by Michael | Nov 1, 2017 | News & Updates
I should have posted this before now – it might be too late to do anything if you haven’t been checking your bees. Folks have been reporting serious Yellow Jacket issues. Hundreds of them at the entrance overwhelming colonies’ defenses and killing...
by Michael | Jul 9, 2017 | News & Updates
It looks like the early spring and early build-up of colonies has lead to higher-than-average mite loads for the time of year in 2017. As I travel around the state and inspect colonies for WVDA, all the hives I have checked so far (using the alcohol wash method) have...
by Michael | Mar 15, 2017 | Beekeeping, News & Updates, Videos
Folks have been asking about my mite-wash cups and how to make them. I’m glad of this because this is key to breeding queens, preparing for winter, pinpointing reasons for losses and a lot more. All this and a ton more is in the Basic Course (click here to find...
by Michael | Feb 21, 2017 | Beekeeping, News & Updates, Pollen Sources, Videos
Yes, we did have winter, just not as much of one as usual, and it feels strange to have spring happening in February – the middle of February! On February 6 I saw a bee here and there entering a hive with whitish “pollen” pellets on its legs. So I...
by Michael | Jul 22, 2016 | Beekeeping
It is important for a beekeeper to know his plants. Honey bee colony health depends on the quality of what the bees obtain from foraging and everything that happens in a colony is directly related to what happens in the plant community. So a beekeeper’s...
by Michael | Dec 29, 2015 | News & Updates
Click on the image below to view the West Virginia Pollen Project’s results. The Northeast SARE Final Report will be available from the NE SARE web site in the near future. WV Pollen Project 2015 Final Outreach Report Most of the nutrients bees require to...
by Michael | Nov 21, 2014 | News & Updates
The definition of raw honey has not been nationally established so the average person needs to look at the facts and develop their own. In commercial processing honey is typically “flash-heated” to around 160 degrees F which has been shown to reduce the...
by Michael | Sep 30, 2014 | News & Updates
The longer I keep honey bees, the more I see the importance of pollen, the bees’ only source of protein, vitamins, minerals, lipids, and sterols, and even an important source of carbohydrates. Honey bees cannot thrive any better than their nutrition will allow....
by Michael | Sep 28, 2014 | News & Updates
I have heard people talk about “switching boxes” and “moving frames” to help the bees prepare for winter, but I rarely see a need for that. As the picture shows, the bees instinctively replace the brood in the upper part of the brood nest with...
by Michael | Sep 17, 2014 | News & Updates
I’m sure you have noticed Goldenrod in full bloom. This is a crucial time for the bees to make their final preparations for winter. I see colonies preparing themselves for winter by replacing the brood in the upper box with fresh nectar (“green...
