As a new beekeeper, you put in plenty of hard work getting your first colony started. Now those bees are thriving and packing away honey. But a nagging thought hits you – will these buzzing insects stick around or do honey bees die annually? Do you need to replace your colony every single year? Or …
You’ve assembled the frames, painted the hive, and set up the perfect apiary spot. Now your shiny new beehive sits empty and waiting for residents. What a frustrating scenario for an eager beekeeper! Getting bees into that vacant hive is absolutely key. Let’s dive into proven methods to lure a swarm to take up residence …
As a backyard beekeeper, you work hard all season long to keep your bees happy and productive. Once those honey supers start filling up, it’s an exciting time! But then the question hits – to harvest or not to harvest? You don’t want to rob the bees of their winter stores. Yet leaving all that …
What Happens When You Don’t Harvest Honey from a Beehive? Read More »
Let’s face it – getting stung by any bee is going to hurt. Their stingers pack a painful venomous punch that nobody wants to be on the receiving end of. But what if that stinger belongs to the queen herself? If you inadvertently anger the ruler of the hive, what consequences can you expect? The …
Her Majesty is Unhappy: What Happens When a Queen Bee Stings You? Read More »
I’m a hobby beekeeper who’s been at it now for probably close to 10 years. It all started when my wife bought me a beginner’s hive setup as an anniversary gift – and I was hooked! While I love caring for bees more than just about any hobby I’ve taken up, I’m also the first …
What is One of the Biggest Challenges for a Beekeeper? Read More »
As a beekeeper who bottles and sells honey commercially, I occasionally get customers who are curious if it’s really true that well-stored honey essentially stays good and edible to humans almost indefinitely. They’ve heard claims that honey found sealed in ancient Egyptian royal tombs dating back over 3000 years is still perfectly fine to eat …
Do Bees Leave Bad Beekeepers? I’ve been keeping bees as a hobby for many years now. New beekeepers often ask me if bees just pack up and permanently leave their hive if the beekeeper taking care of them makes lots of big mistakes over and over again. These newbies want to know if beehives will …
As a longtime beekeeper who works closely with these vitally important pollinators on a daily basis, one of the most common questions I’m asked is what to do if a curious honey bee or bumble bee happens to land directly on your exposed skin or clothing while you’re outside walking or sitting. Understandably, many individuals’ …
As an avid beekeeper, I’ve long wondered – can honey bees truly recognize me as an individual caretaker, responding differently to my presence compared to strangers? Or in the mind of the hive, am I largely perceived as any other large, looming, pulsating threat whenever I visit my colonies? While there is still limited controlled …
One of the most common questions I hear from new beekeepers is “How much honey can I expect to harvest from a single beehive?” It’s natural to try to estimate the potential payoff from your new colony investment. I remember wondering the same when starting out years ago. After gaining experience, I now know honey …