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.

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.

Well, NOW is the time to start preparing your bees for late fall and winter. I wanted to share some things that will help you get your bees ready in time so they can ride out the cold weather that will be here before you know it.

If you have multiple hives you want to elevate, you may want to consider a hive stand. You could easily fit four production colonies on just one hive stand, and if you’re using only nucs, you could put even more. Learn how to build the hive stand in this great video tutorial below.

Did you know bees get just as thirsty and exhausted by heat as you?

If you keep bees or even if you just want to be a good neighbor or a thankful gardener, it’s easy to give bees a source of water.

Below, I show you how my friend and I cut bees out of an invading hive in order to re-home them. Follow along to learn more about the process. By the way: If you or someone you know notices an invasion of bees, the first, second, or third call you make should definitely not be to an […]

Recently, Anand Varma was asked to photograph the life of bees for National Geographic. He found a local Berkeley beek named Alice Rosenthal who agreed to let him use her hive for the project in exchange for a warm place for her hive to recover over winter. What resulted is nothing short of spectacular. Learn […]

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.

Seeing honey bees swarming affects people differently. Beeks start thinking about how to capture the swarm and non-beeks, well, they don’t.  If you don’t have bees then this is for you and if you do have bees you may want to share this with your non-beek friends. I was tagged in a post this morning on Facebook by […]

With warming temperatures, you may find yourself mesmerized enough by the increasing hive activity to be tempted to open the hive. But reconsider. There may be another way to evaluate your hive without opening it sooner than you should.

If you study a honeycomb, you’ll notice that it’s composed solely of hexagonal (or six sided) designs in wax. Why, of all the possible shapes, why do bees prefer these ones?

Editor’s Note: This is not a place for ad hominem attacks, but rational commentary and concern. Several experienced beeks have shared their concerns about the Flow Hive setup, even after watching all promotional material. To be clear: experienced beekeepers are on both sides of the fence. We share their opinions below, but that share does […]

I have great news for you beekeepers that want natural comb, but also want the convenience of using frames. It’s like having the best of both worlds, and I highly encourage new beekeepers to consider this method of management for your bees.

from Enjoy Beekeeping Spring is just around the corner. Many beekeepers both new and experienced, are making plans for starting new colonies of bees in 2015. Are you one of the many that currently enjoy this amazing hobby? If so, you already know the excitement that comes from bringing home your package or nuc from your […]