When I first got interested in beekeeping, I wanted to get started right away! But then I looked outside at the snow and realized it was January, and maybe now wasn’t such a great time. When should you start a beehive? Spring is an ideal time of year to start a new hive. April is…
Beekeeping isn’t something that most of us learn while growing up. So it can seem like an intimidating hobby or profession to get into. Is beekeeping hard? Being responsible for an entire colony of living things can be hard work. There’s some heavy lifting and physically difficult tasks involved, especially when it’s time to harvest…
When I decided to start keeping bees, a big concern for me was whether it was allowed where I live. Luckily for me it was. But what about in your area? The answer varies widely depending on where you live. Do I need permission to keep bees? It seems like every city has their own…
Choosing the right type of honey bees to populate your hive is an important consideration for any novice beekeeper. Different races of bees have slightly different characteristics. To choose the right kind of bees for you, keep in mind that there is not one single best kind of honey bee, and your final choice depends…
One of the most unnerving ideas for new beekeepers (me included) is the possibility of getting stung. As a beekeeper you’re in close proximity to your beehives on a regular basis. But you also have to consider other people moving around your hives. Neighbors, friends and family obviously need to be taken into account. This…
I know it’s captivating to watch your bees at work, so it’s very tempting to go and take a peek at your bees whenever you fancy. It’s very cold here at the moment and disturbing bees during the winter obviously isn’t acceptable. But that got me wondering what would be the best temperature to inspect…
Smoke has been used by beekeepers for centuries, even before the modern bee smoker was invented. Bees can feel threatened when anything which resembles an enemy approaches their beehive. That probably includes you! So no matter how docile your bees are, you need something to pacify them during hive inspections. Smoke has the effect of…
Winter is just around the corner and the coldest days are still ahead… brr ! I don’t do cold very well. I always have to put on multiple layers of clothes just to keep warm. Winter is also a strain for bees, especially if you live in a cool northern region. You may be wondering…
It’s gone very cold over the last few weeks and I don’t see any bees buzzing around the garden. Not that there’s much for them to feed on at this time of year. If you’re new to beekeeping like myself you’ve probably wondered what occurs to a bee colony during the cold winter months of…
Perhaps one of the most important things to consider when you begin beekeeping is where you are going to put your beehives. As a beginner it’s generally recommended to start out with at least two hives. An empty hive is easy to set up. But a full hive is heavy and full of bees… And…