When you become a beekeeper, you learn all kinds of fascinating things about bee behavior. One of those things is festooning. This refers to how bees sometimes cling together like a chain between two points in space. When you observe this for the first time, you might be puzzled. What is it the bees are…
They don’t call them “busy bees” for nothing! There are times when these industrious little creatures buzz around relentlessly from flower to flower. And other times, they just disappear. The ebb and flow of bee activity vary during the day and throughout the year according to seasonal changes. But when exactly are bees less active?…
The step after bees have moved into a nuc or nucleus hive is to move the colony into a full-sized hive. This can be a nerve-wracking task, and the timing is important! But how long can the bees stay in the nuc, and when is the best time to relocate them to the new hive? …
Can you keep bees on a boat, is not a question I ever expected to hear, but it was recently posed to me by a farmer. My initial reaction was a horrified “No way!” but once I’d recovered my composure somewhat, I realized that I didn’t know for sure, and my reply was based on…
When most of us think about keeping bees, we imagine that it’s all about the honey. But what if that is not your intent? Perhaps you are just trying to do your part to save the bees. Maybe, you just like to watch them interact with the nature around them and have them pollinate your…
Bees producing queen cells in a hive is a perfectly natural activity. It’s often in response to specific conditions within the hive. Sometimes this means the outlook is good! Other times it means things are looking bleak 🙂 Understanding why a colony produces queen cells can help beekeepers control the outcomes. But whatever the reason…
Bees are gentle creatures. They only sting in defense (which is why they have stingers!) A lot of us have experienced the painful stab of a bee sting. Bees generally buzz around minding their own business until you frighten them or get them agitated. And then they sting you because you’re a giant threatening creature….
The smell of a healthy, busy honey bee hive is amazing. And it definitely shouldn’t have an offensive odor. Funny aromas might be a warning sign that something is amiss. Or it could be a normal part of the colony’s seasonal changes. So before you panic, let’s have a look at some of the multiple…
For most beekeepers, honey is an important commodity. Therefore, we tend to our colonies in the hopes of being rewarded with this liquid bounty. But working with bees can be incredibly tricky at times. So what happens if our bees are not storing the honey we need? If this happens, the conditions in your hive…
Keeping bees requires several maintenance tasks for the bees themselves and keeping the beehives in good condition. One method to extend the lifespan of your beehives and provide better temperature control is to paint your beehives. Can you paint a beehive while the bees are still in it, or can you only paint empty hives…