Comparing varroa mite treatments among beekeepers we polled, the most popular and effective treatment against varroa mites is oxalic acid. Another organic substance, formic acid (sold as Mite Away Quick Strips® or Formic Pro®) and Apivar®, a synthetic miticide, were 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
There are 3 major types of hives: Langstroth, Warré and horizontal hives like a Top Bar hive. We describe how they each work including pros and cons and why we think you should start with Langstroth.
A honey house is a sanitary space where beekeepers process their honey harvest. As your apiary becomes larger, you may want to have a dedicated space outside the home.
Treatment-free beekeepers use no chemicals and limit human intervention in an effort to produce genetically strong colonies and avoid adverse side effects.
Honey bees collect nectar, pollen, and water to create three nutritional foods: honey, bee bread, and royal jelly. A beekeeper may feed honey bees protein supplements for pollen or sugar substitutes for nectar.
Honeycomb (or comb honey) is more expensive to buy than liquid honey due to its higher production costs and factors of supply and demand.
Beekeeping is not considered especially dangerous, but it does entail some physical hazards and risks you should recognize.
Honey bees collect pollen (protein), nectar (carbs), and water as primary food sources and use them as building blocks for honey, bee bread, and royal jelly.
Beginning beekeeping requires education, planning and preparation. Here are 8 action steps to start beekeeping.
Every beekeeper needs a bee smoker. We’ll describe this all-important tool and explain how it works, how to light it, when to use it and how to maintain it.
I’m Melanie Howard. My husband, Jim, and I want to share with you everything we’ve learned about beekeeping since we started our hobby. Maybe the the ups and downs we’ve experienced can help you along the way.
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