Beginning beekeeper kits include a fairly standard list of items. Here’s what you can expect to get and one major change we would make.
Harsh winter weather stresses your bees. Keeping your local climate in mind, take these steps to help your colony survive until spring.
The honey bee life cycle is 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Learn about each stage to gain insights into your colony’s development and health.
A nectar dearth can occur any time that plants slow down production of their sugary, sweet liquid needed for making honey. Learn to recognize and deal with it.
Beekeepers at all levels of experience make mistakes. As a newbie though you’ll probably be more prone to some of them. Here’s a list to help you avoid some of them (including our own foul-ups).
To inspect a beehive, open it and carefully remove frames for visual examination. Inspections are best done midday in favorable weather conditions. Try to minimize the disruption to the bees’ activity. Among other things, inspections help assess the colony’s health and identify issues requiring remediation.
It’s spring and your new bees are ordered. Now you need to know how to install bees in a new hive. Here’s what to do with a nuc or bee package.
The two main types of foundation for your Langstroth frames are beeswax and plastic. Start with plastic and consider moving toward foundationless.
We’ve added a glossary to our site to help you learn some beekeeper terminology. As a new beekeeper, let’s go over 12 beekeeping terms you should know from the outset.
When buying bees you will most likely come across certain subspecies. Each of these has traits and characteristics that are either advantages or drawbacks.
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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