Beekeepers Blog

By: CHARI ELAM Or maybe better titled - "What in the world happened to my hive?" I first wrote a version of this article last year about this time and received very good feedback from a lot of beekeepers! Turns out,...

By: Blake Shook Unfortunately, no… Not controlling Varroa will allow them to spread not only to your other hives but often to all the hives within a few miles of your own bees. Not controlling Varroa, in some manner, is...

What is the Varroa Mite (Varroa Destructor)? Simply put, it is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on our Western honey bees, Apis Malifera. The Varroa mite is considered the # 1 cause of death in honey bees...

Treatment Options made EASY By: Chari Elam I can relate from experience the overwhelming feeling when faced with having to choose a Varroa treatment. What do I use? How do I use it? Will it hurt my bees? And the...

Testing & treating Varroa mites is one of the most important things to do in all of beekeeping. If you don’t pick the right size of super, or forget to install an entrance reducer, it isn’t going to impact your...

IPM - Integrated Pest Management The IPM approach is simply this – utilizing a series of methods for the long-term control and prevention of Varroa mites. The combination of these different methods gives the beekeeper and the bees a much...

Green Drone frames are a one piece plastic frame imprinted with a larger cell pattern to encourage the worker bees to make drone comb. Varroa mites prefer drone comb over worker comb due to the fact drone cells are capped...

The method you use to treat and control Varroa mites is, and will probably always be, a bit on the controversial side. The bottom line is to control Varroa in the manner in which you are comfortable! Testing before treatment...

Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On!         By: Lynne Jones As detailed in previous articles in this month’s issue - Varroa mites are a serious problem, and we are all faced with the responsibility to control them. Control methods range from...

As promised (and anticipated I’m sure) – Varroa Destructor is my topic of the month! Those of you that have attended a seminar (or two) know all too well the drilling we get about Varroa mites. Over and over again...

When we think of the Varroa Mite, we think it must have been a problem for our bees forever! That’s actually not true!  Varroa mites are a native parasite from Asia and the Asian honey bee, Apis Cerana. It wasn’t...

By: Blake Shook It’s always disappointing to lose a hive. However, all beekeepers lose hives, and often many hives. Understanding why they died and how you can prevent it next time is one of the most important elements of learning...

By: Blake Shook While testing is the ideal method for determining your Varroa mite levels, there are some visual clues of a Varroa infestation. Keep in mind, if you are seeing visual clues, it often means your hive has an...

The IPM approach is simply this – utilizing a series of methods for the long-term control and prevention of Varroa mites. The combination of these different methods gives the beekeeper and the bees a much broader chance of winning the...

Also read: What does a good vs bad brood pattern look like?  A poor brood pattern can be caused by many things. Below I’ve outlined the common causes, and how to fix them: A failing queen- As queens age, they...

By James & Chari Elam The topic of “how to treat” for Varroa mites has been one that has dominated bee clubs, beekeeping seminars and online blogs for many years. With so many options and opinions, one would likely be...

A shook swarm is just that- a "swarm" you create by shaking the bees off of frames to create an artificial Swarm! Shook Swarm TBA from Honking Goose Media on Vimeo. Why use the Shook Swarm Method? Converting Deeps to Mediums If you...

This is not a very uplifting topic for sure, but one of the most important skills in beekeeping is to learn from our mistakes, of which we all make many! The average annual hive loss rate is up to 44%....

There are a lot of pros, and a few cons to screened bottom boards. In general, both screened or solid can work, and you won’t hurt your bees no matter which you choose. Bees in the wild live in spaces...