Product Reviews – Keeping Backyard Bees

The Backyard Beekeeper: A Book Review for Beekeepers

Rachel Cunning — Sat, 24 Mar 2018 11:40:36 +0000

I wish that the first book I had ever read on beekeeping was The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden. Kim Flottum’s expert advice is a comprehensive introduction to getting started with your own backyard hives. Although I am not an absolute beginner, I still gleaned useful […]

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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 […]

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A Beekeeper’s Book Review of More Than Honey: The Survival of Bees and the Future of Our World

Rachel Cunning — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 18:25:18 +0000

Markus Imhoof outlines many of the problems facing beekeepers today in his book More Than Honey: The Survival of Bees and the Future of Our World, which Imhoof had originally produced as a documentary. His slant is strongly pro-bees and anti-pesticides and, in conjunction, anti-commercial agriculture. In particular, I found his interviews with a large […]

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The Beetle Jail Follow-Up: A Review

Rachel Cunning — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 15:59:33 +0000

We recently checked back on our hive after installing the new beetle jails to replace the beetle blasters. As I wrote about earlier, I haven’t been entirely satisfied with the beetle blasters and was looking for alternatives. In the comments to my post, many other beekeepers have shared their own strategies there for trapping small hive […]

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WHAT TO DO WITH THAT HOLIDAY BEEKEEPING KIT

Hilary Kearney — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 04:21:22 +0000

Unwrapping a brand new, wooden beehive is exciting! Most kits come with a few tools and simple veil to round it out which makes you feel like you’ve got everything you need to start keeping bees. A popular Costco kit proclaims on the box, “All you need to add is a package of bees!” Unfortunately, it’s […]

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2016 BEEKEEPER GIFT GUIDE

Hilary Kearney — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 02:10:03 +0000

Once you become a beekeeper, everyone you know will start buying you bee themed gifts. Your house will quickly fill up with cute, but useless bee tchotchkes. How many ceramic skeps can one person have? Okay, maybe you actually like bee trinkets so I have included a few, but I have balanced them with some […]

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Overcoming My Fear of Bees

Jennifer Sartell — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:18:28 +0000

GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a tube of Stops the Sting! Entry details at the bottom of the post! When I was about 11 my dad was stung by a Bald Face Hornet. It was a Saturday. He was mowing the lawn. Suddenly the mower engine stopped and my dad came rushing in the house. He […]

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Tools of the Trade

Jennifer Sartell — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 19:28:16 +0000

The bee keeper’s collection of tools can range from a few simple items to a large variety of bee-specific gadgets. Much is determined by preference, how many hives you have, and how much money, time and effort you are willing to designate to complete a chore. Here is an overview of some common bee keeping […]

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Here’s Lookin’ at ’Em: Observation Hives

KBB Editor — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:40:41 +0000

There is an excellent way to display your bees and share them with the world—thanks to a handy little product called an observation hive.

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