If you see bees hanging out on the front of your hive, they may be bearding – especially if the temperature outside is over 100 degrees. But check closely. Are they rocking back and forth? Maybe they are washboarding—a very mysterious bee activity! From Katie Bohrer and Jeffery S. Pettis. USDA-ARS […]
At her recent Spring Management class, Sarah (BeeGirl) told us that when bees get too hot, they shut down production – the queen stops laying and it’s all hands on deck to bring water into the hive. The bees will spit the water inside the hive and fan it to […]
In the PNW Winter Loss Survey this past April, 250 Oregon and Washington backyard beekeepers provided information on monitoring bee colonies for mites, including 12 SOBA members. Thirty-seven percent (37%) said they did not monitor for mites . Twenty seven (27%) sampled pre-treatment and 30% sampled both before and following treatment. Thirty-seven percent […]
Here’s John’s recipe for an organic, thymol based treatment for Varroa mites. This is a great treatment for summer/fall, after honey has been pulled. If you need to treat for mites when you have honey supers on the hive, Mite Away Quick Strips (formic acid) can be used instead. Old […]
