Featured Stories

8 Ways to Be a Courteous Backyard Beekeeper

Add to Favorites Being a good beekeeping neighbor is something all backyard beekeepers should be concerned about. Be respectful and thoughtful of our neighbors by following good beekeeping practices. Know …

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Navigating Urban Beekeeping Laws

Today, as more urban beekeepers start beekeeping, they are finding roadblocks to their hobby. These include urban beekeeping laws, rules, regulations, zoning, ordinances, and in some cases outright bans on bees — especially with some Homeowners Associations (HOAs).

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65 Pollinator-Friendly Plants Bees Love

Beekeepers are investing a lot of time and money seeking a solution to the bee population decline, but in the meantime, gardeners can be the frontline troops in the fight to save not just honeybees, but all of nature’s pollinators. All they need to do is create a pollinator garden.

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Beehive Inspection Checklist
June 6, 2019 · · Hive Highlights

Add to Favorites The only way to know exactly what is going on in a beehive is to actually take a peek inside. This can be intimidating, especially to a …

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Are Russian Honeybees More Resistant to Varroa and Tracheal Mites?
May 14, 2019 · · Ask the Expert

There is a mild form of resistance, NOT immunity. A colony of Russian honeybees will eventually perish to varroa mites if left unchecked.

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OAV Varroa Mite Treatment: Ask the Expert!
May 3, 2019 · · Ask the Expert

Add to Favorites Josh Vaisman replies to questions from his article: How to Treat Varroa Mites with Oxalic Acid Vaporizer (OAV) “knockdown” treatment: Jim writes:I loved your article on monthly …

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What’s Safe to Use in Your Smoker?
March 5, 2019 · · Ask the Expert

Add to Favorites H.J.M. writes: Is it safe to use the wood pellets for a Pellet grill in your bee smoker? +++++++ That’s a great question, H.J.M.! The simple answer …

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Propolis: Bee Glue that Heals

Bees use propolis as a building material to fill gaps and crevices, varnish combs, and shape entrances.

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From Point A To Point Bee

When I sell bees to a new beekeeper, the question of moving bees often comes up. I get questions like, “Why do you move them after dark?” or “Can I move them again once they are set?” or “Why do they have to be moved at least two miles away?” These and other questions about the subject are not easily understood and can be very confusing to beginners. Yet, the more we learn about bees the easier they are to understand.

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It’s Harvest Time

Extracting, or the honey harvest, is going to befall almost every beekeeper if their efforts are successful and the site of those activities can vary from a garage or the family kitchen to large facilities specifically designed and built for handling the harvest.

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