Do bees sense fear? I often get asked this, and the short answer is “yes”. There are many things that bees sense, but a scared shivering beekeeper will get stung. If you want to work bees, you have to be confident and calm. Overcoming fear is an important part of becoming a competent beekeeper. What … Read more
In this article, I will show you how to clean propolis using a few methods I have developed over the years. We will first look at what propolis is, and then at how to clean propolis and produce tinctures and medicines for ourselves. What’s Propolis? The ancient Greek words Pro for in front and Polis … Read more
How long does it take bees to make a hive? This is a very difficult question to answer, so I will try to do so in this article. Bees are complex animals hence the answer is naturally complex as well. As an experienced beekeeper, I often have people ask me this question. Let us use … Read more
How many hives can one person manage? This is not a question with an easy answer, so let us explore the factors that will directly impact how many hives you can manage in your area, with your capability. A Precautionary Note To Beekeepers Who Want To Scale Up There is a funny thing that happens … Read more
Can you eat honey from a dead hive? This will really depend on how the bees died. I personally never eat honey from a dead hive. But let’s have a look at how you can work out whether eating honey from a dead hive is safe or not. Why Would Bees Be Dead? There are … Read more
Does bee pollen expire? Yes. Much like any biological substance, it degrades slowly over time. Follow more to find out what the modes of action are that cause bee pollen to expire. What Is Bee Pollen? There are many different forms of pollen that we could refer to as “bee pollen”. Hence if we trap … Read more
Do wasps produce honey? Yes, there is one species that does! This fascinating wasp still eats insects as most other wasps do, but, like honeybees, it has the ability to store nectar and ripen this into a sort of honey! Read on to find out more about this weird wasp. What Is The Difference Between … Read more
Azaleas are a relatively diverse family of flowering plants in the genus Rhododendron. The nectar of these flowers generally contains toxic andromedotoxins! Do azaleas attract bees? Yes, sometimes they do! Read on to find out why, in general, keeping bees in areas where there are large numbers of Azaleas may not be a good idea! … Read more
Is harvesting honey bad for bees? This will depend on your skill as a beekeeper. We work with the bees to help them make more honey, and then we take some of this as payment for our help. Read on, to find out how this works. The Basic Principle Of Beekeeping When we work with … Read more
Oxalic acid is becoming more and more widely used as a treatment for varroa mites. Many people wonder about oxalic acid and honey supers. What are the impacts on honey, and how do we keep things safe? Read on to find out the tricks. What Is Oxalic Acid? Oxalic acid is an organic acid that … Read more
