Beekeeping 101
Dead Bees in a Package — How Many is Too Many?
I received my package, and 80 to 90% of the bees were dead. I could not tell if the queen bee was there. We tried to remove most of the dead bees. We just put the queen part at the bottom of the brood box.
Read More
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?
Read More
Fascinating Queen Bee Facts for Today’s Beekeeper
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.
Read More
Starting Beekeeping: Find a Beekeeping Mentor
Mentoring is a traditional way for beekeepers to teach people starting beekeeping about tending bees. However, finding a mentor, someone who is both knowledgeable about hive management and interested in teaching you, can feel difficult, especially if you don’t know anyone who keeps bees in your area.
Read More
How to Install Package Bees in a Langstroth Hive
Learning how to install package bees isn’t all that difficult, but if you are new to beekeeping, it can be helpful to see the process from start to finish. In this video tutorial, we’ll take you through the basic steps of installing your new honey bees in a Langstroth hive.
Read More
Urban Beekeeping Benefits You and Your Neighbors
The list of urban beekeeping benefits is extensive, so long as we approach it in a neighborly way. Being a courteous beekeeper in a city or suburb goes a long way.
Read More
The Ins and Outs of Buying Bees
Every spring potential beekeepers begin to get excited about starting to keep bees. They read beekeeping books and articles, and talk to experienced beekeepers about everything from setting up their apiary to buying bees.
Read More
The Secret of Winter Bees vs Summer Bees
We 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 More
Why Do Bees Washboard?
When bees washboard, they space themselves on the surface of their hive then they plant their four rear legs in place and use their two front legs to step forward and back in a rocking motion while they lick the surface. Sometimes a colony will washboard for a day or two, but at other times it may continue for weeks.
Read More
Should My Supers Be Below the Inner Cover for Winter?
Having 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 More