Featured Stories
OAV: How to Treat Varroa Mites
Add to Favorites My wife and I took a beginning beekeeping class before becoming backyard beekeepers. We learned about wax moth treatment and how to manage ants in beehives. We …
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Bee Bucks – The Cost of Beekeeping
Keeping bees isn’t free and so I’m often asked, “What is the cost of beekeeping? If I’m looking to start a honey bee farm, what is the expected initial investment?” Let’s find out together!
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Which Bees Make Honey?
While not all bees make honey, there are many species that do—perhaps hundreds.
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Is Fondant Actually Detrimental to Bees?
When you cook sugar or add an acid such as vinegar or cream of tartar, you break the molecular bonds that hold sucrose together and end up with the two simple sugars. It’s the fructose portion that causes the problem. When fructose is heated it produces hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is toxic to bees.
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Rooftop Beekeeping: Honey Bees in the Sky
Fourth-generation beekeeper Andrew Coté keeps over 100 colonies in New York City. From selling honey at farmers markets to removing swarms from ten-story rooftops, he shares beekeeping with generation five (his son). He sells honey to celebrities, teaches seminars, and works with restaurants.
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To Treat or Not to Treat for Varroa Mites
Amidst the myriad of advice, pesticides, invasive treatments, and other methods for treating varroa mites, a hardy group of pioneers stands out: Those who refuse to treat the mites at all.
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Varroa Mite Treatments: Hard and Soft Miticides
Regardless of where you keep bees, varroa management is a constant topic within any beekeeping community. And with good reason; without proper varroa control, we beekeepers lose our valuable colonies.
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Combining Bee Hives
Combining bee hives can improve overall colony health and success. Colonies can be combined at any point in the season, and for a number of reasons.
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I Found a Dead Queen on My Landing Board. Now What?
I live just outside of Seattle. Yesterday I found a queen dead on the landing board of my top bar hive. She was with two worker bees that were alive. I am not sure what they were doing. Pushing her off of the ledge?
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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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