The iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin anchors the famous “Unter den Linden”, Under the Linden Trees, which bees flock to when they bloom Beekeeping, especially urban beekeeping, is picking up steam and buzz! When I first attended my “Beekeeping Basics” class put on by the local beekeepers club twenty years ago, older men in coveralls […]

Lately, it seems like everyone I meet wants to get into backyard beekeeping. Maybe it’s the popularity of the Flow Hive that enticed this new wave of would-be beekeepers or maybe it’s the headlines about bee die-offs. If you’ve been thinking about getting bees, but haven’t taken the plunge yet, read on to find out exactly what […]

Mostly everything you need to know about your bees, you can learn without ever going into the hive. Sharpen your observations skills at the entry board, first.

A thing of beauty-perfect teardrop swarm   Swarm forming on branch As a new contributor to Keeping Backyard Bees, I have lots of swarm stories from 20 years of beekeeping. Averaging between 2 and 4 hives each season, I have certainly seen my share of mass exodus of carefully tended bees that decide to look for a new […]

You might just find that you can save money on a honey extractor after you check out this method of harvesting your natural honey.

I teach a series of beginning beekeeper classes called Bee-Centered Beekeeping: Putting Bees’ Needs First. My approach is non-treatment and minimal intervention, trusting the bees to take care of most things themselves. My guiding principle—“What do bees like?”—informs how I work with my hives.

Guest post by Dana Harris The benefits of keeping bees are countless, starting from the valuable products bees produce all the way to the fact that they contribute to keeping the ecosystem balanced. These small hard-working creatures play an important role in pollinating the flowers and crops without which we wouldn’t have many of the […]

Did you know one healthy hive will make or consume more than 50 kg of honey in a single year? But how is it made, exactly? You may be surprised to learn, it involves kind of a lot of vomit.

Catching a swarm is a total blast. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting some wild bees for free. You just gotta get a little courageous and suit up to your comfort level and go get ‘em. Here’s a neat little tip that might just get you a few extra bees this spring using some items that you may have in your garage.