Mtn Bee Shares

It's anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. Honey is often added to cosmetics because it's a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture. There's no better reason to keep it around than that it's just a great insurance policy.

The cultivar Coronation Gold reaches a whopping 3 feet tall, while Gold Coin Dwarf hits a mere 15 inches, and pint-sized Goldie tops out at just 8 inches tall. Both common yarrow and fern-leaf yarrow are worthwhile workhorse perennials that gardeners...

This includes deceased members of their own hive as well as any dead or conquered intruders—think foreign bees, robber bees, wasps, ants, hive beetles or other bugs. These bees care for the developing brood (the collective name for eggs and larvae),...

They won't break your heart—or sting you. Like Honey bees , they too are fast becoming victims of pesticide exposure, diseases and habitat loss, but because most native bees live solitary lives, they aren't succumbing to colony collapse disorder.

So what else does the honeybee get out of this deal? When the foraging honeybee takes a break, she cleans her body with her back legs. Covering her body are tiny hairs that collect pollen.

Within the same framework of conditions—same microclimate, same breed of bee, same hive management style—some colonies will simply collect and utilize more propolis than others.

That's what the bees are up to in the winter. Keep going to bee club meetings . After we've prepared them for the winter, the best we can do is check them regularly, read up to ensure we're better stewards of them year after year, and send them warmth...

They carry pollen on the bottoms of their belly instead of on their hind legs, so their abdomen is often coated with whatever color pollen they consumed. Mason bees are tunnel nesters that create brood tunnels in wood and hollow stems.

The rest of the colony is made up of workers. Today, I'm sure that the bee that buzzed my ear was out taking her chance for a potty break—they don't soil their hive. « More of the Prescription Gardener» Tags bees , gardeners , hive , prescription...

It takes a while to get over the sting—literally—of our first bee encounter and to come around to the realization that they don't actually want to hurt us. This includes establishing a multi-department Pollinator Health Task Force spearheaded by the...

Everyone in the hive has a job to do, and each does it effectively. There is a constant flow of communication from the queen and her attendants (several dozen bees that care for her and tend to her needs), sending the queen's pheromones out through the...

It is vital that the weather turn and food sources become available. Red Bud ( Cercis canadensis ) Apr.-May Sassafrass ( sassafras officinale ) Apr.-May Sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis ) Apr.-May Walnut ( Juglans spp ) Apr.-May White Ash ( Fraxinus americana...

With honey bee numbers in decline and pollination at risk, it's important to support native bee populations in order to keep pollination in motion. “ Fence lines , field edges and buffers, roadside areas, and wet areas where you can't grow crops are...

When you need to supplement feed beyond what honey will provide, use dry sugar instead of syrup. These tips will help you maintain a hive with ease. Top Entrances Not to be confused with top-bar hives, Langstroth hives with top entrances are easier for...

You'll find them buzzing all over fruits from carefully manicured orchards to wild roadside brambles, and the honey produced from fruit tree nectar is divine. The following herbs are some tried-and-true favorites for bees and home-cooks alike: Basil Bee...

She may live harmoniously beside her superceding daughter queen. All healthy hives will want to swarm—procreation is the mark of strength and vigor after all. Your clues to supercedure lie in the current queen and the health and state of the colony...

The DCA is located about 1/12 to 1 mile high in the air, and, as the name suggests, is where drones from various neighboring colonies congregate and wait for queens. The first time is for her maiden mating flight, and the only other time is if the colony...

The findings indicate a deadly link between the presence of insect iridescent virus (IIV) and a fungal parasite of the genus Nosema. “They have many viruses and their immune systems are compromised.” Beekeepers and researchers alike are remaining...

“You didn't tell the bees ,” he said. The Egyptians weren't the only culture to include honey as a gift or rites of passage for the deceased: the Romans, Hindus and Chinese all had rituals connecting honeybees, honey and death.

As a guard, a bee stands watch over any of the hive's entrances—there can be more than one—to keep intruders out as necessary. Then it leaves again and starts over, continuing this cycle as long as the sun shines.

Depending on the time of year, you'll also assess whether the colony needs additional food stores, more nectar storage space, increased ventilation, medication, swarm control measures, a new queen and more.

They do so by feeding the larvae royal jelly continuously rather than for only three days, as common workers get. Other than leaving the colony with a new swarm, the queen's mating flight is the only time she will leave the hive.

It's best to know how, when and where pollen was collected. Please discuss the use of pollen as a supplement with your care provider. Small pollen traps, installed by the beekeeper at the hive's entrance, intercept this last step.

If this is the case for you, here are some ways you can handle the excess. A hive of honeybees can produce an amazing amount of honey in a single summer. Honey can be a great ingredient in anything from muffins to sandwiches and even salads, allowing...

At least 18 percent of honey is water. The Nectar Source Influences Honey Flavor Favorite bee haunts such as alfalfa, goldenrod and tulip poplars produce a very dark, rich honey. This is important to note as a beekeeper, as well.

It's crazy to know that something so amazing is inside the pencil-width holes of our porch swing. Each was constructed of cut pieces of leaf “glued” together to form a cup shape.

Many grants are available to help hobby farmers help pollinators. Most farmland lacks the habitat necessary to support native pollinators, so set aside a managed space (free from pesticide drift) where they can prosper.