Beekeeping

Your Bees in May

Your Bees in May

. 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....

Bees in April

Bees in April

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...

Bees in March

Bees in March

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...

Native Mason Bees for Early Crops – Part II

Native Mason Bees for Early Crops – Part II

In part one, we covered what a mason bee is and why they are important. Now let’s dive into what mason bees need (all within an area of only 100 to 200 feet) and how to encourage and manage your own populations. Reproduction Mason bees are cavity-nesting solitary...

Mason Bees for Early Crops – Part I

Mason Bees for Early Crops – Part I

It may seem like a difficult task to create an environment for bees to thrive, but give yourself the time to learn something new today and discover what all you can do to aid in the revival of this very important pollinator – the mason bee. Who are the Mason Bees? A...

Italian or Carniolan?

Italian or Carniolan?

Having trouble deciding whether you want to order Italian or Carniolan bees? Here is a quick run down of the differences: Italian (Apis mellifera liguistica) These bees were brought to the US in the mid-1800s courtesy of Reverend Langstroth, the same person who...

Bee & Pollinator Plants for the Pacific Northwest Garden

Bee & Pollinator Plants for the Pacific Northwest Garden

Some of our favorite plants for pollinators are on display to show you the best seasonal sources for nectar and pollen. Here are some tips for success in planting for honey bees and other pollinators: Choose heirloom varieties - a simple flower design allows easy...

Honey Extractor Rental

Honey Extractor Rental

Extracting your honey just got easier!  Investing in extracting equipment can be a big expense for a hobby beekeeper, so we’ve put together a top-of-the-line extractor rental package that enables you to extract your honey with ease at a fraction of the cost. Included:...

Honey Harvesting Video

Honey Harvesting Video

Learn some tips to make honey harvesting easier with better results. Click on the link to watch this wonderfully informative video on honey harvesting presented by Darren Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cz3S1dt5Fk&feature

A Beekeeper’s Toolkit

A Beekeeper’s Toolkit

Advice from Jen Holt - Here at the store I get a lot of questions from beekeepers about what should be included in a beekeeping toolkit.  While the options may seem endless, I have assembled a list of essential items compiled over the years through trial and error....