free Archives - Backyard Beekeeping

Raising Honey Bees with Pets and Livestock

October 8, 2021 · Angi Schneider · Health & Pests

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.

Bee Bucks – The Cost of Beekeeping

September 23, 2021 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Hives & Equipment

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!

Wax Moth Treatment to Help Your Bees Win the Battle

August 12, 2021 · Angi Schneider · Health & Pests

Add to Favorites All hives, even healthy ones, will have wax moths. I didn’t understand this when we first started beekeeping. I thought that if we were good beekeepers our …

5 Honey Bees to Consider, Including Buckfast Bees

March 14, 2021 · Angi Schneider · Beekeeping 101

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?

Starting Beekeeping: Find a Beekeeping Mentor

February 13, 2021 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Beekeeping 101

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.

What is Honey Bee Dysentery?

December 22, 2020 · Rusty Burlew · Health & Pests

Beekeeping is rife with confusing terminology that can baffle even experienced beekeepers. Honey bee dysentery is a perfect example.

Natural Bees Comb Building: Boon or Bust?

December 9, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Hives & Equipment

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.

The Ins and Outs of Buying Bees

December 9, 2020 · Angi Schneider · Beekeeping 101

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.

A List of Plants That Attract Bees

May 8, 2020 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Plants & Pollination

For thousands of years, bees have been helping feed people, but now in the face of an onslaught of chemicals and disease, they’re in need of a helping hand. One course of action you can take is growing plants that attract bees.

Let’s Talk About Losing Bees

February 5, 2019 · Countryside Magazine Contributor · Health & Pests

Like many beekeepers, we lost bees this winter. New packages failed to build up in a normal way last summer and were unusually slow to build comb and put away stores into fall. In September, aggressive yellow jacket predation weakened them further leaving them unable to carry themselves through the cold.