I would like to know when I should start testing for varroa mites. And then what schedule should I follow for the following months?
Read MoreThere is nothing quite like the sights and sounds of bees buzzing around, gathering pollen and nectar on a warm summer day. Summer and bees just seem to go together; unfortunately, so do summer and pests.
Read MoreA key time for getting a jump on varroa is when the colony is broodless, since any mites present will be in a phoretic state rather than hiding inside capped brood.
Read MoreAdd to Favorites All hives, even healthy ones, will have wax moths. I didn’t understand this when we first started beekeeping. I thought that if we were good beekeepers our …
Read MoreAdd to Favorites Originally published in Countryside May / June 2017. Subscribe for the full digital issue! Varroa mites have been in the United States since the late 1980s and are …
Read MoreRaising honeybees is a challenge. One day your hive looks good and a few days later you wonder if it’s going to live.
Read MoreChanging genetics (and achieving diversity) can be achieved by installing a new queen bee or “requeening.” Is this the solution to better overwintering in the Northeast?
Read MoreI have three hives started last year and all three swarmed in the last week. Now, they are swarming again — the same colonies. Why do the same colonies keep swarming every few days?
Read MoreCartoons and movies give us an (incorrect) idea of what swarming bees look like. So when the time to ask questions came up in my first beekeeping class, I asked, “Why might my bees leave the hive?”
Read MoreTo get started making your own patties, you’ll need a recipe. Many are readily available online with many folks adding various supplements such as essential oils, amino acids, or probiotics. However, it’s often best to begin by keeping it simple.
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