Ethan Brooks

Bringing bees into your backyard is exciting, but the moment you decide to set up a hive, you also inherit a responsibility to the people living around you. Learning how to talk to your neighbors about backyard beehives turns a potentially tense conversation into the first step of a strong relationship. I have started hives … Read more

Learning how to find a beekeeping mentor or local club is one of the smartest moves you can make as a new beekeeper. Books and YouTube videos teach you the fundamentals, but nothing replaces hands-on guidance from someone who has managed hives in your specific climate, dealt with your local forage patterns, and worked through … Read more

Every new beekeeper hits the same wall: someone says feed 1:1 syrup in spring, another says use 2:1 in fall, and half the beekeeping forums argue about whether you should measure by weight or volume. I remember standing in my apiary with a bag of sugar and no clear answer, wondering which ratio actually matters … Read more

Every spring, beekeepers across the country face the same question. Should I feed pollen substitute to my bees, or will it do more harm than good? It is one of the most debated topics in beekeeping forums, apiary clubs, and backyard hobby groups alike. The truth is that pollen substitute can be incredibly helpful when … Read more

When you bring home your first colony of bees, one of the first questions every new beekeeper asks is whether to feed and how much. The answer changes depending on what you installed: a package of bees or a nucleus colony (nuc). In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything I have learned about feeding … Read more

Knowing when honey is ready to harvest by reading capped frames is the single most important skill for any beekeeper pulling their first crop. I’ve watched new beekeepers ruin an entire harvest because they pulled frames too early, only to end up with jars of fermented honey that smelled like wine and shot foam from … Read more

If you are a brand-new beekeeper staring at a frame of capped honeycomb and wondering how to actually get the honey out without buying a $300 extractor, the crush and strain method is the answer. I have used this exact process on my own small apiary for two seasons, and it is hands-down the cheapest, … Read more

Learning how to make creamed honey at home without heat is one of the most rewarding projects for beekeepers and honey lovers alike. The no-heat method gives you that smooth, spreadable, velvet-like honey while keeping every enzyme and beneficial compound intact. You don’t need fancy equipment or a chemistry degree, just liquid honey, a seed … Read more

When to order bees and why you book in winter is the question every new and returning beekeeper eventually asks. The short answer is simple: the best time to place your bee order is during winter, ideally before the winter solstice, because suppliers fill their spring delivery slots on a first-come, first-served basis. I have … Read more

I still remember my first package of bees sitting on my kitchen table, humming away while I double-checked my veil for the third time. If you are searching for how to install a package of bees, you are about to start one of the most rewarding hobbies you can pick up in . This guide … Read more