While you could start a beehive by setting your hive directly on the ground and the bees might just make do, at least for a while, utilizing a hive stand for all your hives is nearly a prerequisite in beekeeping. Hive stands are available commercially, and can also be made

Why Marking a Queen is Not Essential   Without a queen, or without a healthy queen, the colony will be on a path to collapse. Usually, the bees will intervene and take care of things on their own accord. But other times beekeeper intervention will be required. Regardless, knowing your

Like any new hobby, beekeeping has some words that most people don’t understand.  When I first became interested in beekeeping I began to read everything I could online. Luckily, there is  a lot of information online for prospective beekeepers. However, one word kept popping up that I did not understand

Figuring out if a honey super is ready to harvest is easier than you might think. You’re simply looking for capped honey. Bees cap their honey for long-term storage. It’s the best way for them to keep the frames from picking up pollutants like dirt, dust, and debris from within

More than just a dog person… I have been an unabashed dog person for most of my life. The sloppy kisses, keen intelligence, and bold demand for belly rubs: have long been thought to be the perfect companion, filling a human need for love. But in between vacuuming dog drool

Bees are remarkably resilient. From hot to cold and through the seasons, bees are adaptable to climates nearly across the board. But with populations numbering in the tens of thousands, the needs of a colony are significant. Bees understand this, of course, and throughout the warmer months, they gather and

As a general rule, we recommend against the use of pesticides or any form of chemicals around your bees wherever possible. However, we also recognize that many of you are avid gardeners or are well within your bees’ range of neighbors who will use pesticides. The following guidance is therefore

Before you tear into your hive, disturbing the bees and disrupting their home, think about your mission. Most times, we don’t need to see our queen up close and personal, we only need to know she is alive, well, and laying a gazillion eggs. In many cases, the brood nest

Bees in the wild make good use of whatever entrances to a space they can find. In the managed environment of our own beehives, however, entrance management is an important skill beekeeper can utilize. From the width of an entrance to their location and number, how your bees are getting

Landing boards and wee porches are unnecessary for honey bees. Nevertheless, the subject is polarizing. Some beekeepers swear by them, others hate them. So what are the issues? I dislike the argument that if wild colonies don’t need landing boards, then no colonies do. However, it’s a good place to