I stopped by Clermont around noon today to do the back of the hive lift test and add a bit of fondant to the lighter hives. So far the Continue reading →

As a small scale hobby beekeeper, December through February is the slowest time of the beekeeping cycle. Continue reading →

• I start getting ready for next spring in mid to late July Continue reading →

At Clermont today, we focused on alcohol mite wash testing using both windshield washer fluid and rubbing alcohol as the wash agent. We also –

Summer is winding down. My options for what I can do for my hives are quickly becoming limited. Here in the mid Atlantic region Continue reading →

I have come to the conclusion that sick bees die and healthy bees swarm. I’ve tried almost all the “don’t let them swarm” suggestions over the years and when my bees are healthy they swarm.

This spring has been an exceptionally robust swarm season. Most of my hives were overwintered in 5 frame nuc boxes three or four supers tall. They were moved into eight and ten frame equipment after making splits and back filling with foundation. By the book swarm control! I have retrieved six swarms in the last two weeks, so much for that technique. All have been large and apparently healthy. Now all I can hope for is quality replacement queens. They are on their own there or will get combined as needed to keep the hives going. We shall see…….