Based on all the talk you hear, you’d think beekeepers manhandle all their frames all the time. In truth, the idea of an inspection just for the sake of inspection is a new-beekeeper thing. Each time I mention that inspections should be limited, I get a barrage of comments insisting that inspections are a necessary […] Read more
Todd Smith, a Michigan beekeeper, wants to know my favorite beekeeping footwear. He is trying to decide on a gift for a 77-year-old female beekeeping friend, and he was thinking of footwear for the bee yard. Well, I have news for you, Todd. Women do not own footwear. Women buy shoes, boots, sandals, or even […] Read more
Every year I put swarm traps in the trees and place bait hives around the property. Most years I catch two or three swarms, sometimes more. So far this season I’ve captured two, both swarms from my own hives. But yesterday I happened to notice other things in my traps. The lizard below is apparently […] Read more
The beekeeping year can be divided into two halves. One half is characterized by expansion, and the other by contraction. Tomorrow we begin the next phase. Whether you live in the northern hemisphere or the southern, the solstices mark the boundaries, the points at which things begin to change. The most important concept in beekeeping […] Read more
Several years ago I planted lamb’s ear to attract wool carder bees. I wanted to get pictures of the bees collecting fibers, but so far, I haven’t seen a single taker. Instead, the wool carders stay on the lemon balm. However, every morning the honey bees congregate on the lamb’s ear to drink the condensation […] Read more
The gorgeous creature shown below is the black-tailed bumble bee, a name that perplexes me no end. I concede that this bee does indeed have a black butt, but is that the standout feature here? When you glance at this bee, is that the first thing you notice? While the name gives you no insight […] Read more
The term “raw honey” doesn’t officially mean anything, so it causes a lot of confusion among consumers. Either they want to buy only raw honey, or they want to avoid it entirely. Sadly, the only difference between two packages may be the label. The whole mess reminds me of the “all-natural” debacle: everyone has an […] Read more