free
Judging the Best Honey in the World
Where does the best honey in the world come from? And how is it determined “best?”
Read More
What Causes Colony Collapse Disorder in Honeybees?
What is colony collapse disorder (CCD) and what causes it? Maurice Hladik tackles this confounding question.
Read More
My Honeybee Farming Project Year One
With all our research and questions before obtaining our first nuc, uncertainty reared its ugly head as we ventured into our honeybee farming project.
Read More
How to Make Beeswax Candles
While there are many wonderful beeswax uses, cappings wax can make the most divine beeswax candles.
Read More
Starting Beekeeping: Find a Beekeeping Mentor
Mentoring is a traditional way for beekeepers to teach people starting beekeeping about tending bees. However, finding a mentor, someone who is both knowledgeable about hive management and interested in teaching you, can feel difficult, especially if you don’t know anyone who keeps bees in your area.
Read More
Raising Honey Bees with Pets and Livestock
When we decided to start raising honey bees, one of the things we needed to consider was the safety of the other animals on our property. If we had a large property where we would be able to put our hives away from our other animals it would be easy, but we don’t have a large property.
Read More
What is Honey Bee Dysentery?
Beekeeping is rife with confusing terminology that can baffle even experienced beekeepers. Honey bee dysentery is a perfect example.
Read More
5 Honey Bees to Consider, Including Buckfast Bees
One of the first questions a beekeeper asks is, “What kind of bees should I keep?” There are many bees to choose from: Carniolan, German, Italian, Russian, and Buckfast bees, to name a few. Which is the right one to keep?
Read More
The Ins and Outs of Buying Bees
Every spring potential beekeepers begin to get excited about starting to keep bees. They read beekeeping books and articles, and talk to experienced beekeepers about everything from setting up their apiary to buying bees.
Read More
Natural Bees Comb Building: Boon or Bust?
The construction of natural bee’s comb is a wonder to behold. Festooning bees clasp legs to form hanging chains, a behavior many beekeepers describe as measuring, and set to work building hexagonal cells using wax flakes they excrete from abdominal glands and shape with their jaws. Each bee appears to work independently, yet somehow cells built by many bees working on different areas of comb come together seamlessly.
Read More