Hive Types – Keeping Backyard Bees

The Best Beehives for Beginners

Hilary Kearney — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 18:33:33 +0000

I can see in their face that they expect a finite answer. They want my blessing or a warning against a certain hive style, but they are destined for disappointment. As with so many questions in beekeeping, my answer is not a simple "yes" or "no". Read on for an exploration of this common query.

The post The Best Beehives for Beginners appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

An Indoor Beehive In My Bedroom Wall

Susan Chernak McElroy — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 19:36:53 +0000

Once again, I find myself gloriously behind the times. In this particular case, a few thousand years behind the times. I built and maintain a wall beehive — a colony housed in the wall of my bedroom. I have been calling it my Observation Hive because it has a plexiglas cover on the inside wall, […]

The post An Indoor Beehive In My Bedroom Wall appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

Scandinavian Bee Boxes

Whitney Chandler — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 19:49:00 +0000

As many beekeepers know, the uses of having a beehive on your farm are plentiful. Honey has numerous health benefits, in addition to being a delicious natural sweetener. The wax can be used for a countless number of things around the home, including candles and beauty products. My partner and I decided to become beekeepers […]

The post Scandinavian Bee Boxes appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

Making Homes for Wild Bees

KBB Editor — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:16:47 +0000

Solitary cavity-nesting species such as mason bees are attracted to logs and dead trees, as well as hollow branches such as bamboo or sumac. Elderberry stems also are good because they have a soft pith that’s easily cleaned out. David Green of pollinator.com says don’t place elderberry stems out too late in spring because they […]

The post Making Homes for Wild Bees appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

Spring Cleaning Beehives

KBB Editor — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 18:59:56 +0000

The first warm, sunny day in early spring when the temperature reaches 45° to 50°F (7° to 10°C) is a great time to pay a visit to your apiary. This first visit of the year involves primarily a quick check of the hives, simply to make sure they are still alive. A trip to see […]

The post Spring Cleaning Beehives appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

Country Lore: Mason Bee Boxes

KBB Editor — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 07:40:55 +0000

Particularly useful in orchards, mason bees (also called blue orchard bees) can visit hundreds of flowers per day. They don’t make honey, but they collect pollen for nest holes where they lay eggs, and then plug the holes with mud. They look like small blue-black flies, and they rarely sting. The bee larvae and cocoons […]

The post Country Lore: Mason Bee Boxes appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

All About Mason Bee Houses

Jennifer Sartell — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:00:38 +0000

Mason bees look for tiny holes in the wild to lay their brood. Bee-friendly places might be holes bored into trees by other insects or the stems of dried reeds and other plants. Ideally, the hole should be around 8mm (around the width of a pencil) and 3-4 inches deep. The female bee will collect […]

The post All About Mason Bee Houses appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

How to Make Nucleus Honeybee Hives

KBB Editor — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 18:47:30 +0000

Making nucleus hives or “nucs” is a good way to expand your apiary without spending a lot of money and without the worry of introducing Africanized genetics from packaged bees. (Now that Africanized bees inhabit our more southern states, this is a concern.) You also will be creating queens that are best acclimated to your […]

The post How to Make Nucleus Honeybee Hives appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

SKEP BEEKEEPING: From a Hive to a Skep

Susan Chernak McElroy — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 18:43:46 +0000

Moving colonies successfully and gently from one hive to another takes planning and good bee math.

The post SKEP BEEKEEPING: From a Hive to a Skep appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.

Keeping Bees in Skeps: My Continuing Journey in Straw

Susan Chernak McElroy — Mon, 01 May 2017 22:44:24 +0000

This is my first summer keeping bees in straw hives called "skeps." Come follow my journey!

The post Keeping Bees in Skeps: My Continuing Journey in Straw appeared first on Keeping Backyard Bees.