I have an open-air colony in my backyard, something I never expected to see. Ever. But why a swarm of bees on the wet coast of Washington would elect to build a home in a tree is inconceivable. It’s also kind of hare-brained, I think. One month ago, at the end of May, I wrote […] Read more
After a few years of beekeeping, it’s natural to assess a colony and predict what will happen next. But this year, as so often happens, I totally misread a colony that lives in my backyard. Twice. Or more, depending on how you count. The backstory Last fall, during a pre-winter inspection, I checked all my […] Read more
What happens to an organism that fails to reproduce? Let’s think about that. If all rabbits stopped, um, amorous behavior, we would have no more rabbits, not even in Australia. If all cows failed to reproduce, the grocery shelves would be empty of moo juice, as they seem to be now. And what about honey […] Read more
Not long ago I received a mysterious-looking package in the mail, a small white box with lots of postage. Inside I found a plastic vial wrapped in sheets of newsprint from The Wichita Eagle. The vial was dressed in a yellow sticky note that read, “I found this honey bee on the porch of my […] Read more
Beekeepers sometimes report unusual behaviors in their bees, everything from fore-and-aft convulsions to unmitigated quaking anger. I’ve collected three of these observations below, each from a new beekeeper: “Today a bee on the landing board was trying to vomit. Her whole body was wracked with convulsions that moved in waves. When I opened the hive, […] Read more
Dogs. Cats. Mice. Your next-door neighbor. What do they all have in common? One answer is a moveable lower jaw. In fact, lots of creatures have one movable jaw—known as a mandible—and one stationary jaw or maxilla. But your bees, along with many other invertebrates, have two movable jaws, both known as mandibles. Not only […] Read more
Thanks to everyone who participated in the diagnosis of Molly’s honey bee colony. Overall, I thought the answers were impressive—both thoughtful and nuanced. Many of you agreed with my own assessment of shot brood, but others mentioned issues I hadn’t even considered. It was a great learning experience for many, including myself. I emailed my […] Read more