Tag Archives: bee swarms

How We Caught Our First Swarm (Or, “If I Can Collect One, so Can You”) Part 1

Posted on May 10, 2012 by mil a.

Looking out the window at our hives, I was reminded how, back in the day, bumbling and confused, we caught our first swarm (which is now Hive 2). March 18, 2009 was a beautiful sunny day. We were eating lunch … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping Equipment, Beekeeping For Beginners, General, Hive Management Spring, Honeybee Crisis, Honeybees, Serge Labesque, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping for beginners, urban beekeeping | 2 Comments

Beekeepers: Honey Bee Swarm Collecting? Bring Your Veil

Posted on March 29, 2012 by mil a.

Many beekeeping books and forums will explain that when bees swarm, they are generally docile. This is because the bees in a swarm have no home to defend and are happily full of honey (which they gorged on before they … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Sting, Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, beekeeper education, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Equipment, Beekeeping For Beginners, General, Hive Management Spring, Honeybees, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping education, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping for beginners, urban beekeeping | 5 Comments

Book Review: Wisdom of the Bees

Posted on March 26, 2012 by mil a.

If you are a bee-losopher, a bee thinker, or interested in holistic beekeeping, I think you might like Wisdom of the Bees by Erik Berrevoets. Specifically, if you are interested in the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, you would like this … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, beekeeper education, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Books, Book Review, CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder, General, Hive loss, Hive Management Spring, Honey, Honeybee Crisis, Honeybee Pests, Honeybees, Horizontal Top Bar Hive, Langstroth Hive | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping books, beekeeping education, beekeeping equipment, book review, honeybee crisis, honeybee pest, honeybees | 2 Comments

Update on the Feral Beehive, March 2012

Posted on March 21, 2012 by mil a.

When I last reported on the bees, I described a possible demolition to the utility pole they are living in, and their constant harassment. To combat that harassment, we went over to the pole early last Sunday and covered their … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehives, Beekeeping, General, Honeybee Pests, Honeybees, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping for beginners, honeybee pest, honeybees, urban beekeeping | 6 Comments

Update on the Feral Beehive In Our Neighborhood

Posted on March 6, 2012 by mil a.

When we last visited the feral hive, we noticed they had built up their population and had constructed new comb. Plus, we noticed pollen going into the hive. Great news. With our latest visit, though, we worried about the longevity … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping, General, Honeybees, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, feral bee hive, honeybees, urban beekeeping | 9 Comments

Three things I learned this year about beekeeping

Posted on October 26, 2011 by mil a.

Once while reading posts at an on-line beekeeping forum, I read an old-timer’s remark that he didn’t recommend undertaking a certain procedure until the beekeeper had three years of experience. At the time, I thought that was an odd and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping For Beginners, Beekeeping In The Winter, Beekeeping Teacher, General, Hive Management Spring, Hive Management Winter, Honeybees, Langstroth Hive, Preventing Bee Swarms, Serge Labesque, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping for beginners, master beekeeper, urban beekeeping | 2 Comments

Feral Beehive Still Doing Well, Part 3

Posted on October 5, 2011 by mil a.

I was curious how our neighborhood hive of wild bees was faring in their improvised home in a rotting telephone pole. This year we had unseasonable late rains in June and a very hard winter (both colder and wetter than … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping Video, General, Honeybees, Urban Beekeeping | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping video, urban beekeeping | 2 Comments

Bee Swarm in my Worm Compost Box

Posted on June 23, 2011 by mil a.

Imagine my surprise when I opened up the lid of my normally silent worm box to add some luscious fruit and vegetable slop for my worms, and I heard a SOUND. My first thought was that there was a creature … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping Equipment, Beekeeping For Beginners, General, Hive Management Spring, Honeybees, Langstroth Hive, Urban Beekeeping, Worm compost box | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping equipment, beekeeping for beginners, beekeeping gloves, beekeeping video, urban beekeeping | 2 Comments

Feral Beehive In My Neighborhood Still Doing Well-Part 2

Posted on January 23, 2011 by mil a.

I went by the feral beehive yesterday evening, and they seemed to be doing very well even after some cold weather. There were more bees foraging this time, and I even saw some bees carry in some pollen to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Swarms, Beehive Behavior, Beehives, Beekeeping In The Winter, Beekeeping Video, General, Honeybees | Tagged bee swarms, beekeeping, beekeeping video, feral hive | Leave a comment

Feral Beehive In My Neighborhood Doing Well-Part 1

Posted on January 4, 2011 by mil a.

As a beekeeper, I notice more closely the activities of local pollinators. I delight in the sight of honeybees on purple rosemary flowers; I find bumble bees crawling in California poppies fascinating. While on a walk to my local market, … Continue reading →