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Loaded a handful of hives on a 4 x 6 foot trailer yesterday. They're in a flood plain - although usually only floods for 1 day per year. I tried tall hive stands, but too hard to work the bees on a...

George --
First, congratulations and good luck with your move. Strongest recommendation would be to seek a local beekeeping organization for their help. If you have live bees and enter the...

Hive-Making Manual by Peter Seiling.

John -

Sorry to hear of your loss. Difficult to say, but probably swarmed if they left a queen cell. Fall swarms are not unusual, but December is definitely very late (and very unlikely to...

Not mentioned - use the 15# tarpaper (not the heavier 30# weight). The heavier paper is hard to wrap. I find primary benefit is additional wind protection. Good luck and tell us what you decided...

Ed - thanks for asking. I always provide top entrances, but funny that some hives use them and others don't.

The water finally receded and I checked the hives yesterday. The wood bridge I use to...

You did not ask for an endorsement... but I used them last winter and already placed a couple cases of sugar bricks on the hives this year.

With Honey-B-Healthy in the mix, the bees are...

I have 4 hives in an area that flooded - two had water up to the bottom boards. The hive stands are staked into the ground and hives strapped to their stands. Water is still too deep to check them,...

Another tip - be sure to use the 15# paper (not 30#). You'd think the heavier paper would be better, but much harder to fold around corners and staple to boxes. I just staple - quick, easy, no...

Added extra brick to tops, used bungee cords to strap a couple hives to their stands (ones that are exposed to wind), staked one stand into the ground (in a flood-prone area), added winter sugar...

You'll hear lots of ideas - take what you want. We wrap hives in 15# roofing paper, primarily to block wind, and place 2 inch foam insulation on top of the roofs for insulation. Both can be reused...

Did you count mites before you powdered with sugar? Hard to know if this count (which is high) is due to overall high mite count or success of your sugar application. I'd wait a couple days and...

Not sure a first attempt at raising queens this late in the year is a good idea. Do you have sufficient drones to permit good mating? How will you evaluate new queen - by the time she should start...

Another suggestion that I have seen used successfully - take photos of kids/adults wearing a beekeeping veil - everyone smiles. You can print on site or email to their smart phones - or they can...

For the typical 1-day presentations, we have a stock background 'Jobs for a Worker Bee' that describes the life cycle and 'jobs cycle' for worker bees. Usually combine this with a 1-frame...

Check out Burgh Bees in Pittsburgh. They have an urban apiary with 15-20 members managing 30 hives in a vacant lot. Appears that keys are relations with neighbors, management of all of the hives in...

Mongo -- If you're willing - I say go for it. You simply need to put the weaker hive over the stronger hive with a double queen excluder or custom screen board between the hives. The idea is to...

Should also consider 8-frame equipment to save weight. Our main hives are exclusively 8-frame mediums and even nucs and queen castle are medium frames. Saves weight, but you also can easily swap...

Bakpakr -- Why don't you talk to Warren Miller / PA State Beekeepers Assn. Cumberland is still an agricultural county, the Penn State Ag extension folks will help, too. Your neighbor cities don't...

I know we usually say 'just add a frame of eggs,' but they also need adequate nutrition and young bees to raise a queen - not to mention drones to mate her. I've found that queen-making is best...

My point is that it's getting late in the bee year to get a nuc started. You have better possibility getting them through winter by keeping all of the bees and one queen. Safer to split next Spring...

Sounds misguided. If they're weak you might place in nuc to give them less space to keep warm in winter. Be sure you have drawn comb in the upper boxes for them to place stored honey. Since flow...

Not selling, but I made a couple 'double sized' frames to use in our County Fair display next month. Now thinking a 'double size' hive would make an interesting focal point for a bee exhibit. Just...

Honey with pollen should still appear clear - you probably have some crystalized honey from your extraction - consider placing in warm car or heat in water bath to 100 degrees for at least an hour to...

Like any business venture - it starts with a business plan. What does the customer need, what can you offer, what is the value you provide? Of course you're competing with 'free' advice from the...