Bees
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Caring For Bees in the Winter
Winter is a vulnerable time for bees. The 2 things they need to survive – warmth and food are not readily available during the cold winter months. If there are no flowers to forage from, what do bees eat in the winter? This article will discuss what bees do in the winter, what bees eat in the winter, and how to feed bees in the winter. What Bees Do During Winter Unlike bears or birds, bees do not hibernate or fly away during the cold months. Instead, they gather in their hive. When the temperature drops to the 50s it’s time for the bees to return to the hive…
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10 Interesting Drone Bee Facts
A male honey bee is called a drone. Drones have one role in the colony, and when they are no longer needed, worker bees will kick them out of the hive. Often called lazy because they don’t do as much as their female counterparts, drones are vital for the expansion of the bee colony. Read on for more interesting drone bee facts. 1. Drones cannot sting. Drone bees do not have stingers. That means that they are unable to protect themselves. However, they will sometimes swing their abdomen around in an attempt to frighten their attacker. 2. Drones mate in the air. Queens must mate in flight because it increases…
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Nucs or Package Bees – Which is Better?
Like any new hobby, beekeeping has some words that most people don’t understand. When I first became interested in beekeeping I began to read everything I could online. Luckily, there is a lot of information online for prospective beekeepers. However, one word kept popping up that I did not understand – Nuc. What is a nuc in beekeeping? In beekeeping, a nuc is a small colony of bees. The term nuc is short for nucleus colony, and they typically contain 1 queen and a few thousand bees. These bees are housed in a small hive containing 3-5 frames. Nuc vs Package Bees Both nucs and package bees are both used…
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How Much Honey Does a Bee Make?
Honey bees work together with their hive to make sweet golden delicious honey. It takes constant teamwork and dedication all year round from the bees and their keepers. Throughout the seasons, the bees go through a cycle of growing their hive, pollinating flowers, and creating honey in their hive. If anything is messed up along the way, the cycle gets disrupted, and the honey will not be produced. When you buy that little bear-shaped container of honey at the grocery store, I’ll bet you’re not thinking about the enormous amount of time and effort honey bees went through in order to make that one bottle. The truth is, it takes…
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How to Protect Your Mason Bees from the Houdini Fly
Mason bees are a welcomed pollinator to any garden. So much so, that many people enjoy installing mason bee houses in hopes of attracting mason bees to their homes. Recently, a parasitic fly has been damaging mason bee populations. This fly is called the Houdini fly. Luckily, if we take the proper precautions and properly care for our mason bee houses and coccoons, we can help to protect mason bees from the Houdini fly. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and helps to keep this website running. What is the Houdini Fly? The Houdini fly is well known in…
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Where To Buy Bees For a Hive
You chose your beehive, set it up and got it ready for it’s new little dwellers. What’s next? Now it’s time to get your first bee colony! If you are new to beekeeping, the question of where to buy bees for a hive is a very important one. It’s not as if you can go to the local pet store and order a box of bees. So where do beekeepers get their bees? How Do Beekeepers Get Bees? There are 3 ways beekeepers get bees. They either buy a package of bees, buy a nucleus colony, or they catch a swarm. The most common method for new beekeepers is to buy…
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Keeping Bees Without Harvesting Honey – Is It Okay?
While collecting honey is often thought of as the number one benefit of beekeeping, some people have no interest in harvesting honey. However, they still want to keep bees for other reasons. While keeping bees without harvesting honey is not common, is it okay for the bees? Why Keep Bees Without Harvesting Honey? Most people who keep bees without harvesting honey do so because they have a genuine interest in bees and want to support local pollination. They feel no need to take honey for themselves and prefer to leave the honey for the bees. Is Harvesting Honey Cruel? Some people even believe that harvesting honey is cruel. They see…
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Bee Nest Removal – Why You Should Use a Beekeeper Instead of an Exterminator
If you notice a lot of bees on your property, the bees may have built a nest close by. Sometimes, bees will build a nest a little too close for comfort. In that case, you will have to look into bee nest removal. What is a Bee Nest? A bee nest is the structure in which bees build to live in, usually in a natural or artificial cavity. Bee nests are commonly built in hollowed out trees. This is opposed to a bee hive, which is a man made structure in which to raise bees. In warmer climates, bees will sometimes build a hanging, exposed nest. But for the most…
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10 Interesting Facts About the Leafcutter Bee
Leafcutter bees (also known as leafcutting bees) are scientifically known as Megachile Latreille. They are in one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. Other bees in this family include mason bees, resin bees, and carder bees. They get their nickname from what they do – cut leaves. Female leafcutter bees will line a cavity with leaves to create a brood chamber in which to lay her eggs. The baby leafcutter bees stay in the chamber throughout winter. In the spring, they chew through the chamber to exit the nest. Female leafcutter bees have teeth. They also have large heads due to the…
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Foster A Mason Bee
If you’ve ever thought about raising mason bees, or if you already do, this special may be of interest to you. Since it’s the end of the season, Crown Bees is working to find homes for all of their mason bees. To do this, they are having a special where you can get 20 mason bee cocoons for only $19.95. This is a great deal, as the normal price is $32.95. Not only that, all cocoons will be shipped for free via FedEx 2 day shipping. The bees will be shipped out on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so plan accordingly. Crown Bee’s Foster a Mason Bee sale starts now, and…
