Beekeeping carries minimal risk if done with proper safety gear and precautions. While bee stings can occur, they’re generally manageable except for those with severe allergies. Training and responsible hive management significantly reduce dangers. The human species has a natural aversion to bees. We know that many species of bees, wasps, and hornets can and […]
Is Beekeeping Dangerous? Risks, Rewards and Some Good Advice Read More »
Some of the other posts on my site have mentioned locating the queen in a given hive. There are a number of reasons for this practice, which will be discussed later on, but there is a bigger issue here: how to do it. When you are inspecting a hive filled with thousands of bees, finding
How To Find The Queen Bee In A Hive – Surprisingly Easy Tips Read More »
As a general guide, in warmer climates you should probably leave behind about 40 pounds of honey for a hive of average size (let’s call ‘average’ a full hive occupying a 10-frame deep box). In moderate climates that experience some colder temperatures, 60 pounds of honey is the general rule. In extreme environments where harsh
The Truth About How Much Honey Should Be Left In A Hive For Winter Read More »
The entrance of a hive is usually at the bottom. In most designs, there is a floor placed immediately below the brood box, where the queen lives. The floor is open to the front to let the bees come and go. However, most beekeepers use an entrance reducer to limit the area that is available
What You Need to Know About When to remove the Entrance Reducer Read More »
While there is an annual pattern to the life of a colony of bees, people can start beekeeping at any point in the year. While it is usual to associate the start of the beekeeping season in temperate climates with springtime when the population of bees in the hive starts to build up, fall is
What You Need To Know About When Beekeeping Season Starts Read More »
Bees are social insects and in the course of their year the colony builds up from under 10,000 adults to a peak of more than 60,000 adults and then down again. The population of bees is all the result of eggs laid by one queen. While worker bees live for around 50 days, the queen
Bee Swarms: The Fascinating Phenomenon of Bee Colonies on the Move Read More »
In beekeeping, a dearth refers to a period of scarcity or absence of nectar and pollen, often due to seasonal changes, extreme weather, or habitat loss, which can lead to reduced food availability for bees, impacting their health and hive productivity. As you will know, your bees live on nectar taken from plants, which they
What is Dearth in the Beekeeping World? Read More »
As a beekeeper, your role is to manage the environment that your bees live in and to plan so that the colony can thrive. There are several beekeeping techniques that you need to master to be successful. Beekeeping techniques will include the following: Develop Your Beekeeping Techniques Part of the joy of being a beekeeper
What are Beekeeping Techniques, and Are They Important? Read More »
Hobby beekeeping has grown massively in recent years, especially across North America and Europe. Proponents of beekeeping encourage new keepers to get started by explaining some of the benefits experienced by the bees themselves. But just how does beekeeping help bees? Beekeeping is very similar to animal husbandry in that the bees are managed animals.
How Does Beekeeping Help Bees Survive in a Changing World? Read More »
Beekeeping is an honorable occupation practiced the world over. Some people practice beekeeping as a primary occupation while others do it part time. Still others keep bees as a hobby. It is all good. The world needs more beekeepers in order to sustain bee populations that have suffered significantly in the last 20 years. However,
Advice for New Beekeepers: What Does a Beekeeper Actually Do? Read More »