Health & Pests
How Often Should I Test for Varroa Mites?
I would like to know when I should start testing for varroa mites. And then what schedule should I follow for the following months?
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How to Manage Ants in a Beehive
There 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.
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When Should I Perform the First Mite Check and Treatment?
A 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.
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Wax Moth Treatment to Help Your Bees Win the Battle
Add 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 …
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Varroa Mite Treatments for a Healthy Hive
Add 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 …
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What Happens When the Queen Bee Dies?
Raising honeybees is a challenge. One day your hive looks good and a few days later you wonder if it’s going to live.
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Installing a New Queen Bee to Change Genetics
Changing 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?
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Why Do My Colonies Keep Swarming?
I 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?
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Why Did My Bees Leave the Hive? What is NOT a Swarm!
Cartoons 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?”
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How to Make Pollen Patties
To 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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