Bees starve inches from honey during a cold snap because the winter cluster becomes a rigid, heat-generating sphere that physically cannot move to nearby food. I have opened dozens of dead colonies and seen the same haunting pattern: a fist-sized cluster of bees with their heads stuck in empty cells, surrounded by capped honey frames … Read more

Beekeeping month by month in the Northeast is the difference between colonies that thrive and colonies that don’t survive winter. I learned this the hard way after losing two hives during my first cold New England February. Timing matters more than almost anything else in this region. The Northeast throws curveballs at beekeepers. USDA zones … Read more

If you get one thing wrong in beekeeping, let it not be varroa treatment timing before winter. I have seen colonies that looked strong in September starve out by February, not from lack of honey, but because mites had quietly destroyed the very bees meant to carry the hive through winter. The last mite treatment … Read more

After four months of wondering whether my hives survived winter, I always feel a jolt of nervous energy when the first warm afternoon rolls around in early . That first spring hive inspection tells me everything I need to know about whether my colony made it, whether the queen is laying, and whether I have … Read more

Every spring, beekeepers across the country open their hives and face the same question: should I reverse my brood boxes? Reversing brood boxes in spring is one of the most widely discussed hive management techniques, and opinions run strong on both sides. Some swear by it as a way to manage colony buildup. Others skip … Read more

Keeping honey bees in the Pacific Northwest is a rewarding challenge that rewards preparation. Our region stretches across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, bringing a mix of mild winters, long rainy seasons, and distinct nectar flows that shape everything about how you manage colonies. A generic beekeeping calendar from California or Texas simply will … Read more

Every spring, beekeepers face the same decision when their strongest colonies start booming. The brood boxes fill up, swarm cells appear on frame bottoms, and you know the clock is ticking. You need to split that hive before half your bees leave on their own terms. But here is where the confusion sets in. Do … Read more

If you have ever stood in front of an overwintered colony in early spring and wondered how many splits you can realistically pull from it, you are not alone. After running a small operation for nearly a decade and talking with dozens of beekeepers across climate zones, I have found one number keeps coming up … Read more

Every year, beekeepers across cold-climate regions report losing 50% or more of their colonies over winter. The single biggest factor separating survivors from losses comes down to one thing: winter bees and how well you manage them in August. If you have ever wondered why experienced beekeepers obsess over late summer hive checks, this is … Read more

Requeening a colony is one of the highest-stakes jobs we do as beekeepers. A failed queen bee introduction costs you the new queen, the colony’s brood cycle, and sometimes the entire hive. I’ve been keeping bees for years, and I still feel my pulse quicken every time I open a hive to release a queen. … Read more