by Hilary | Mar 11, 2017 | How To, Lists, New Bees, Troubleshooting
Beekeeping forums are intimidating, but they are also a wealth of information for new beekeepers. Sometimes an innocent question devolves into personal insults or spirals into an out of control debate you can barely comprehend. So, how can you best access this...
by Hilary | Jul 1, 2016 | How To, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, Troubleshooting
Living in an Africanized honey bee zone can be a challenge. Africanized bees have some advantages and are not usually as terrible as the media makes them out to be (i.e. “killer bees”), but sometimes you end up with a colony deserving of that name. The...
by Hilary | Mar 26, 2016 | How To, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, Natural Beekeeping, New Bees
The other day, a child in one of my children’s bee classes asked me if I would run away if I saw a swarm of bees. I smiled and told her, “No, I would run towards them because I’d want to catch them!” In fact, I have done this. I chased a swarm...
by Hilary | Mar 11, 2016 | Lists, New Bees, Troubleshooting
Urban beekeeping on the rise in many parts of the world. It’s surge in popularity seems to stem from concern about honeybees decreasing numbers, it’s connection to the locally sourced food movement and the classic reason: honey! This shift towards backyard...
by Hilary | Feb 10, 2016 | How To, Intermediate & Experienced Beekeepers, New Bees, Troubleshooting
One of the single most helpful habits a new beekeeper can form is record taking. Every time you do a hive inspection, you should take notes on what you see. Not only does this practice help reinforce what you already know, but it will help you to learn new things down...