hives – Keeping Backyard Bees

Assessing Hive Temperament

Nicole Gennetta — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 20:11:27 +0000

Have you ever wondered why one hive may act differently than others? Or maybe why your once gentle hive is suddenly out to sting anything that moves? Hive temperament can be somewhat subjective (as some people are more tolerant of froggy bees than others), however, there is generally variation from one hive to the other. […]

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Plant Trees for Bees

Hilary Kearney — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 00:10:59 +0000

When people ask me how they can help bees, I used to say, “Plant a pollinator garden!” I would then rattle off a list of bee-friendly flowers and shrubs to get them started. Then I had an epiphany. A tree provides much more forage than any patch of flowers ever could. It’s so obvious, but […]

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Ventilation: It’s Complicated

Susan Chernak McElroy — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 21:18:02 +0000

The interior of a hive is a wet, warm, stifling environment. Should we put our opposable thumbs to use and take over temperature control?

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Bees-First Beekeeping: Part I–Mites, Wax, and Sex

Susan Chernak McElroy — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:20:04 +0000

For the past hundred years, we've been keeping bees according to what works best for beekeepers. What would it look like if we began putting the bees' desires and needs first? It looks something like this...

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Top Entrance Bee Hives

Gene Rene' — Thu, 14 May 2015 20:24:48 +0000

You may be surprised by the many benefits of using a top entrance either exclusively or in addition to a bottom entrance in your hives. Check out this DIY piece including a video tutorial.

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Reasons for Hive Inspections

Nancy Buffington — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:37:31 +0000

Each time I open the hive, I risk injuring or killing the queen. Each time I open the hive I set the hive back. The bees have to repair what I messed up! When I first started as a backyard bee keeper I loved to look in the hives. I wanted to get in there every few days to check things out. I did not realize there should be a PURPOSE for each inspection. Here I share some reasons for hive inspections.

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Why Do Bees Build in Hexagons?

KBB Editor — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 16:09:06 +0000

If you study a honeycomb, you'll notice that it's composed solely of hexagonal (or six sided) designs in wax. Why, of all the possible shapes, why do bees prefer these ones?

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The Advantages of “Small Cell Bees”

Gene Rene' — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 06:54:11 +0000

This article serves two main purposes: (1) To educate you on what the term means and (2) to show you the definite advantage that one has over the other and why you should know more about small cell bees.

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Propolis in the Hive

Nancy Buffington — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 03:33:32 +0000

Propolis is another one of the unique products made by our fuzzy friends. It can be a pain to deal with in the inspection process but it is a necessary component to the beehive.

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Chickens and Bees Together?

Melissa Caughey — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:56:22 +0000

Do chickens and bees mix? You might be surprised

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