Bees – Keeping Backyard Bees

DIY Providing Water for Bees

Gene Rene' — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:43:35 +0000

Did you know bees get just as thirsty and exhausted by heat as you?

If you keep bees or even if you just want to be a good neighbor or a thankful gardener, it's easy to give bees a source of water.

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Garden Plan for Attracting Pollinators

Claire Jones — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:40:18 +0000

Many pollinator species have suffered serious declines in recent years. Unfortunately, most of our landscapes offer little in the way of appropriate habitat, forage, and housing. Even the most beautiful gardens are not always healthy ecosystems for pollinators. Design choices, plant selections, and maintenance practices can make a huge difference in creating your own healthy […]

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Hive Inspections During Dearth + Video Tutorial

Gene Rene' — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:23:26 +0000

(scroll down for video) Summer time seems like such a great time of year, but if you are a honey bee you favorite time of the year is really in the spring time. Why? Because there is more forage than all the honey bees in the area can possibly collect. In fact it is such […]

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Top 7 Reasons for Cranky Bees

Melissa Caughey — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:22:03 +0000

Cranky Bees. They are one of the worst nightmares of a beekeeper. Cranky bees are not enjoyable to keep. They have aggressive tendencies and are overprotective of the hive. Often when you have cranky bees, you will be unable to get near the hive or you will get stung. Sometimes these bees chase you for just […]

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What Are Bearding Bees?

Claire Jones — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:21:02 +0000

Congregating bees on the front of the hive is called bearding and new beekeepers often panic at the sight. Bees can mound themselves up in layers or form a single layer on a large area of the front of the hive in a reaction to conditions within the hive. Methods that new beekeepers often try include […]

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In Awe of a Honeybee Swarm

KBB Editor — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:19:38 +0000

GRIT Editor in Chief Hank Will shares an extremely humbling experience and the visual beauty that accompanies a heart-shaped swarm.

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How to Trap Bee Swarms

Claire Jones — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:09:38 +0000

Bees are expensive and you don't want to lose the swarms that come off your hives and hopefully catch others to increase your population. For an investment of about $25 in materials with scrap wood, paint, flashing, and lemon grass oil, I ended up with three additional hives with very little effort.

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Lemongrass Swarm Lure Recipe

KBB Editor — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:09:20 +0000

If you want to increase your chance of successfully attracting a swarm, you can add an attractant to your bait hive. Lemongrass is very similar to the queen bee’s scent. Honeybees find the mixture of lemongrass and beeswax irresistible. Lemongrass Swarm Lure Recipe Yield: 3 ounces Ingredients 2 tablespoons beeswax 1/4 cup olive oil 40 […]

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Prepare Your Bees for Extreme Heat

Brad James — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:09:00 +0000

Bees get hot just like humans do. Be prepared to support them during extreme heat by taking a look at water, ventilation, nutrition and helping to make sure they have easy access to these. If you don't, your beekeeping experience may be less enjoyable.

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Protect Your Bees from Hot Weather

Hilary Kearney — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 20:31:29 +0000

When temperatures rise to extremely high levels, your bees may be at risk. The world is suffering from higher than normal temperatures as the climate crisis rages on, but some beekeepers are also suffering colony losses. Most of the time, bees are best able to control the temperature inside the hive themselves, but when thermostats […]

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