Featured Stories

Did I Catch a Swarm with My Empty Deep?
May 27, 2021 · · Beekeeping 101

I have a 10-frame deep hive that had honey in it. There have not been bees in the hive in a year. Now there were 200 to 300 bees in there. I think that it’s just bees getting the old honey out of there, but they are fanning the honey as if they want to cap it. And I would like to know if the bees will stay in there at night or fly back home at dark?

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Can a Coniferous Forest Support Honey Bees?

Forests generally do not support bees very well, especially not coniferous forests. Honey bees like to be near sunny areas with many flowering plants that can provide various pollen and nectar sources.

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How Long Should I Feed Bees in Spring?

When a hive is starting out in the spring, do the forager bees consume and share some of the nectar they gather with the “house” bees and store the rest that they don’t need for their survival? And is that the reason that

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How do I Configure My Top Bar Hive?

If your top bar hive opens on the side (cold-way configuration, like a Langstroth), putting the empty brood frames right in the center will work fine.

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Why Did My Newly Installed Bees Make a Queen Cell?

Mary writes … Today was inspection day and I found what appears to be a queen cell … yikes!

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Dead Bees in a Package: How Many is Too Many?
April 24, 2021 · · Beekeeping 101

I received my package, and 80 to 90% of the bees were dead. I could not tell if the queen bee was there. We tried to remove most of the dead bees. We just put the queen part at the bottom of the brood box.

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Tips for Planting Flowers That Attract Bees

We often overlook the fact that the number of bees (and other pollinators) are declining. By planting flowers that attract bees, we help the bees survive.

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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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DIY Hive Top Feeder Plan
April 11, 2021 · · Hives & Equipment

Bees are hungry little creatures that occasionally require supplemental feeding. Fortunately, feeding honey bees during the warmer months requires little more than selecting a feeder and filling it with syrup.

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Take Our Beekeeping Survey
April 7, 2021 · · Beekeeping

We need your help! Complete our short survey and you’ll be entered to win a $50 gift card to our bookstore.

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