Honey bees on a camping trip
Once upon a time two colonies of honey bees decided to spend an autumn weekend away from the suburbs. They packed their tents, sleeping bags, and plenty to eat before they took off into the foothills....
View ArticleWhy tip my hive?
Sometimes we do things, and pass tips onto others, without really thinking about why. This morning, for example, someone asked me how far he should tip his hive forward. It seems that the members of...
View ArticleNectar dearth and summer stress
Many of us are in a summer nectar dearth or are fast approaching one. Several things happen to your bees when days are hot and forage is scarce. Here is a list of management ideas that will make the...
View ArticleMoisture quilts should be dry
Every now and again someone wants to know what happens when my moisture quilts become saturated. One beekeeper wrote, “I can’t believe you keep a soggy pillow over top your bees.” The short answer is...
View ArticleKeep honey bees dry and draft free
After writing a post about upper entrances in winter, I received a lot of mail from beekeepers who insisted that an upper entrance in winter would place the colony at risk of freezing. My own...
View ArticleFour elegant homemade bee hives
Rick Cheverton, a beekeeper in Knoxville, Tennessee just finished his wintertime project: four gorgeous homemade bee hives with all the accoutrements. Rick shares his thought process and explains some...
View ArticleSlatted racks: everything you need to know
I was a newbee when my mentor took one look at my overcrowded, bearding colony and said, “I think you need a slatted rack.” And then he left. Huh? What the heck was he talking about? And later, when I...
View ArticleMany dead bees on screened inner cover: what happened?
A beekeeper asks: "Why are there so many dead bees on my screened inner covers?” Good question. The post Many dead bees on screened inner cover: what happened? appeared first on Honey Bee Suite.
View ArticleHow to wrap a hive to overcome cold weather
You can wrap a hive in many different ways. Here, Michigan beekeeper Jim Withers demonstrates how to wrap a hive with roofing felt. The post How to wrap a hive to overcome cold weather appeared first...
View ArticleA gentle warning about upper entrances: not too big
If robbing begins, a small colony can quickly be overrun by invaders coming through a large upper entrance, especially if there is a lower entrance as well. The post A gentle warning about upper...
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