Beekeeping

Speaking to beekeepers on technical aspects of beekeeping will generate many different answers, some of them conflicting. This is because much of the beekeepers’ preferences are driven by personal experience and not theory. Many new beekeepers ask which direction a beehive should face, so let’s dispel some beekeeping myths on this topic. The bees do …

Beekeeping is starting to become more and more popular as the years go by, which is excellent as the more people know about bees, the better we can help and protect them. Things can be overwhelming when you first begin your beekeeping journey, and you may not know where to start. So, here are the …

Are you interested in beekeeping but are worried about getting stung? Fortunately, there is a range of protective bee suits that will enable you to feel safe while learning the art of beekeeping. Those big white bee suits with veiled headgear certainly look impressive, but you may have wondered if a determined bee could string …

Keeping bees requires some space which you may not always have on your property at your home. Wonder where to place a beehive? Beekeepers in need of space for their bees often turn to alternative spaces for their apiaries. One such alternative placing you may consider is putting your beehive in the woods. Is it …

Many new beekeepers are uncertain of the best beehive stand height. Do you wonder if you should put your beehives on a hive stand or whether they can simply be placed on the ground? In most cases, a beehive should be on a stand, so the next question is how high your beehive should be …

Harvesting honey from their own beehives is a sweet and delicious reward for beekeepers. If you’re new to keeping bees, you might wonder:  do bees get mad when you take their honey? Harvesting honey does not anger or hurt the bees unless you are greedy and take too much. When done properly, bees are undisturbed …

We are all familiar with bees buzzing in and out of flowers, collecting pollen, and building hives. They are such industrious creatures that we would probably guess that they have no time for politics, fighting, or hive wars. When we think of nature, though, many animals or insects are aggressive to each other, even when …

Beehives out in the environment will deteriorate as the sun, and the weather takes their toll on the hives. If your hive has bees already installed and established, you may wonder what your options are for repainting your beehive to restore its look and protect the wood. Can you paint a beehive with bees in …

Cold weather affects bees and their behavior, and if the weather gets too cold, it can be extremely detrimental to your bees, especially a new colony. Installing packaged bees in cooler weather can be an advantage, but if the temperature drops too low, the bees could suffer. So how cold is too cold to install …

A smoker is an indispensable piece of equipment for the beekeeper, and you should always have a lit smoker on hand before you open your hives to do any work. As a new beekeeper, you may wonder what you can and can’t use in your smoker to produce the smoke to keep your bees under …