Category: Seasonal Beekeeping
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Recognize a Queenless Colony Before It Is Too Late!
One of a beekeeper’s worst nightmares Realizing you have no queen in a colony you previously did is generally a bad day, but realizing it too late is a REALLY bad day. This post is all about how to spot a queenless colony early on. The signs The good news is that you can follow…
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Rookie Beekeeping Mistakes- What I wish I had known
So your hive is all set up, and your bees are almost ready for pickup. What now? Well, at this point most people just jump right in, and “wing it”. There’s a time in beekeeping to just start, but there are also some simple mistakes that can end up killing your bees. This post will…
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Helping Your Honey Bees Thrive During Heat Waves
They need to keep cool There’s a heat warning in effect where my bees are placed in eastern Washington. That’s made me consider what steps to take to ensure they don’t overheat. Honeybees have a very specific temperature range they can raise brood in. They are masters at keeping their home just the right temperature.…
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Keeping your bees while on vacation
You can set them up and be away from home for a little while As I was preparing to go on vacation, I wanted to make sure I’d set up a post for Sunday. And I thought to myself, what better topic to write about than setting bees up to be left for a little…
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Thinking about getting bees?
Where to start The thought of starting to keep bees can be so exciting. But at least for me, it was also an overwhelming learning curve to start out with. I don’t think beekeepers ever stop learning (at least the good ones don’t), that learning curve is always there. Once you understand the basics, you’ll…
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An Even Simpler Way to Make Splits
It takes more resources than the other way I mentioned, but it’s easier! Want to make a new colony and you don’t have a lot of time in the bee yard? It doesn’t have to be hard to make a new colony (or five.) With this method, you will be giving your large colony a…
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A Simple Way to Make Splits
You don’t have to know how to graft If you are anything like me, the idea of splitting your hives is enough to make you giddy. It can be so addicting. I decided just this weekend, that I have to force myself to stop making splits. I don’t have enough equipment for them the way…
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My Beekeeping Journey
How it all started I grew up on a homestead, where we raised some of our own produce. Gardening was a way of life for us. We had free range chickens, who were more like pets to us than livestock. Each had their own name, and we knew their unique personalities. In time, my dad…