not to do when getting started. When not tending to his hives, Josh is a Positive Change Ninja with Flourish Veterinary Consulting, a company he co-founded to apply the science of well-being to the veterinary workplace. He lives in Firestone, Colorado with his wife, Greta.
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Articles by Josh Vaisman

Preparing Honey Bees for Winter
October 15, 2024 · · Health & Pests

It’s time to start preparing your bees for winter. It’s important to understand what winterizing beehives look like for a backyard beekeeper.

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Hive Robbing: Keeping Your Colony Safe
September 30, 2024 · · Health & Pests

Honey bee robbing is an almost desperate commitment, en masse, to maximizing a resource. Here’s why it happens, how to prevent it, and how to stop it when you see it.

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How Much Honey Per Hive?

When I have a colony overwinter — and they have no spring/summer issues such as a queen dying or an unexpected swarm — I generally get around 75-100 pounds of honey per hive in Colorado.

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Your Seasonal Beekeeping Calendar
November 22, 2022 · · Beekeeping 101

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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Should You Feed Native Bees?

Should you feed native bees? Josh Vaisman explains the whys and why nots.

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Feeding Honey Bees 101
September 9, 2022 · · Hive Highlights

Feeding honey bees? Wait a sec! I thought that’s the reason we got honey bees … so they can feed us.

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Feeding Honey Bees Successfully
August 15, 2022 · · Health & Pests

Sometimes even the honey bee is stretched too far when resources just aren’t available. In this article, we’ll cover the why, how, and when of feeding bees.

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OAV: How to Treat Varroa Mites
July 25, 2022 · · Health & Pests

In this article, I’ll discuss our experience trying to manage varroa mites our first couple years in beekeeping, some lessons we learned, a new way of approaching varroa management, and address some common questions about our management plan.

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How Many Frames of Capped Brood is Optimum in a Double Deep During Summer?

Tyler from Montana writes: How many frames of capped brood is the optimum in a double deep during summer?

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Why Did My Bees Leave the Hive? What is NOT a Swarm!
April 11, 2022 · · Health & Pests

You may find yourself frantically searching “Why did my bees leave the hive?” There are plenty of reasons colonies leave the hive.

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