Where I grew up in rural Pennsylvania, candy wasn’t something you purchased, it was something you made. So when it came to making bee candy, the process didn’t seem mysterious at all. However, based on questions I’m getting, it seems that candy-making is difficult to understand if you’ve never done it. All you really need […] Read more
Unless you order your bee boxes assembled, they will arrive at your door in four pre-cut pieces with a bag of nails. They sometimes come with instructions and sometimes not, but I never follow them anyway. Everyone does this differently, but here is my take on the subject. I’ll concede right from the beginning that […] Read more
My friend, HB, at Backyard Bee Hive Blog recently alerted me to a quote from Mud Songs.org. The words, written by Phillip are as follows: “I think about bees every day, pretty much all the time.” I had been corresponding with Phillip for a couple weeks on a variety of beekeeping issues, but I had […] Read more
Today I am venturing away from science into the world of wonderment. Sorry, but sometimes I get to thinking too much and then I start wondering about things I can’t answer . . . like why some people name their hives. Mind you, this is not a criticism. It’s just a question. Why do some […] Read more
I just made my first batch of candy cakes enriched with pollen substitute and I am very happy with the result. For years I’ve been messing with pollen substitute in different formats. Many times I’ve tried making it into patties. Some of these patties got runny and dripped down between the frames. Some dried up […] Read more
This is one of the most confusing words for beginning beekeepers. It has been used incorrectly by so many beekeepers for so long that the meaning has actually changed. English is like that; once incorrect usage overwhelms correct usage, there is no turning back. Eventually, proper usage is determined by the majority . . . […] Read more
A cut-down split is a special technique often used by comb honey producers. The purpose of a cut-down split is to maximize the number of foragers that are bringing in nectar by minimizing the amount of brood a colony has to care for. With little brood to feed, foragers concentrate on bringing home nectar rather […] Read more