Add to Favorites Honeybees bred for various characteristics have fascinated beekeepers for decades. Bees can be bred for overwintering, honey production, gentleness, and even hygienic behavior. The problem is that …
Read MoreAdd to Favorites Chris W. asks: Can I use chlorine bleach to clean hives? Rusty Burlew answers: Beekeepers find many uses for chlorine bleach in and around hives. In its …
Read MoreAdd to Favorites Chris W. asks: My boxes look black, as do the combs that go in the boxes. Is this normal? Rusty Burlew replies: Within a winter hive, it …
Read MoreHoneybee dysentery is often confused with Nosema disease, so when beekeepers see feces on or near a hive, they automatically think the worst.
Read MoreWe all know that female honey bees are divided into two castes: workers and queens. Although they both arise from normal fertilized eggs, the larvae that hatch from those eggs are nurtured differently.
Read MoreIn the past few years, the number of electronic devices for beekeepers has mushroomed. I’ve frequently been asked to test these new devices, so I have quite a bit of experience with them.
Read MoreHaving the inner cover in the way can block the bees’ pathway and funnel the heat to a small area instead of generally throughout the super. In addition, the retriever bees may have to travel further—first to the opening, then away from it to the food, and then back to the hole, and then back to the cluster.
Read MoreThe honeybee cluster moves up in winter and down in summer. The combs start at the top and are added in layers, one beneath the other, as the colony expands.
Read MoreAll during the foraging season, honey bees collect pollen and nectar. How do bees survive the winter without fresh pollen?
Read MoreIt’s important to be prepared for various beekeeping pests through winter. Check out this primer on some of the more common pests that can be found in your hives.
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