What’s better than surfing the web or watching Netflix? Having your very own observation bee hive of course! Whether you are a newbee or a long time veteran beekeeper an observation bee hive is the coolest addition to any home.

Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate and provide our bees what they need when they need it. It is up to the beekeeper to help a new package of bees get established.

Bees are amazing! It’s strange to think that I have a relationship with an insect, but truly I do. And not just one insect, but thousands! A whole insect family! When I’m out in the yard, pulling weeds in the garden and I see a honey bee, my heart smiles. “That’s one of our bees” […]

Now is the perfect time to get a jump start on spring time preparations by building equipment like frames. Using a frame jig is an excellent way to build lots of frames and cut your work time down considerably. Here’s how:

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are behind us, I like to start thinking about the spring to come. I’ve already separated our Buff Orpington chickens for breeding this spring. The seed catalogs are coming in and dreams of warmer weather and longer days are on my mind. Each night I sit […]

While nectar and pollen sources are non-existent to my eyes, the bees have their sources and they are certainly bringing in pollen. I saw bees bringing in white, yellow and even red pollen.

While scientists are not entirely certain what’s causing colony collapse for sure, this easy-to-understand animation carefully explains the phenomenon and why we need to help the honeybee if not for their species, at least for ours.

It’s best to only have enough comb in your hive that your bees can cover and with cooler temperatures coming, they will start to cluster. Keeping warm will be easier in a smaller space.

These turkey place card holders are very easy to make, and they give the Thanksgiving table a little something extra. I love the warm golden hue of the beeswax and the scent of the honey-infused wax. It’s the perfect color to compliment the late autumn palette. When packed carefully, they can be used for many […]

I normally use an open feeder in the fall when we start to get cool weather and there is not much out there for the bees to forage on.  I’ve used liquid sugar water feeders as an open source for feeding, but with cooler temps it has to be very thick syrup or the bees can’t […]

It is important to give attention to beekeeping equipment cleaning methods. Tending to the task of equipment cleaning now can give you a head start this spring.

The phrase stealing honey from the bees could not be more accurate. In addition to bees, at Iron Oak Farm we also raise chickens for eggs, and goats for dairy and fiber. With the other animals on our farm, I feel as though the relationship is a bit more balanced. We provide food, shelter and […]

There comes a time when the beekeeper has to step in and play referee.

It came earlier this month when I had to decide to squish an underperforming queen bee for the health of the hive.

What happened To the Drones The weather has started cooling in NE Ga, and hive activity has changed with the season. One very noticeable change is the drone activity. As I walk the bee yard observing the hives and performing final inspections of the season, it is not uncommon to see lots of drones wandering […]

Sometimes I feel as though I live in a museum, or a nature center, or petting farm. More often than not, our weekends are filled with friends and family stopping by to check out the new baby chicks, or to see the fiber goats be shorn, or to give milking a try. And to be […]