We talk about the benefits of genetic diversity. We try to avoid inbreeding. Bee breeders import semen to enhance the gene pool. Yet, when a beekeeper has a colony that acts differently from his others, panic sets in. Oh dear. One colony eats more, stays out later, is not as big, eats less, stores no […] Read more
It’s official: I overwintered all my colonies once again. In fact, in seven of the last ten years I managed to pull every single colony through the bleak northwest winter. Having said that, the questions I’m asked are always the same: “What mite meds do you use?” “How long do you feed?” “What is your […] Read more
The very worst thing about the spring equinox is its proximity to the summer solstice. In just three short months we will begin the inexorable slide into winter. In just ninety days, the hours of daylight will begin to diminish and we beekeepers will begin thinking about overwintering our colonies. Again. It seems like that’s […] Read more
Many people argue that wintering honey bees seldom die of cold. Instead they die of starvation, either because they could not reach the food or because their food supply ran dry. In truth, the reason a colony dies in winter is usually much more complex than simply cold or starvation. Thousands of bees but no […] Read more
Honey bees are masters at overwintering. But for the most part, our modern-day honey bees find themselves living in man-made structures that are not like the homes they would have built for themselves. To compensate for the difference, a beekeeper often has to tweak the hives to prepare the bees for long periods of confinement. […] Read more
I’m hesitant to report overwintering success until April 15, but with only two days left, I’m elated to be at one hundred percent. There were a few times in mid-winter when I was unsure about two of my colonies, but I trusted my IR camera and left the bees alone. My main interest in honey […] Read more
As a beekeeper, I have a phobia about the six-week period from mid-March until the end of April. If I were to tally all the colonies I’ve ever lost, I’m sure the majority succumbed in that early-spring window. Considering that the first day of spring falls around March 20, it seems like a strange time […] Read more