The question I’m hearing most frequently these days is “how is my hive doing?” It is challenging for a newbee to know if progress is appropriate, in the dance of two billion factors that influence colony success. Marshall and I decided to work about 20 hives this...
Here’s some things to think about for your apiary about this time of year–for colonies in climates similar to ours … in my opinion of course. Beekeeping practices vary. 1) Wish a Happy Father’s Day to any friendly drones you see. Hopefully those will be the...
I hesitated a few seconds before I added “and Answers” to the title of this blog. Beekeeping is often more art than science. What I prescribe may be different from other beekeepers’ answer. The lack of black-and-white answers is a maddening thing (and one of the...
My phone, and my colonies, are buzzing. The phone with questions, the latter with bees. Here are some things I suggest you bear in mind this time of year for colonies located in climates similar to SW Michigan. Yes, this is a long post. There’s a lot going...
In the bee-ginner classes I taught this year, I said I’d be posting periodic updates of my packages’ and nucs’ progress, so you could compare and ponder whether yours were ahead or behind or what. Typically packages arrive within a few weeks of each other, and...
I’m lying. To me, bees are anything but taxing. But, having written a couple big checks this tax season, I’m trying to find some humor in the situation with a play on words. Speaking of playing, we played with bees this weekend, when we helped some new beekeepers...
