beekeeping RSS

I get the same questions all the time - almost every day in fact. I've been thinking about this entry for a while now and I feel like it is time to give everyone all the answers - all at once.  So here goes... Is Beekeeping Really Dying?   Despite the $60 billion honey industry, 90% of wild honey bees are at risk of extinction.  Sure there is a risk to everything, but this risk has been amplified - especially last year when commercial growers lost HUGE portions of their stock.  A couple of larger growers in Canada lost over 80%...

You don't need to start with full bee hives.  You can begin with a small, 'starter' hive A.K.A. a 'Nuc'.  Start with one of these, get your feet wet, and THEN start adding full bee hives.  Nucs are great for letting the first time bee keeper learn the ropes. and figure out what your bees do and don't like.  Figure this out first, keep them happy, help their brood grow, and the honey will follow.

Varroa mites are a problem for every beekeeper.  Here are a number of weapons you can use in your toolbox to help control their populations in your hives.