The best way to jump-start a conversation at a party is to tell people you are a beekeeper. Inevitably, people will barrage me with questions about my hobby and how they always thought of becoming a beekeeper themselves. Most people don't have a clue of what is involved and for people who are intrigued but don't know …
Continue reading "Beekeeping 101"
Honey has reached "classic" status after it was named Flavor of the Year for 2015. Find out how to extract this new "classic" flavor from the hive.
It happens every August - honey extraction! After babying the bees, feeding, monitoring, re-queening, splitting, and just plain worrying about them, now is the moment of truth. How much honey did they deposit in the combs for me to rob from them? I won't leave you in suspense - I extracted 55 pounds from my one …
Continue reading "Robbing the Bees- A Honey of a Day"
I was introduced to beekeeping in Virginia while visiting my brother-in-law Bruce. He had several beehives and I wanted to try my hand at working the bees before I made the plunge on my own. Since then, Bruce has moved to Vermont with his hives - prime bear country. In Vermont, he set up a remote …
Continue reading "Beehives and Bears: An Accident Waiting to Happen!"
Honey Flow With the coming of spring a couple of weeks early this spring, I am getting a little nervous about my bees. The honey flow which is the frantic bee activity of bees collecting nectar from spring flowers will be here very soon. I have a strong hive that made it through the winter and I am on …
Continue reading "Swarming of the Bees – It is That Time of Year Again!"
