Question: I just bought some hive boxes from a beekeeper down the road. Do I need to do anything special to prepare the boxes before I add bees? Using second-hand equipment is one of the key reasons to clean and sterilize hives. While used bee boxes can be an economical […]
Question: How early can you split a hive in the spring? What about the cold at night? The key to deciding when to split is the presence of drones, and outside temperature during the day. If you see drones flying, or hatched in your hive, then there will be drones […]
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 […]
Contributed by Ellen Wright It seems that whenever a community discusses urban beekeeping, the overriding concern is the fear of being stung by a bee, and the possibility that the sting might be deadly. The data on the true risk of a deadly allergic reaction to an insect bite gives overwhelming […]
Why do some farmers choose to grow GMO crops? Contributed by Dewey Caron Genetically modified crops – do you believe they are “good” for agriculture or are “bad” for us? Maybe you believe Monsanto and other big ag companies force farmers to use GMO seeds and then lose money because they unnecessarily […]
When do you check if a hive that has swarmed is queen-right? What about the newly hived swarm? Contributed by Dewey Caron QUESTION: Our one hive (of two last fall) swarmed on Easter Sunday. It was pretty scary for the neighbors at first as the swarm gathered in a rhododendron next […]
