A new honeybee colony prioritizes survival, not surplus. Learn why first-year energy goes to construction and population growth, not harvestable honey.
Discover the key benefits of the Flow Hive, including a simplified honey extraction process, reduced bee stress, and a lower barrier for hobbyist beekeepers.
Learn the essential maintenance tasks for Flow Hives, from routine colony inspections to pest management and frame care, ensuring healthy bees and successful honey harvesting.
Discover the best uncapping method for your honey harvest. Compare uncapping forks, hot knives, and cold knives for speed, cost, and comb preservation.
Discover the dual purpose of the hole in a hive tool: acting as a nail puller for hive repairs and providing convenient, clean storage during inspections.
Discover how the Flow Hive's unique mechanism simplifies honey harvesting by allowing honey to flow directly from the comb to your jar, bypassing traditional labor-intensive steps.
Discover how an electric heating honey scraper melts wax cappings for fast, clean uncapping. Learn its benefits, drawbacks, and if it's right for your apiary.
Discover why a hive tool is a beekeeper's most vital instrument for safely opening hives, prying apart propolis-sealed boxes, and performing essential inspections.
Discover the key uses of a hive tool: prying apart propolis-sealed hives, scraping debris, inspecting brood, and ensuring beekeeper safety. Master your hive inspections.
Discover the 3 core functions of a hive tool: prying, scraping, and lifting. Learn how this indispensable tool helps maintain hive health and efficiency.
Learn the key steps to install a pollen trap correctly, from sealing alternative entrances to monitoring your colony's adjustment period for successful harvesting.
Discover how pollen traps help beekeepers create essential protein reserves for feeding bees, supporting brood rearing, and ensuring strong colony development.
Discover the 4 essential beekeeping tools: the hive tool, smoker, protective gear, and bee brush. Learn their functions for safe and effective hive management.
Discover why reusing Varroa EasyCheck liquid is discouraged. Learn how fresh liquid ensures accurate mite counts for effective colony health management.
Learn the proper techniques for using a hive tool to remove propolis and burr comb, ensuring efficient inspections and disease prevention in your apiary.
Learn essential steps to maintain trapped pollen quality, including daily collection, proper drying or freezing, and hive health management for beekeepers.
Learn the 6-step Varroa EasyCheck process for precise mite counts. Make data-driven treatment decisions to protect your honey bee colonies from collapse.
Learn the critical steps for a Stage 4 or 5 mite-damaged bee colony: assess viability, prevent robbing, and decide between emergency treatment or humane euthanization.
Learn to identify key swarm signals like queen cells and congestion. Prevent swarming and manage colony reproduction effectively with expert beekeeping insights.
Discover the best bee attractants like lemongrass oil and old brood comb, plus essential hive placement tips to successfully lure a swarm to your apiary.
Learn how a honey refractometer measures moisture content to prevent fermentation, ensuring stable, high-quality honey for hobbyists and commercial apiaries.
Learn the correct initial feed amount for new bee colonies (1-3L of 1:1 syrup) to stimulate comb building and brood rearing for rapid self-sufficiency.
Learn the most reliable method to confirm a queen's capture during a swarm collection by observing bee behavior, not by sight. Achieve higher success rates.
Learn about honey bee swarming, a natural reproductive strategy indicating a strong, healthy colony. Understand the triggers, process, and risks involved.
Learn the best lures for a bee box, from lemongrass oil for swarms to sugar water for new packages. Attract the right bees for your beekeeping objective.
Learn the key triggers of bee robbing, including nectar dearths, strong colonies, and weak hives, and discover effective prevention strategies for your apiary.
Discover the best tools for straining honey, from simple nylon bags for crush-and-strain to fine filters for centrifugal extraction. Perfect for apiaries of any size.
Discover the key differences between uncapping planes and electric knives: one offers adjustable depth control for precision, the other speed for uniform frames.
Learn how selective breeding for low-propolis bees affects hive health. Understand the trade-offs between easier management and stronger colony immunity.
Learn the exact honey bee development times: queen (16 days), worker (21 days), drone (24 days). Essential for beekeeping management, queen rearing, and pest control.
Learn the most effective methods to attract a honeybee swarm to a new hive using pheromone lures, lemongrass oil, and proper hive placement techniques.
Learn what phoretic mites are, their preferred hiding spots on bees, and why their presence signals a critical Varroa mite infestation that requires immediate action.
Discover the key strategies to attract honey bees, including planting dense clumps of blue, violet, and yellow flowers for maximum visibility and efficiency.
Learn why a strong, healthy honey bee colony is vital for winter survival. Key factors include population size, Varroa mite control, and proper hive management.
VMS is the fatal collapse of a bee colony from severe Varroa mite infestation and viral epidemics. Learn to identify the signs and focus on prevention.
Explore the 4 key features of beekeeping veils: structural style, screen material, support system, and closure. Choose the right veil for maximum protection.
Learn the critical seasonal dynamics between Varroa mites and honey bees. Discover why late summer is the key window for treatment to prevent colony collapse.
Discover the best 2-stage fuel combination for your bee smoker to create long-lasting, cool smoke for calmer bees and more productive hive inspections.
Learn the multi-stage honey filtering process for bottling, including straining, gentle warming, and settling to achieve clarity and slow crystallization.
Discover why white bee suits are essential for heat reflection, reducing bee aggression, and enhancing visibility for safer, more efficient beekeeping.
Discover why positive displacement pumps like gear, lobe, and peristaltic pumps are essential for accurate, gentle liquid filling in various industries.
Learn the 3 primary methods for melting beeswax: solar melter, double boiler, and crock pot. Choose the right technique for your scale and safety needs.