Checking on Hives with Snow
Melinda Jean Stafford shows us why and where to clear the snow from your hive and where it is acceptable to have snow on your hive.
Beekeeping
Mixing and Applying Oxalic Acid
Melinda shows how to mix and apply oxalic acid to your hive.
Winter Ventilation
Check out Melinda’s instructions to make sure your hive is properly ventilated for the winter.
Honey Butter
Want to make delicious honey butter? Check out Melinda’s video below to see how easy it is.
State of the Hive Address
Spring has sprung! We got lucky here in Boise, Idaho this past week with a few sunny days in the 60s – perfect for the first inspection of the spring. I was happy to find that two of my three hives are alive and well! Those odds are pretty good. 1. The first one I […]
Don’t Let Your Hives Starve
Hives that survived through the new year were likely low on Varroa mites going into the cold season. On the contrary, I’ve noticed that hives with high Varroa levels going into winter often die before the new year. So, pat yourself on the back if your hives are still alive right now! You can tell […]
What Temperature is Too Cold to Inspect a Hive?
Autumn is here! This signals a drastic change for beekeepers, as we are less able to effectively inspect our hives. Cooler temperatures are the culprit of this and I am often asked “what temperature is too cold to inspect a hive?” The short answer is – somewhere around 60 degrees or warmer. But there’s a […]
Hygienic Bees
Honey bees are known to be quite hygienic. They take care to ensure that their hive is clean. Nearly all hives are experts at removing foreign substances from their home – debris, non-welcomed insects, etc. Some hives even go as far as to remove problematic substances that could cause disease to take hold of their […]
BSU Bee Team Collects Nurse Bees
The Boise State Bee Team continued their work alongside Dr. Brandon Hopkins and his amazing research team at Washington State University. We were first tasked with finding queens in colonies and marking them. This step was very important because it allowed us to the take frames of worker “nurse bees” and remove them from the […]
BSU Bee Team Visits WSU Queens
The Boise State Bee Team is at it again. School is out and it’s now vacation time – “edu-vacation” time, that is. The Bee Team took an educational vacation up to the Palouse region of Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington to visit Washington State University’s amazing beekeeping research program. We were so impressed and appreciative […]