Beekeeping is a very important occupation – for commercials and hobbyists. When you’re a beekeeper you contribute to nature and society’s continued existence. There is a difference of attitude in general to beekeeping on the different sides of the Atlantic.
Jante and The Involuntary Adviser
“It is better to listen to a string, which burst, than never to span an arc.” Verner von Heidenstam (Swedish poet), 1902, Invocation and Pledge Jante verbalize the unwritten law that says that you can not stand up and
Food control again, soon increase
A month ago I did the first food control after winter. Spring was then still cold then in the beginning of March. A number of dead colonies were brought home. I divided the combs in three groups, food combs, empty
Oxalic side effects
Oxalic acid has been used for many years in Europe to kill Varroa mites in bee colonies. Recently it has been approved for use in USA. Photo: Anders Berg When choosing between strategies against this mite it’s good to know
The Beeshakers
‘The Beeshakers’ would be a good name for a pop/rock/soul-band/group, wouldn’t it? Why not a group of beekeepers that have control of their bees and the Varroa infestation? Regardless of if you are on the path of becoming treatment free or
Treatment free feral bees
Up till now anyway, this colony of bees (and their ancestors forming this colony’s ancestor colonies) that has lived in a wall since several colony generations, has never been treated with any kind of chemicals ever, against Varroa mites or
Meeting the sun
The second Sunday in March the temperature, wind and sun, together with filled intestines of the bees that had produced the heat for the winter cluster took these bees out to meet the sun. The main cleansing flight took place.
Wax in the nest
Rüdiger Dietrich made this comment to my recycling post earlier: I have one question for the wax recycling, but didn’t found a way to post the question in previous contribution. Could you please so kind and arrange this contribution accordingly?
Understanding history
The first commercially wax foundation, in USA 1876, produced by A.I. Root, had imprints for 5 cells per inch for worker cells, a little less than 5.1 mm cell size. That was said to be an average of cell sizes
Recycle your own wax
The first step in recycling your own wax is to get it out from your misshaped too old and your badly drawn combs. Next step is to make your own foundation from this wax, if you use foundation. You can