Mike Palmer's Cell Builder Apiary in Vermont

Better Bees

Mike Palmer's Cell Builders Humans (and walruses) are part of the natural world. We are animals. Sometimes we like to set ourselves aside from nature as if we are not part of it, but this is wrong. However, there is…
A 2017 queen in 2020

Loving it!

A 2017 queen in 2020 The bees don't care about COVID-19; in fact, they seem to be having a great time. I don't know if it's the reduced air pollution, the beautiful weather or something else, but my bees are…
Steve with Keiler Nuc

Harsh Realities

Steve with Keiler Nuc There is that saying, "if it were easy, everyone would do it," and I think it applies to some aspects of beekeeping. Frankly, in the early years of one's beekeeping life, just keeping them alive and…
Buckfast Breeder Queen with numbered disc

Making Queens!

Buckfast Breeder Queen In my area, we are entering the busiest time of the beekeeping season. Colonies are expanding rapidly, and some have swarmed or are about to. Spring/early summer is often like that; a massive amount of nectar and…
Drone close up photo

How’s your Dronage?

Drone: Makro Freak/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5) Drones are awesome. Everyone should love them, but they have had a bad rap. Many believe that they are "lazy" and all they do is hang around eating stores and contributing nothing much…
Queen Honeybee marked with a Green Dot

10 x 10 Queen Production

Queen Honeybee by David Illig https://flic.kr/p/nCMgZU The Chosen Ones I have some great queens in my hives. My best one is a "yellow dot" in her third season. Her hive is always one of my tallest, giving me loads of…
Steve Donohoe with a frame of bees

We’re all Newbs at Something

Walrus with bees The term "newb" is typically used by gamers to describe somebody new to the game, or gaming, and is somewhat derogatory. However, we all have to start somewhere. Even the most gloriously proficient expert at something was…
Mating apiary at Denrosa apiaries

A Legendary Bee has Died

In the Winter of 2017, I met Murray McGregor, owner of Denrosa Apiaries, based in Coupar Angus, Scotland and was delighted to be able to spend over a day with him. He carefully chooses his words and takes his time…
Actors from the Crown and Victoria

Are Your Queens Majestic?

Actors from the Crown and Victoria Are Your Queens Majestic? Anybody who has been reading my blog for a while will no doubt form the view that I am obsessed with queens. I'm talking about queen honey bees, not what…