If you like the idea of getting bees for free then you’ll want to check out setting up bait hives.  Bait hives are just that – a bait or type of lure designed to attract a swarm of honey bees that are looking for a new home.  Prior to the actual swarm casting from a […]

Last night we opened the bee hive for the first inspection in three weeks. Our goal in this inspection was to do some maintenance and to see if our queen was laying brood, and if the hive seemed to be growing. We trimmed some of the overgrown grass around the hive entrance. The weeds have […]

“How high off the ground is your hive stand going to be? We didn’t realize how this decision could make for one tall bee hive.

We’ve had our new package of bees for over a month now and they’re doing wonderful! We gave them a headstart by leaving the comb from the old hive in tact on the frames, so all they had to do was clean things up a bit and start capping honey.           […]

Capturing swarms is a very exciting way to get more bees for your apiary and it’s much easier than you may have realized.  The reason that it is generally easy is because when bees are swarming and have clustered themselves on a low branch in a tree or bush, they only have one thing on […]

In order to remember what was going on in each of my hives between inspections or even from season to season I find it helpful to use a beekeeping journal.

You may be surprised by the many benefits of using a top entrance either exclusively or in addition to a bottom entrance in your hives. Check out this DIY piece including a video tutorial.

Last year our colony was doing great! So well infact that we bought another hive thinking that our robust colony might split and swarm. We had an excellent honey crop the year before, and expected things to go just as well last year. Until we did an inspection in late summer.         […]

For readers who live in areas of the country with winters as harsh as those in Northeastern Pennsylvania, colony loss is expected in the spring. As we try to grow our apiary from year to year, winter losses are always a disappointing setback. Two years ago we decided to not just replace the hives lost over the winter, but to […]

Elevating a beehive off the ground can be helpful in several ways. 1. It stops the beehive floor from coming in contact with the damp ground. This will prolong the structural life of your hive and cut down on mold and fungi issues. 2. Elevating can also help prevent some predators from attacking your hive. […]

Are Conditions Right to Inspect the Hive?
When is the best time of day to inspect your hives? Does the weather play a part in inspections? I would like to share a little of what I have discovered over four years of beekeeping.

Lately there has been plenty of buzz over new types of beehives becoming available in the United States. It is no secret that many beekeepers are looking for better ways to keep bees, better ways to ensure the hive’s long-term survival, and better ways to house hives, with improvements to their ergonomic design.. I was […]

With some spring-like weather finally arriving in Northeastern Pennsylvania over the Easter weekend, my wife and I were finally able to break down our hives and switch the big supers from top to bottom. As I mentioned in the last column, we had wrapped some of our hives in black shrink wrap, some in the […]

With the temperature rising above 50 degrees for a few days, it’s time to do a curiosity evaluation. With a smoker in hand and winter patties in the toolbox, I set out to do a quick inspection while the sun is shining and winds are calm.  I notice bee activity at the entrance. A beekeeper waits […]

After your bees have started going to work in their new hive that you put them in, you will need to check in on them periodically to see how things are progressing. If you installed a package of bees, one of the first things you will be checking on as a beekeeper is to see […]