Bees. They are endlessly fascinating. Recent case in point: Discovering the existence of laying workers. Allow me to explain.
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I’ve learned that after putting them “to bed” in the late fall, the primary job is making sure they have enough food to get through the long, wet winters here.
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2020…what a year of surprises; and no less so than in my little apiary.
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At first, I thought the robbing bees were from my own hives, but after watching the travel pattern, it became clear this gang was from elsewhere far beyond.
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When I first got into having bees, I had absolutely no clue how much extra support the little critters would need to make it through a rainy, cold, sometimes snowy Pacific Northwest winter. My first year ended in disaster. Thankfully, my 2nd winter turned out much better. Here’s what I did.
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What was originally purchased for winter use has become an integral component of my year around beekeeping set up. I’m a big fan of the Vivaldi Board.
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Did you ever stop to think that bees need water? I certainly never did, that is, until I began setting up our apiary. Yes, it does seem obvious in retrospect (they need it to make honey, after all), but…
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One of the first things I learned in a beekeeping class here in Seattle is that what works in, say, Ohio or California can’t be counted on to work in the drizzly PNW.
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There was a multidimensional allure to setting up hives on my little farm. For one thing, I like honey. Let me repeat: I really like honey…
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