Why Join a Beekeeping Club? Many new beekeepers and prospective beekeepers are urged to join beekeeper clubs and organizations to learn more about the art of beekeeping. Even experienced beekeepers find themselves with questions and want to connect with other beekeepers in the area. Locally, your state’s Beekeeper Association is one of the best resources […]

The importance of bumblebees can’t be overstated as pollinators for agriculture both in the field and in greenhouses. Unlike honey bees, they are able to forage under cold, rainy, and cloudy conditions, so it is possible to see them in all kinds of weather. Even in an early cold morning, you can see a bumblebee […]

One of the most important decisions that a beekeeper who wants to sell their honey harvest is what to place on their honey label. Appealing to a consumer and stand out from other honey products, the label needs to capture someones attention. Plus, there is limited space to convey your honey benefits to a consumer. […]

When the worst happens and you lose a hive, it’s hard to know what to do with what’s left behind. Do you try to save the comb so that you can reuse it on another hive? How do you deal with a moth or beetle invasion? What kind of things are safe to use for […]

Ummmm…..that’s sooo good! I hear that phrase over and over when someone tastes my home-grown honey for the first time. Their face lights up and a look of delight transforms them when they dip their fingers into the sticky sunshine. Most people are used to the purchased plastic bear of generic clover honey (sometimes adulterated) […]

It’s amazing the way a beehive can have a personality. While the colony is made up of thousands of individual bees, it is the overall, collective demeanor of the group that makes it as if you are working with a single organism.   If you have an overly-aggressive hive you can change the behavior of […]

The governor of Michigan just declared a State of Emergency for our state due to record-breaking low temperatures. As I write this post, it’s currently -6 degrees F with a wind-chill of -30. So worrying if our hive is overheated is really not a concern right now…quite the opposite. However, coming this spring, I will […]

Finding the queen bee in your hives can be challenging— even for veteran beekeepers. Some queens are plump and shine like a gold beacon on the frame, while others seem to have camouflage. Not only does your ability to find her depend on her size and color, but her behavior, too. Some queens flaunt themselves […]

When my husband first showed interest in beekeeping, one of my biggest fears is that we would accidentally end up with a “Killer Bee” colony. I had heard rumors of Killer Bee colonies coming up from states like Florida to the north. Images of bee swarms chasing us in angry pursuit and thousands of deadly […]

Now that you have harvested honey and the bees have been tucked away for winter, now is a great time to review the season while your memory is still fresh. An honest review of your beekeeping year will help to improve next year. So let’s get started! What Worked This is the easiest and most […]