Backyard Beekeeping April/May 2022 — 2/2 is available now! Subscribe to Backyard Beekeeping for great stories on different types of comb, how to move hives, teaching children not to fear bees, natural queen rearing, and human uses for bee pollen and venom. PLUS: Officer Darren Mays, a retired policeman who conducted swarm removals for the NYPD!
Read MoreAdd to Favorites Even before we began keeping bees, we tried to garden in such a way as to not harm bees and other pollinators. Now that we are keeping …
Read MoreMost Osmia mason bees are generalist pollinators, foraging on a wide variety of plants. As a rule of thumb, Osmia prefer tube-shaped blossoms or flowers with irregular shapes. Some of their favorites are various mints, penstemon, scorpionweed, and willows. They also like legume family plants such as indigo bush, clover, and vetch along with composites such as thistles.
Read MoreAdd to Favorites When our son first started keeping bees I had no idea what a beekeeping smoker was used for or what to put in the smoker. The smoker …
Read MoreI would like to know when I should start testing for varroa mites. And then what schedule should I follow for the following months?
Read MoreThere is nothing quite like the sights and sounds of bees buzzing around, gathering pollen and nectar on a warm summer day. Summer and bees just seem to go together; unfortunately, so do summer and pests.
Read MoreAdd to Favorites One of the most anticipated jobs for the beekeeper is doing a hive inspection. This is when you get to look into the hive and be assured …
Read MoreA key time for getting a jump on varroa is when the colony is broodless, since any mites present will be in a phoretic state rather than hiding inside capped brood.
Read MoreAdd to Favorites All hives, even healthy ones, will have wax moths. I didn’t understand this when we first started beekeeping. I thought that if we were good beekeepers our …
Read MoreAdd to Favorites Originally published in Countryside May / June 2017. Subscribe for the full digital issue! Varroa mites have been in the United States since the late 1980s and are …
Read MoreMentoring is a traditional way for beekeepers to teach people starting beekeeping about tending bees. However, finding a mentor, someone who is both knowledgeable about hive management and interested in teaching you, can feel difficult, especially if you don’t know anyone who keeps bees in your area.
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