Pollinator News – Keeping Backyard Bees

Identifying Different Types of Bees

Hilary Kearney — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 19:41:18 +0000

With over 4,000 species of native bees in North America, many people understandably have trouble identifying one from the other. What’s more, curious naturalists often mistake other types of pollinators for bees. It’s easy to confuse a fly or a wasp with a bee because they all share similar coloring and markings. So, how can […]

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Creating a Bumblebee Nest

Claire Jones — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 23:15:03 +0000

The importance of bumblebees as agricultural pollinators can’t be overstated. Unlike honey bees, they are able to forage in cold, rainy, and cloudy conditions, so it is possible to see them in all kinds of weather. Even on a cold morning you can find a bumblebee sleeping inside a flower blossom waiting for some warmth […]

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2018 Neonics Ban in Maryland

Claire Jones — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 22:59:56 +0000

Editor’s note: The information presented below may no longer be relevant or accurate. I have seen the precipitous decline in bee populations while beekeeping over the past 20 years. I recently lost all three of my beehives this past year, more than at any time in my beekeeping career. Yes, I can replace them, but […]

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The Endangered Rusty Patch Bumblebee

Jennifer Sartell — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 20:43:09 +0000

It has been said that every third bite we eat has been provided by a bee. I don’t know about you, but I like to eat. In fact, it might be my favorite thing to do. So when something comes to my awareness that might impend that favorite activity, I pay attention. In January of […]

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SmartBee Cold Storage: Giving Bees a Chance

KBB Editor — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 19:37:25 +0000

Israel Bravo has been on a quest for the past decade to help bees and beekeepers. He has been keeping bees professionally for over 17 years and, while working as a team foreman for a large-scale beekeeping operation in Idaho, he was inspired to help his fellow pollinator stewards. Over the years, Mr. Bravo became […]

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How to Harvest Mason Bee Cocoons

Jennifer Sartell — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:06:47 +0000

There are generally two ways in which you can raise mason bees. You can go at it with a hands-off approach and let nature take its course or you can take some quick and easy additional steps to ensure a healthier mason bee population. Any help really that you’re willing to provide will be appreciated […]

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HOW TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF BEEKEEPING

Hilary Kearney — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 01:25:55 +0000

In most ways, it’s a great time to be a beekeeper. The mystery surrounding the increase in bee mortality has brought beekeeping into the public eye. We are celebrated, fawned over and sought out for guidance. Some even tout us as environmental heroes. But with all this attention also comes criticisms. So, how can we address and […]

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Beekeeping and Honey Labeling

KBB Editor — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 04:04:38 +0000

Guest post by Dana Harris The benefits of keeping bees are countless, starting from the valuable products bees produce all the way to the fact that they contribute to keeping the ecosystem balanced. These small hard-working creatures play an important role in pollinating the flowers and crops without which we wouldn’t have many of the […]

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Bees Collecting Pollen in December

Nancy Buffington — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 01:49:47 +0000

While nectar and pollen sources are non-existent to my eyes, the bees have their sources and they are certainly bringing in pollen. I saw bees bringing in white, yellow and even red pollen.

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The History of Honey as Medicine

KBB Editor — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:47:33 +0000

Learn about the healing history of honey as medicine, how it can improve your health and how to know you’re buying sustainable products.

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