SIBA Bee Blog

To see, or not to see? Setting up an Observation Hive

Contributed by J. Morgan I've been wanting to set up a very portable observation hive for a few years. To date, I have borrowed them from fellow beekeepers to do bee education presentations for various groups. Since I didn't want to wear out my welcome with the generous people who have loaned them to me, I…
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Virgin Queen and Dealing With a Honey-Bound Hive

By Brian Batta I am repopulating my area with bees! This spring, my time has been a bit stretched due to our new baby being born. I’ve lost two swarms from hive number 2. Pictured at right is the virgin queen. I checked them today they seemed pretty good other than they are starting get…
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Of Bugs, Blooms & Vittles: Winter survivors bring writer joy

By Chandra L. Mattingly Whew! Despite a cold last weekend in March, the 2014-2015 winter finally is over. As most beekeepers, I found myself fretting through February, anxious to know if my honeybees had survived. What relief that first warm weekend to find all four of the backyard hives abuzz with activity, and later that…
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What can a beekeeper learn from a dairy farmer?

Ginger Davidson  www.GeezBeezHoney.com As most of you know, I’m enamored with learning about drones - male honey bees, not the small flying machines. I truly believe that you can’t have a great queen without some awesome drones. With all the attention given to queens, drones are often taken for granted and forgotten. However, since the…
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