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…

How to Make Pollen Patties

It’s late summer in Phoenix and my bees are hungry. Why pollen patties? Well, I’ve set out pollen substitute and they are rolling around in it like pigs in mud. It’s quite endearing really. I’ve also been feeding them sugar syrup off and on and I’ve noticed that some of…

Frame Feeder Hack

        Beekeeping is a learn-as-you-go experience. Some do a lot of reading and research up front and do a little better than others who jump right in (that’s me by the way.) Either way, you don’t know what you are doing until you do it, month by…

Trap-outs using a Bee Escape

I love learning new ways to remove bees from structures in order to rescue them from extermination. I’ve removed bees from trees with a forced abscond as well as with a cone mesh trap-out. Both of these were very successful, but haven’t been so lucky with block walls because cones…

Crushing Honeycomb

   I love it when I get the chance to open up a floor, wall, or ceiling and find an entire colony of bees living there. For the homeowner its a scary experience, but for me, it’s an adventure. I don’t know exactly what I will find. There could be…

Where to Get Bees

    It’s springtime here in Arizona and everyone is “buzzing” to get bees. I’ve received lots of questions about how to start beekeeping. Coincidentally I have also had lots of requests for bee removals. I love it! In both cases people are showing an interest in helping bees.   …