by Hilary | Mar 20, 2024 | Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, New Bees
A newly vaccinated queen passes on protection from AFB to her brood. Did you know there is a new honey bee vaccine? You may have heard about Dalan Animal Health in the news lately. They developed a groundbreaking vaccine that protects honey bees from American...
by Hilary | May 15, 2022 | Equipment, Honey, How To, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers
Honey extractors are the standard when it comes to harvesting honey, but you can harvest without one. One method of honey harvesting called ‘crush and strain’ offers a simple alternative. Keep reading to find out when and why I use this method, plus how I...
by Hilary | Apr 4, 2022 | Equipment, How To, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers
Swarm are designed to travel. When a swarm lands, a beekeeper never knows how long they will stay put. I have often rushed out of the house to catch a swarm only to have them leave in the time it took me to drive to their location. If you hope to catch a swarm this...
by Hilary | Jan 24, 2022 | Equipment, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, New Bees
Many new beekeepers wonder if it’s really necessary to wear a bee suit. They see other beekeepers online wearing minimal to no protective clothing and they aspire to be like them. As romantic as it looks, there is a reason bee suits exist. Read on to explore...
by Hilary | Nov 4, 2021 | Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, Uncategorized
When it comes to small swarms, does size matter? In my last post, I wrote about those big beautiful swarms that get us beekeepers running out the door to catch them. In this post I’ll share what you need to know about catching a small swarm of bees. Undersized Swarms...
by Hilary | Aug 24, 2021 | Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers
Swarm size varies dramatically. Some massive clusters are the equivalent of several watermelons while others are barely grapefruit-sized. These size differences may seem arbitrary, but when a swarm is exceptionally large or small they may need special care. Read on...