Two years ago, Detective Anthony Planakis (retired) from New York, shared his secret to large honey crops: access holes with platforms. His awesome photos and impressive production records convinced me this was something I had to try. My situation is a little different because I produce comb honey instead of extracted honey. Nevertheless, I promptly […] Read more
As an observer of nature, I’m always intrigued by the variation in plant performance. It seems that each year some plants thrive while others malinger. The same is true of bees and other pollinators. My husband calls it the “year of” syndrome. For us, this was the year of the pear. Right now, I don’t […] Read more
Two weeks ago you peeked into your honey supers and were delighted to see cell after cell brimming with glistening nectar. Freshly drained from early blooms, the nectar was not yet cured but sparkled in the sunshine. You imagined the taste as you tucked the warm and fragrant frames back among the bees. Today you […] Read more
Rather than accepting crystallized honey as a unique product, we waste a lot of effort trying to “fix” it. Some consumers actually dispose of solidified honey, believing it “turned” or became unsafe to eat. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, clumsy attempts to prevent crystallization, or to re-liquefy solid honey, can do […] Read more
Note: Two-queen systems have fascinated me for a long time, but I’ve never known exactly how to set up the equipment and get started. Finally, I decided to ask Bill Hesbach of Connecticut, the one person I know with both the knowledge and practical experience to point me in the right direction. Bill was kind […] Read more
For years I’ve followed the exploits of Detective Anthony Planakis, aka Tony Bees, as he rescued swarms of honey bees from the streets of New York City. Now retired, Tony Bees tends his own hives, sells honey, teaches beginners, and tries to keep me in line. Turns out, though, whenever Tony Bees talks, I listen. […] Read more
Why? Because conditions are not right. Pure and simple. This time of year, new beekeepers are asking why their bees will not fill the honey supers or even visit the supers. Some report their bees walking around inside only to leave again, uninterested. Some blame queen excluders. Others believe they are doing something wrong. But […] Read more