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DIY Bucket Swarm Capture - Springfield MO
If you capture many swarms you will learn a few things are always true: 1. sometimes the swarms leave before you get there; 2. they are not always going to be honeybees; 3. and sometimes the swarm is just to high in they tree to reach easily. Its the facts of chasing bees, not all of them want to cooperate… Read More -
But I only Wanted 2 hives!
“But I only Wanted 2 hives!”A Second Year Beekeeper’s Conundrum We hear this story every year. The beekeeper’s vision is to only have two hives, but the bees are going to do what they are programmed to do and make more colonies every year. Your colonies/hives are going to double every year. Like every animal on earth, they are driven… Read More -
DIY Spring Planning 101
To Do List for Each Month: Planning Ahead At this time of year there are a lot of questions about what the beekeeper should be doing. We have been busy teaching the annual Bee School with our beekeeping club. As part of our efforts to prepare these new beekeepers we have prepared this month by month summary of what… Read More -
Oops A Common Spring Mistake - I Left On My Winter Rim!
There are many things that are important to do early in the spring. In an earlier article Preparing For Winter 101 we discussed activities and changes we make to our hives to help them survive the winter. One of those activities is to add a winter rim and that article included a reminder not to leave on your winter… Read More
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Week by week guideline for managing your new package of bees
Getting your first package this spring? Here is a week by week guideline for managing your new package of bees through their first 8 weeks.
Nicotine Bees - Swarm Capture Springfield MO
We went on a swarm call the other day to a house in east Springfield, MO. The caller has a bee tree in their yard with a nice colony of bees about 20' off the ground. Well its swarm season and apparently these guys want a little nicotine in there diet lol. The swarm was hanging under a metal patio table and connected to an ash tray full of cigarettes. Yeah first thought was ewww and second thought "Free Bees!", lol.
How To Light My Bee Smoker 101
So many people ask us how we light our beekeeping smokers and keep them lit. This video will tell you how to light it, what fuel to use and how to keep it smoking all day long.
What is a Swarm?
Do you have a ball of bees hanging in your tree?
Swarming is the process by which a new honey bee colony is formed when the queen bee leaves the colony with a large group of worker bees. In the prime swarm, about 60% of the worker bees leave the original hive location with the old queen. This swarm can contain thousands to tens of thousands of bees. Swarming is mainly a spring phenomenon, usually within a three to five week period depending on the locale, but occasional swarms can happen throughout the producing season.
Our Philosophy
Beekeepers Monthy Activity Calendar
Confused on what you should be doing each month?