Unlock a New Year full of possibilities having by your side our Calendar for 2022. Each month reveals inspirational photos with bees and beekeepers, motivational quotes, and practical advice for beekeepers. A whole new year of beekeeping is ahead of you and we hope this Calendar can be your guide at every step of the…
Are you thinking about building your own Langstroth beehive and saving more money? Considered the most popular type of hive around the world, Langstroth hives can be easily built at home. It requires the right type of wood, good materials, proper tools and some woodworking skills for a high quality hive. In the video below…
Beekeeping is a noble practice that deserves to be fully appreciated. As bee populations continue to decline at a rapid pace, people are drawn to learn beekeeping and apply the best practices in order to keep them safe. Managing hives in efficient ways so bees can successfully thrive has become an important mission in every…
There are multiple key contributors that are associated with high annual colony losses. Most of them are interconnected and together form a group known as the “Four P’s” – pathogens, parasites, poor nutrition, pesticides. As a beekeeper it is very important to be aware of these “ Four P’s” threats and follow constant routines to keep…
Let me start by very briefly introducing myself to you. I live in Dannevirke, a small town on the North Island of New Zealand. I live here with my husband (Ron) and our Cat (Wedgley). Ron runs a small furniture making and repair business from home. An advantage to this is that I always have…
Worker bees select the larvae from which the queens are developed. There are 3 important reasons why worker bees produce queens: swarming, queen superscedure and emergency queen replacement. As a result, the colony builds different queen cells, which care be identified by the beekeepers. Every queen cell presents distinctive signs that can be interpreted by…
One of the most valuable tools for every beekeeper is the bee smoker. During every inspection, the proper use of a bee smoker will calm the hive and help save bee lives. Why is it necessary to include this tool in your activity? It is safer for the bees and the beekeepers to work in…
When a hive is robbed, it usually happens because of nectar shortage. Bees from other colonies invade weaker hives and steal honey. They will tear open the honey cells to get to the honey while bringing in mites and other diseases to your colony. Prevention is better than stopping this robbing, so follow the measures…
When the heat waves become notably damaging and the temperature is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the bees’ hive becomes almost inhospitable. That is the moment when the beekeeper should intervene to protect hives against intense temperatures, by applying proper practices for the summertime season. In our last article, we started by mentioning some of the…
Summertime is an exciting season but also very challenging for all the beekeepers. For the bees, summer is a busy time as well. As all plants bloom, the nectar reaches its peak. When that happens, bees are working tirelessly to collect pollen and gather the nectar, followed by intensive honey production. It is important to…
