Roughly 10% of the brood in a hive is typically drone brood. Since drones require a larger cell to develop in than workers, the bees must build special cells that are larger in diameter than worker cells. They typically do...
Drones are a normal and healthy part of every hive. Hives will usually remove drones from the hive in the late fall and begin raising them again in early spring. From early spring through late fall, about 10% of the...
This is largely a question of preference. It doesn’t generally hurt a queen to get her marked, but it does cost extra, since beekeepers have to find a queen, pick her up, and mark her. It is far easier to...
The Bees' Miracle Mud! Have you ever wondered what that gunky stuff is that glues our bee boxes together making it “pop” when we break the seal? That's propolis! Not really high-tech stuff – basically just the “ooze” that drips...
Winter is finally here...so now what? After months of activity caring for your bees, it's finally time to take a deep breath and wait for spring. If you are like me, waiting is the hardest part! Every cold rainy night,...
Keeping Yourself Cool Keeping Your Bees Cool The Heat is On! I don’t have to tell you that, do I? You’d think a person would “acclimate” to the heat, but – me, not so much – probably has a lot to do...