I clearly remember our beginning days of keeping a honey bee hive. Gathering tips from other bee keepers was most helpful in getting started. We chose a deep Langstroth hive. Despite some misgivings from family members our hive of honey bees got off to a good start. Before we get into the types of hives, and the location lets discuss the bees themselves. For our first hive we chose to purchase a nuc (short for nuclear colony), from a local apiary. This is not the only way to … [Read more...]
Honey Bees in Late Spring
Honey bees in late spring need a hive check to ensure that the new hives are thriving. No matter whether you start with a Nuc or a package with a queen, there are hives that do not do well. The queen may have died. The weather could have been all wrong. Often spring weather is unpredictable. If the early sources of pollen fail, the new hive may starve. In short, it is recommended that we take the time to check on a new hive after the first couple of weeks. What to Do While … [Read more...]
Top Three Animals Homesteaders Raise
Increase Self Reliance with These Top Three Animals Homesteaders Raise When you decide to take self reliance seriously and provide more food for your family, which of the animals homesteader raise is right for you? Making the choice can be difficult if you don't know what each animal requires. Many species can provide you with protein and nutrition. These three are my top three animals homesteaders raise. Let me tell you why these three are my top suggestions for animals … [Read more...]
Honeybees Late Fall Check
Honeybees and Fall Care Caring for honeybees is a learning journey. We have been beekeepers for only eight months. My neighbor and I started a hive together this past spring. We have learned a lot along the way and still feel like we still know very little about the care of honeybees. But, the hive is still alive, hopefully thriving, and so it was time to carry out the honeybees late fall check. First, let me share a bit of our first year in honeybee keeping. In April we picked up a nuc to … [Read more...]
Queen Bee and Our New Hive
The Queen Bee and Beginning Our Bee Keeping Adventure Yesterday we picked up our very first bees for the hive. This is a joint venture between my friend, Hannah and I and the hive is actually sitting on her property. The spot is just beautiful, in a clearing, and settled under some sort of flowering tree. There is nearby water and grass, and other blooming plants. I am positive that the Queen bee and bees will be very happy and healthy here. This is very exciting times because I had to … [Read more...]
