My 25-year-old smoker had just not been working all that well for a couple of years.  It is an older style from Mann Lake, and the bellows assembly is still available as a separate unit….so I...

Implements to have handy during a hive inspection: Hive tool Scratcher for testing drones for mites Record book, noting day and date of inspection Painter's tape for marking outside of...

"Cracking the hive" is a simple, rapid way to check your colonies for queen cups and elongated queen cells that could indicate an imminent swarm. Use this quick inspection method to determine...

Sometimes it’s your fault for spacing frames too far apart; sometimes the bees just overdo it for reasons of their own.  They build cross-comb in the form of towers between frames or...

While it’s true that no two beekeepers can seem to agree on anything, something we all seem to share is BRICKS. But then, don’t ask which end is up! Not only do bricks hold your top covers...

WHY FEED — In NEW hives, the role of feeding is to help bees build new comb. It is not to fill up the hive with sugar syrup.* In OLDER hives, the role of feeding is to make sure that the bees...