Category Archives: Beekeeping
One more thing about Chinese honey. . .
Occasionally, we take honey from the hive too early. It’s bad honey – some beekeepers call it “green”. High in moisture, and maybe not fully enzymatically converted by the bees. Nectar is ‘wet’ – sometimes 90% water and just 10% … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Hive Products, Honey, Science
Tagged adulteration, China, extracting, processing honey, wet honey
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Langstroth, the Christmas Gift
I’m repeating a blog which I posted on Christmas Day last year. It’s about the inventor of modern beekeeping, L.L. Langstroth. Enjoy! He invented modern beekeeping, making it easier, more productive, and less stressful for bees. However, Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Books, History, Hives and Combs, People
Tagged Langstroth, manic-depression, The Hive and the Honey-Bee
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The Clumsy Beekeeper
When I was much younger, my brother and I visited a world-renowned bee breeder who produced thousands of queens every spring. I don’t remember much about that trip to the north-Florida panhandle where every town had some elegant white clapboard … Continue reading
Water in Honey
Honey is about 80% sugar and 18% water. The rest is minerals and ash*, pollen grains and bees’ wings. The sugars and water come from nectar secreted by flowers. When flowers produce nectar (as a way of attracting pollinating insects … Continue reading
Morgan Freeman’s Bees
By now, most beekeepers have heard that Morgan Freeman is a beekeeper. Morgan Freeman is incredible. Whether you enjoyed him driving over Miss Daisy or just gaining redemption after Shawshank, you likely admired the way the man can perform. I’ve … Continue reading
Upside-Down Almond Pollination
It’s September, but some beekeepers are just wrapping up almond pollination and moving their bees to canola. Sounds late. California’s almonds finished in March. Canola blossom ended months ago, too. But not for Australian beekeepers. Here’s a news piece from … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pollination
Tagged almond pollination, Australia
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Brood in Front of the Hive?!?
I’m continuing with the series of questions which I overheard at a bee meeting a few days ago. Today, it’s dead brood. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Pesticides, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged American Foulbrood, chalkbrood, dead bees, skunks, wintering
10 Comments
Bright Shiny Extractors
I’m continuing with the series of questions I overheard at last week’s bee meeting. Today, it’s the bright shiny extractor. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one from three … Continue reading
How Can I Stop Wasp Attacks?
A few days ago, I wrote about the way new beekeepers are generally sure about the right way to keep bees while oldtimers are reticent when it comes to answering questions. Sometimes there are a dozen ways to solve a … Continue reading
Bad Beekeeping Blog 