As temperatures begin to fall it is important that the bees have enough stores or food to last through the winter.  However, having a lot of honey in the hive does not necessarily prevent the bees from starving.  In colder weather bees will cluster to keep the queen wa...

During a dearth the natural sources of nectar are very limited.  It is very important that you feed your bees.  The bees are active and need energy so they will be looking for food. However there are special considerations when feeding during the dearth.  Until now you...

This is a question that many newbees ask as they get into beekeeping.  Should I buy a package, or should I get a NUC (short for Nucleus colony).  Each has its advantage. 

A package of bees typically comes in a small wooden box as pictured and is available in t...

According to the Tennessee State Apiarist, a significant portion of the losses last winter were due to tracheal mites. This is partially due to a change in Varroa mite treatments.  Previous chemical treatments were effective on both the Varroa and the Tracheal mites bu...

I know, Bees don't need beef, but they do need protein and pollen fills the bill.  Nectar is the energy source for bees and it is the primary ingredient for honey. Nectar or sugar syrup is carbohydrates for bees and most eveyone feeds sugar syrup at least part of the y...

If you are raising queens you may at times have more queens than you can use immediately. One way to hold the queens is by using a "queen bank". This picture demonstrates one type of queen bank.  You start with a queen-less hive that has all ages of bees. The  1/8 inch...

Getting your first bees can be a very exciting experience. Before you do it's important that you are ready for their arrival.

There are a few basic tools that will need:

Hive tool - The hive tool is the main tool for working in the hive.  It is used to manipulate the fra...

While there is only one species of honeybee in North America, there are several races of honey bee.  In reality, most honeybees in our area are a mix of several races (mutts) since the Queen bee can mate with drones of different races during her mating flight.  Althoug...

Clover blooms throughout North America and is a favorite source of nectar for honeybees.  Warm wet weather during the blooming period, particularly with warm nights like we have been experiencing tends to increase the nectar production and the crop may be expected to b...