Health & Pests
What Bugs Your Bees in Summer? Know the Lineup of Beekeeping Pests.
While many creatures may choose a honey bee hive for its warmth and protection in winter, other animals are attracted to bee hives in summer. Most of these animals do not attempt to enter the hive — after all, that’s an intimidating proposition.
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How do Bees Mate?
An interesting and deadly dance takes place all across the world; in fact, it’s necessary for human survival and yet goes unnoticed by humans year after year. The dance is actually the mating ritual of honey bees.
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Hygienic Bees Smell Disease and Do Something About It
One form of social immunity is called hygienic behavior, wherein many young workers resist the spread of pathogens and Varroa mites by detecting, uncapping, and removing unhealthy brood.
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What’s Bothering My Mason Bees?
The parasitic wasp genus Monodontomerus shows up just as the mason bee season is coming to a close. The wasps are very tiny, perhaps fruit fly size, and fly with a nervous, side-to-side pattern that makes them look guilty.
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Will Spraying Dandelions Harm Bees?
My son is thinking of spraying 2,4-D for the dandelions — how safe is it for the bees? All the bees died this winter.
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Conduct an Alcohol Wash for Varroa Mite Monitoring
Monitoring Varroa destructor’s infestation levels is arguably one of the most important tasks on a beehive inspection checklist — yet mite checks are also the most commonly forgotten task. This doesn’t have to be with so many fast and simple methods available.
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Should I be Worried About my Walkaway Split?
There are a couple of versions of a split (or divide) that simulate this. One is by using swarm cells in the split(s). The other, which it sounds like is what you did, we call a “walkaway split.” I just did one yesterday so I’ll explain how I did it.
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Creating the Best Water Sources for Bees
Like all animals, honey bees need a dependable source of water year round. The best water sources for bees are ones that won’t go dry in the summer, won’t drown the bees, and won’t be shared with livestock or pets. Although honey bees adore a nice salt water pool, it’s a good idea to establish your water source before your bees begin chasing away the sunbathers.
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The (Not) Invasion of the Asian Giant Hornet
Asian Giant Hornets are large, scary-looking, and pack a pretty bad sting. However, the odds of you coming in contact with the infamous “murder hornet,” more properly termed Vespa mandarinia, are incredibly low.
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How to Help Bees During Spring Rain and Storms
Spring rain is a welcome sight to a homesteader who is busy sowing seeds and planting crops. However, those same spring rains can turn into devastating storms that often leave beekeepers wondering how to help bees weather the storms?
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