Beekeeping 101

Reversing Brood Boxes in the Spring — Is it Necessary?

Many beekeepers begin spring by “reversing brood boxes,” which just means switching the two so that the cluster is on the bottom. Some beekeepers do this routinely, while some never do it. It’s not necessary because, as the brood nest expands, the queen will eventually begin laying in the bottom box, especially if you use a queen excluder to keep the queen out of the honey supers. Whether you reverse the boxes is just a matter of beekeeper preference.

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5 Tips for Starting Beekeeping

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.

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Top 10 Reasons to Become a Beekeeper

You don’t have to get up at 2:00 in the morning to check if they are hatching or calving. You can also go on a reasonable vacation without commissioning a bee sitter.

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American Foulbrood: the Bad Brood is Back!

American Foulbrood is a bacterial apiary disease that spreads between hives. And it has the potential to wipe out the entire industry.

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8 Ways to Be a Courteous Backyard Beekeeper

Add to Favorites Being a good beekeeping neighbor is something all backyard beekeepers should be concerned about. Be respectful and thoughtful of our neighbors by following good beekeeping practices. Know …

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Navigating Urban Beekeeping Laws

Today, as more urban beekeepers start beekeeping, they are finding roadblocks to their hobby. These include urban beekeeping laws, rules, regulations, zoning, ordinances, and in some cases outright bans on bees — especially with some Homeowners Associations (HOAs).

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Successfully Installing Packaged Bees

Packaged bees have become an annual addition to many beekeeping operations, so the skills you learn successfully installing them the first time will be repeated in the years to come.

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Bee Patient: How Angry Honey Bees Taught Me to Take a Deep Breath
February 5, 2019 · · Beekeeping 101

Add to Favorites By Phillip Meeks, Virginia – Let me say this up front: I’m not naturally a patient person. I tend to wring my hands and pace the floor if it looks …

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Adventures in Raising Honey Bees

Add to Favorites By D. Parnell, Tennessee – I am not a professional beekeeper in any way, shape or form. It’s been said that if you speak with 25 different beekeepers, you’ll learn of 25 …

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How to Start a Bee Farm
February 1, 2019 · · Beekeeping 101

Learn how to start a bee farm, from buying or building the hive to ordering bees or capturing a swarm.

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