July is here and that means honey flow in your hive needs to be checked to determine if it’s time to harvest. Your hive work in July will have a definite impact on your colony’s chance of winter survival. During this time your goal is to create the optimal conditions...
Beekeeping season is here! The honey flow in the Willamette Valley is on! Right now, you should be seeing fresh white wax and a lot of nectar coming into your colonies. At this point in the season, it is better to have a few strong colonies rather than a larger number...
May is here, and our goal is to help the bees reach maximum colony strength at blackberry blossom in June. The bee brood developing right now is going to bring in the food that provisions the colony through fall and winter, and your personal honey harvest as well. To...
Congratulations, you’ve overwintered your colony! If your hives made it through to April with 5+ solid frames of bees and an active queen then you’ve successfully overwintered! Supplemental Feeding Now that your bees have broken their winter cluster and have...
March is the most common month for colonies to starve. Take the opportunity of a sunny day and warmer day temperatures, if you haven't already, to peek inside your hive and see how your bees are doing. By this time, the queen has been steadily increasing her...
Hello beekeepers! Longer day length triggers honeybee queens to increase egg production. Your colonies have likely been slowly building brood population since the Winter Solstice. Ideally, they will reach peak population when blackberries are blooming later in the...
Happy New Year Beekeepers, For those of you who will be ordering new package or nucleus bees, the time has come to preorder for spring pick-up! Place your pre-order through our Shop site, and browse our full inventory of beekeeping equipment and books too. And always...
Here is a list of favorite beekeeping books that our beekeeping specialist Camille has put together for you! The Beekeeper’s Handbook This is the beekeeper’s bible and the book of choice for the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program! The book is well written and easy to...
By now, winter preparations should be done: absorbent material is in your inner covers, rain covers and wind breaks have been installed, and your bees are eating away at their voluminous winter stores. There really isn’t too much to do in December except watch...
The hard work of the beekeeping year is now behind us, but there are a few things to keep in mind as we slide into winter. Ventilation Ventilation in your hive is extremely important – bees heating the hive create warm, moist air that can either escape the hive or...
Hello everyone! Your bees may dip into their stores in the month ahead – especially for protein. Protein patties fed in the fall can greatly bolster the health and vitality of your long-lived winter bees. Continue to feed protein into November. At this time of year...
Beekeepers have a need to store bee-less frames overwinter for a variety of reasons: empty honey supers, frames from a deceased colony, or frames from a massive summer colony that has slimmed down for the winter months. Whatever the reason, it is important to know how...