What beekeepers do in the winter

What beekeepers do in the winter

Sometime ago, we posted an article about what bees do in the winter. It occurred to us, that our readers might be wondering what the keepers of bees do in the winter as well. The answer to that of course depends on what kind of beekeeper you’re talking about....
Why Bees Swarm

Why Bees Swarm

Here in the West Michigan area where we live, honey bee swarming season begins in May and runs well into June.   Residents are often startled to find a large cluster of bees (can be as small as a softball or larger than a basketball!) hanging on a shrub or tree in...
What Is Raw Honey?

What Is Raw Honey?

One of the most frequent questions we get asked by honey customers is: is your honey raw?  Interestingly enough, almost nobody asks us: what is raw honey?  Just for fun, for a while whenever somebody would ask if our honey was raw, I would answer by asking them what...
Small Scale Queen Rearing

Small Scale Queen Rearing

Every beekeeper these days seems to be at least thinking about raising his or her own queens. That’s a good thing, and really not an option if you intend to keep bees for the long haul. While mated queens can be readily purchased the entire beekeeping season...
What Bees and Their Keepers Do in the Spring

What Bees and Their Keepers Do in the Spring

Springtime is arguably the busiest time of the year for both the honey bee and the beekeeper. From the bees’ perspective, the activity begins before Spring actually arrives. In late winter, as the days increase in length, the queen will resume laying eggs....