Welcome to Hive Tales, the Beekeeping Blog
Propolis
Propolis is one of the many remarkable substances of honey bees, yet it often remains overlooked compared to honey and beeswax. This sticky, resinous material is a powerhouse of natural benefits, serving crucial roles both inside the hive and in human wellness. Let’s explore what propolis is, how bees collect and use it, and why it has been valued by people for centuries.
Instrumental Insemination
Instrumental insemination is a valuable tool for selective bee breeding, allowing beekeepers to enhance their colonies' traits with precision. While it requires skill and specialized equipment, its benefits in improving honeybee genetics and colony health make it an essential practice for commercial and research-oriented beekeepers. By understanding and utilizing this method, beekeepers can contribute to stronger, healthier bee populations for future generations.
Grafting Queen Bees: A Guide for Beekeepers
Queen grafting is a vital skill for beekeepers who want to raise strong, productive queens for their colonies. By selecting larvae from high-quality stock, beekeepers can ensure their hives remain healthy, productive, and well-managed. But what exactly is grafting, and why do beekeepers choose to do it? Let’s break it down step by step.
Sustainable Beeswax
Beeswax is one of the most valuable byproducts of beekeeping, used for centuries in candle-making, cosmetics, and even medicine. In this post, we explore how beekeepers process and filter beeswax while ensuring the well-being of their colonies, as well as how beeswax compares to other commonly used waxes.
Selecting the Best Location for your Hive
Here are some important considerations in selecting the perfect location for your beehive.
Meet the Hive: Queen Bee
Discover the fascinating biology, life cycle, and critical role of the Queen in this blog post.
The Secret Language of Bees: Pheromone Communication
Honey bees communicate through pheromones, invisible chemical signals that coordinate everything from food gathering to hive defense. Learn more about the unique system that keeps their complex society running smoothly and ensures the survival of the colony in this blog post.
Sowing Wildflower Seeds: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to a Pollinator Paradise
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this guide will show you how to plant native wildflowers that support honey bees, native bees, and other essential pollinators. Learn why fall is the perfect time to start and how a few simple steps can transform your space into a haven for beauty and biodiversity!
Do Honey Bees Sleep?
Did you know honey bees take short naps throughout the day to stay sharp and productive? These "micro-naps" help them maintain their energy for vital tasks like foraging and performing the waggle dance to guide fellow bees to food sources.
Meet the Hive: Drone Bee
Discover the fascinating life cycle and essential role of drone honey bees.
How to Save a Failing or Queenless Hive
Learn how to combine a weak or queenless hive with a stronger one to save your bees and improve colony health with this easy step-by-step guide!
Why Are There Bees In My Pool?
Have you noticed bees hanging around your pool or hot tub? Read on to learn why and how to help the bees get the water they are seeking.
The Dark Side of Honey: Honey Adulteration
The issue of honey adulteration is widespread and troubling, but consumers can make informed choices to ensure they are getting the real, pure product they expect. Learn how to source high quality honey by reading this blog post.
Helping Your Child Overcome Their Fear of Honey Bees
Help your child overcome their fear of honey bees with these fun, positive strategies that teach calm behavior and highlight the essential role bees play in our environment!
How To Requeen Your Hive
Learn the essential steps for requeening your honey bee hive and discover how replacing a queen can improve colony health, productivity, and temperament.
Understanding Varroa Mites and Their Impact on Honey Bee Colonies
Learn how Varroa mites affect honey bee colonies, how to assess mite levels in your hive, and the best treatment options to protect your bees from this devastating parasite.
The Environmental Benefits of Honey Bees
Discover how honey bees not only support the environment through pollination and biodiversity but also play a crucial role in sustaining crops like alfalfa, which feeds the livestock we rely on for meat and dairy products.
Raising Royalty: How Honey Bee Colonies Produce a New Queen
Discover the fascinating process of how honey bee colonies raise a new queen, from selecting larvae to the queen's thrilling mating flight and competitive piping behavior that determines her royal reign!
What is a “Nectar Flow”?
Learn what a nectar flow is and how to make sure your bees take advantage of it.