Featured Stories
Can I Save My Plastic Frames with Wax Moth Damage?
Freezing is the very best way to kill wax moths on frames, whether it’s made of wood or plastic. Freezing is effective because it kills all life stages of the moth: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults.
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How to Make Honey Soap
When adding honey to soap, the typical ratio is one teaspoon of honey per pound of oils in the soap. Measure out the honey beforehand and dissolve it in a small amount of hot distilled water.
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How to Make Beeswax Candles
Giving homemade holiday gifts is our family tradition. One of my favorite homemade gifts to give is homemade beeswax candles. They are easy, inexpensive, and perfect for neighbors, friends, teachers, and anyone you want to spread cheer to.
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Backyard Beekeeping December 2021/January 2022
Backyard Beekeeping December 2021/January 2022 — 1/3 is available now! Subscribe to Backyard Beekeeping for great stories on cleansing flights, buying bees, planning out your pollinator gardens, and making mead. PLUS how to make fondant for bees!
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Were My Bees Poisoned?
I believe one of my hives was poisoned. There is a pile in front of the hive. This colony was a combination of two weak splits waiting for a queen. (I used the newspaper method to combine them. ) My first impression was that my combination of the two hives had caused the dissonance and the death of the bees in front of the hive. After further investigation, I found that most of the dead bees had tongues hanging out. I realized it might be a pesticide. Now my question is how can I protect the other five hives? None of them had the pile of bees in front.
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Why Honey Bees Dying in the Hive Should Be Investigated
Honey bees dying while you learn to care for the colony and hive is disappointing. It is important to look into the cause of honey bees dying to avoid it happening again.
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Why Did My Bees Die?
Dead bees head-down in cells is a common occurrence, but beekeepers seldom agree about the cause. The most commonly heard theory is that the bees could not find food and died licking the remaining molecules off the bottom of the comb.
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What’s Wrong with My Filtered Beeswax?
Filtering beeswax can take a bit of trial and error as you get a feel for the process. However, with a bit of practice, you’ll be an old pro in no time. So first, let’s talk about the bubbles you’re seeing in your wax as that’s the first indicator of what is most likely the underlying cause of your multi-shaded wax.
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Keeping Both Mason Bees and Honey Bees
Many people, especially those with fruit trees to pollinate, want to keep both mason bees and honey bees in the same yard. But is that good for the bees? Will they harm each other or compete for resources? How close is too close?
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Should I Leave Supers on For the Winter?
Should I leave supers on for the winter?
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