Spring has sprung! March 19th marked the official beginning of the warmer seasons, and, for beekeepers, that means we’re back in business. There’s not a whole lot of beekeeping to do during the winter months. Before we get the jump on spring beekeeping, it’s important to know what the bees are going to be doing […]

With over 4,000 species of native bees in North America, many people understandably have trouble identifying one from the other. What’s more, curious naturalists often mistake other types of pollinators for bees. It’s easy to confuse a fly or a wasp with a bee because they all share similar coloring and markings. So, how can […]

Honeybees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America’s native bees — endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies — is just as crucial. Through interviews with farmers, gardeners, scientists, and bee experts, Our Native Bees (Timber Press), by Paige Embry, explores the importance of native bees and focuses on why […]

The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the […]

The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the […]

The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the […]

The queen bee is undoubtedly the most popular bee in the hive. Everyone knows that a honeybee colony has a queen. Vital to colony survival, the queen bee is the mother of all bees in the hive. Therefore, the queen bee must be the boss, right? She is the only one bee necessary for colony […]

Varroa mites can weaken your colony and make your hive susceptible to secondary pests. Oxalic acid is one of the best ways to manage your varroa populations in your hive. Oxalic acid kills 90-99% of the phoretic mites in your beehive. To reach these levels of effectiveness, however, the colony must be broodless. Your beehive […]

Ol Bee Gal, Episodes 1-4 Veteran beekeeper Becky Tipton answers questions from our readers about bees and beekeeping. If you’d like Becky to answer one of your questions, you can follow this link, or post a question in the comments section of an article. Episode 1 Listen on I-Tunes Here are the questions addressed in […]