How do bees get pollen from flowers? We will take a look at pollen gathering in bees and how these amazing creatures collect, store and ferment pollen to make food for the hive. Why Do Bees Collect Pollen? If we look at social wasps such as yellow jackets, they forage on nectar for energy and … Read more
The small hive beetle or Aethenia tumida is an opportunistic pest that can bring both destruction, and a few benefits, to your apiary. In this article, we take a look at how to control these irritating pests and how to manage small hive beetle treatment. In 1997 I was a young beekeeper in South Africa. … Read more
Can bees fly at night? Yes. Can they fly well at night? That depends on a number of factors. We will have a look at this and visit a few humorous incidents that I have encountered over the years involving bees, night time and flying. How Do Bees Fly? It is quite simple – they … Read more
Every now and then we find a hive that is a bit weak and needs a hand to build up enough to make it through winter for example. There are ways of adding bees to a weak hive – I generally caution against this, but, it can be done. In this article, I take a … Read more
We take a look at how to tell the difference between drone brood vs worker brood, and the difference between brood and honey cells. This is an important basic skill for beekeepers and there is some humor involved in mistakes around this identification. A Humorous Example Of Why It Is Important To Know The Difference … Read more
When comparing Russian honey bees vs Italian bees it is a bit like comparing a Wooly Mammoth with an Elephant. We will delve into the differences between these two exceptional honeybees in this article. What Are Russian Bees? Russia is actually very big. When we talk about Russian bees as a “breed” we are referring … Read more
In this article we take a look at Carniolan honey bees vs Italian honey bees – the two most commonly farmed races of bees. Both are excellent bees and have advantages and disadvantages that are good to keep in mind when choosing your bees. Italian bees are the most commonly kept commercial race of bees, … Read more
In this article, we look at the relative similarities and differences between Carniolan vs Russian bees. This is a relatively simple comparison between two bees adapted to tolerate long cold winters and rapid spring honey flows. A Brief History Of The “Russian Bee” Russia is very big. It consists of a number of zones, with … Read more
What are k wing bees? There is quite a bit of confusion around this term. In this article, we will clear that up. In so doing we will also take a look at a few bee viruses, and how these can be managed. What Are K-wing Bees? K-wing bees are precisely that – let’s explain. … Read more
When it comes to bee removals, how to keep bees from nesting in the same spot from which they were removed is an endless problem. Bee repellent and bee prevention in the form of mechanical barriers can help prevent bees from nesting in the same spot again. In this article, we take a look at … Read more