This package went into a colony with established comb so we didn’t have to remove or repair comb, they are already building straight. Have fun, we had trouble finding evidence of a queen, but we finally did find it! This is a week after hiving.
Checking drone brood is a great way to get a handle on what the mite load is on your hive.
If you have a strong colony that made it through the winter, splitting in the spring is a possibility! You want to split during the time of year that colonies are naturally looking to swarm. The biology is that by taking the old queen and moving her to a new hive gives the hive the […]
This past week things are really starting to take off, It has been warm enough that bees have been out and busy. Dandelions are in full bloom, the fruit trees are blooming as well. some of the mustard in our cover crops on the farm is blooming as well. This next week some of the […]
HI everyone, For us its been a cold windy couple of days. here is some footage of the first hive checks, These are the very hives that were hived as part of the demonstrations. Sorry for the wind noise in the clips. Key steps for new hives is providing food in the form of sugar […]
This is a question we are asked multiple times in the spring. As a result, I have had the opportunity to not only observe my own hives, but to also look at a lot of hives belonging to other beekeepers confused and saddened by what they think is the sudden loss of their bees. Was […]
That’s right, it’s time to plant your bee food. This week at Tubbs Berry Farm we are currently frost seeding cover crops, and adding more bee friendly plants to our pastures and waste areas. Frost seeding is broadcasting seed and allowing the natural freeze thaw action work the seeds into the soil. The spring snowmelt […]
With spring around the corner, a question we are often asked is, “What is the best way to start a hive?” Most hives will be started in one of 3 ways: A Package, A Nuc (nucleus hive), or a swarm. Here are some of the pros and cons of each, and some information about what […]