queen bee
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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Can You Keep a Queen from Leaving with a Swarm?
In the past few years, the number of electronic devices for beekeepers has mushroomed. I’ve frequently been asked to test these new devices, so I have quite a bit of experience with them.
Read MoreHow Long After a Swarm Should I See Signs of a Queen?
On average, a newly emerged queen takes about two weeks, give or take, before she begins to lay eggs.
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Should I be Worried About my Walkaway Split?
There are a couple of versions of a split (or divide) that simulate this. One is by using swarm cells in the split(s). The other, which it sounds like is what you did, we call a “walkaway split.” I just did one yesterday so I’ll explain how I did it.
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Reversing Brood Boxes in the Spring — Is it Necessary?
Many beekeepers begin spring by “reversing brood boxes,” which just means switching the two so that the cluster is on the bottom. Some beekeepers do this routinely, while some never do it. It’s not necessary because, as the brood nest expands, the queen will eventually begin laying in the bottom box, especially if you use a queen excluder to keep the queen out of the honey supers. Whether you reverse the boxes is just a matter of beekeeper preference.
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How Do I Harvest Royal Jelly?
To harvest royal jelly in any quantifiable amount, you’ll need several strong, healthy hives and a working knowledge of queen grafting.
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