SWARMS
It's a bee colony's reproductive behavior. Can you and should you stop it in your apiary? How to catch swarms, and more.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
WAX & OTHER HIVE PRODUCTS
Wax, propolis, pollin, bee venim for lip balm, tinctures, soap and more. It's not just about the honey!
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
A great way to get information, both good and bad, from fellow hobby beekeepers.
PREDATORS
Yes, bees have predators! Learn how to identify them and prepare your colonies for possible threats.
BEARS
Wait a minute, Winnie The Pooh is a fictional character, bears don't really dip their arms in hollow trees and come up with gobs of honey, do they?
Bears are actually thought to be honeybees' biggest predators, but the havoc they reek is much worse than dipping a paw in a hollow tree. In one night entire apiaries with dozens of hives can be vandalized by a single bear. Beekeepers in bear country most often protect their hives with electric fences. Yes, electric fences to protect bees.
Have you ever wondered why beekeepers suits are white? Or why your bees seem to attack your face more when you are wearing sun glasses? Do the math, bears are dark colored and have dark eyes. Honeybees are genetically designed to fear these traits.
SKUNKS
Skunks love bees! They tend to show up at night, scratch around the entrance of a hive until a few guard bees fly out to see what's going on. When they do they become a great midnight snack for our stinky friends.
Best Defenses: Electric fence, skunk-fence barriers and nail boards.
YELLOW JACKETS
Imagine getting ready for your first honey harvest. As you approach the hives to pull frames, from a distance you notice a lot of activity all round the boxes. Then you see it, it's not bees, it's yellow jackets! You open the hive to see complete devastation as the yellow jackets will kill all the bees, then gorge themselves on honey, eggs and brood. "Experts" say this only happens to weak or sick colonies, but in large enough numbers, yellow jackets can be too much for any hive.
Solutions:
• Yellow Jacket traps from spring through fall - eliminate as many as possible
• Large, strong, healthy colonies have a better chance at defending themselves
• Entrance reducers (during the height of yellow jacket season) so the bees have a smaller area to defend. If your weather is hot use #8 wire cloth or even window screen to block off 80% of the entrance.
ASIAN GIANT HORNET - "MURDER HORNET"
OK, we couldn't resist a little scare in the air! Asian Giant Hornets are a real thing, real big, real scary, and they really do feast on honeybees. BUT, for now they are not a threat to 99% of North America as they have only been spotted in Northwestern Washington State and entomologists are actively working to exterminate them before they set up permanent homes there. Pray for their success!
