Flowers Feed Bees All flowers are not created equal when it comes to honeybees. Plants have flowers with different shapes, colors, scents, and seasons, all to attract different pollinators. From the plants perspective, they are simply trying to spread their genes so that their species can survive and thrive. From…
What to do about Wax Moths
Wax Moths Before becoming a beekeeper you probably never ever heard about wax moths. Well, if you have been keeping bees longer than 14 minutes then you know about Wax Moths, and that they are not our friends. There are two species of wax moths actually The Greater Wax Moth, Galleria…
What to do in your hive in August
August in Arizona is pretty hot. We hope and pray for rain, and sometimes we get it in droves, along with wind, thunder and lightning. This can mean flooded apiaries, blown over hives, or even trees falling on top of them. So in addition to shading your hive from the…
How to Start a Book Club for Beekeepers
Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Beekeeping Book Club? The other day a thought struck me as I was drooling over another one of my friend’s book club photos on Instagram. I have so many friends who are in some pretty cool book clubs. They meet once a month…
Why Can’t Babies Eat Honey?
Have you ever wondered why children under the age of one year can’t have honey? It used to be such a mystery to me why honey, which is so healthy and natural, should have a warning label against feeding it to babies. Now I understand that it isn’t the honey…
“Can I Keep These Bees?” And Other Bee Removal Questions
If you live in Arizona, the chances that you will come across a beehive in your yard or house are probably higher than other places in the country. Our dominant feral honeybees are the African subspecies Apis mellifera, scutellata. This type of honeybee reproduces 10 times more often than Western…
Arizona Beekeeping in May 2023
May is here and that means temps are rising. This month we need to make sure our hives have shade, especially in the afternoon. We also need to have a reliable water in place for our bees. As backyard beekeepers we need to do everything we can to accommodate the needs…
What to do with Propolis
Propolis is a mixture of resin, essential oils and waxes It also contains amino acids, minerals, ethanol, vitamin A, B complex, E, and flavonoids. Bees use it to seal cracks in their hive, coat foreign objects as a sealant against bacteria and to coat the cells of their comb. Its…
Arizona Beekeeping in March 2023
Yay! Spring is here and the days are simply beautiful. The mornings are a little chilly, but the sun is out and we have had some rain that makes the flowers bloom. It doesn’t get better than this here in central Arizona. Beekeepers are splitting their hives to sell to…
What Do Honeybees Eat?
Honeybees eat honey, right? Well, yes, but that’s just part of the story. Bees need Carbohydrates (from nectar or honey), Protein, Fats, Minerals (from pollen), Salts, and Water. If you look at a frame of bees you will see that it has a pattern to it. There will be honey…