Go Bees, Go!
This week’s relatively warm, clear forecast is good news for the bees in my valley. They have been flying for a few days now, despite bouts of overcast mist, diligently […]
Author Archives: kgoodwinus
Overwintering small colonies: stacking
Keeping a small colony fed over the winter, either with dry sugar, fondant or a candy board, presents fewer challenges than keeping it from getting too cold. When outdoor temperatures […]
Overwintering small colonies: Candy boards
This fall found me with a number of small colonies ill-prepared for winter. I had anticipated a deluge of late-season queen requests, requests that, unfortunately for my lovely young queens, […]
What did you do in the bee yard today? November 12, 2017
I began changing out robber screens for mouse guards last weekend. This simple task has become something of a fall ritual for me. I delayed as long as possible to […]
Queenright in the smoke: Late summer gambling, part 2
m Success! All four of the sections of my mating box contain laying queens! The sun was so obscured by smoke today that seeing eggs was practically impossible. Thanks to […]
Late summer gambling
It’s been a good season so far. With good foraging conditions and some timely splitting, I’ve made enough splits to compensate for some unprecedented winter losses. Increasing from survivor colonies […]
What’s Blooming? August 10, 2017
August is the true test season for my pollinator-minded garden. The blackberry blooms that helped fill hives in June are now fat, sweet berries, beginning to fill our bellies and […]
