When to add a brood chamber and when to harvest honey?by Don Marable (Brownwood, Texas) I installed package bees on April 7, 2011. They have filled six frames with honey and are working on frames seven and eight. When should I add another brood box, and when can I expect to harvest honey? We had […]
Beekeeping
When to Add Supers
When to Add Supersby Margaret Smith (Anderson, SC) I am a new bee keeper who has a hive with a newly caught swarm and a hive with newly installed packaged bees. Both hives are active and the bees are working hard. I was told not to put on a super right away because I started […]
Do You Have a Bee Sting Allergy?
Yes, you do. Because everyone reacts to a bee sting in some way. But do you have a SEVERE bee sting allergy? Probably not. Since less than 1% of people are severely allergic, the odds are very much against it. Confused? That’s understandable. Because the topic of allergic reactions to bee stings can be quite […]
EpiPen: It Could Save Your Life
An EpiPen (or Epi-Pen) is designed to provide a self-administered emergency treatment for anaphylactic shock. You must have a prescription to purchase one. How it Works If you experience a life-threatening allergic reaction from a bee sting (or any other cause), prompt treatment is crucial. Survival may depend upon receiving treatment within minutes. If you […]
Beekeeping Basics: Thinking About Becoming a Beekeeper?
If so, there are a few beekeeping basics that you’ll want to consider while making your decision. For instance, you will need to decide if you can keep bees where you live. You’ll need to consider whether you have any physical or health issues that might make beekeeping difficult. You’ll probably also want to have […]
Manuka Honey As A Natural Cure for Acid Reflux
As a natural cure for acid reflux and as a natural heartburn remedy, Manuka honey may be very effective. How Manuka Honey Works The pain of heartburn is caused by the acids of the stomach ‘refluxing’ into the esophagus. Since the esophagus does not have the protection from stomach acid that the stomach has, this […]
The Reason for One Queen
The Reason for One Queen by Cynthia Silbert (San Diego ) Is there a reason for only one queen? would the hive go into chaos if there were two? Is the death of the queens in turn to better the hive and sustain life itself? Hi Cynthia, Queen bees emit a pheromone usually called ‘queen […]
The Bee Dance
The Bee Dance by Chris When my brother decided he wanted to add a beekeeping badge to his medley of Boy Scout merit badges, a local beekeeper helped him start a beehive. His beekeeping training was off to a good start, and the rest of the family thought it interesting that we had a beehive […]
Small Hive Beetle
The small hive beetle is a honey bee pest that is relatively recent to North America. The hive beetle originates in South Africa, where it is not a major problem because the aggressive African bees keep it in check. But the bees of European ancestry that predominate in the Americas are not well equipped for dealing with […]
Final Hive Inspection and Preparing For Winter
November 6 – Preparing for Winter Well, the season is drawing to a close, and my hive is still in good condition. We haven’t had a frost yet, but there have been nightly lows in the 30’s. The bees will have ejected the poor drones by now as they go into survival mode for the […]