JC's Bee Blog

   If you are raising your own queen bees then you know how important it is to have good drone stock in range. Or maybe your planning to setup more yards this year. In this article I want to share a tip on laying out your yards. Bees fly roughly 2 miles from the hive and with this knowledge I took it a step farther. Just to make sure my bees were able to reach each other from different yards. In order to follow these steps I am about to share with you. The following will be needed. 1. A county map ( Of  your bee yard county) 2. Translucent Plastic Folders 3. Thumb Tacs 4. Drawing Compass 5. Scissors      Now on your county map look for the "Scale Information". This area is usually located in one of the corners of the map. You are looking to see how big 2 miles is on your map. For instance on my map 2 inchs is 2 miles. So with that information I can now set my drawing compass and begin preparing my circles. Now as you have probably noticed I sugges...

A s each year passes I try to grow my apiary. A real simple way to do this is swarm removal but there is another way to catch swarms without even being there. Swarm traps, These traps are usually baited with old brood comb,  lemon-grass essential oil, and maybe even queen lure.  I personally use all of these ingredients with my traps.   Once a colony decides it's going to prepare to swarm. Scout bees begin looking for a new cavity to move into. A baited trap can lure many scout to it to check out the environment. If all of her needs are met then she will return home to tell the colony about the find. They will look for a few key features in a new home. 1. Trap to be of at least 40 liter (10 frame deep) 2. A 1" entrance hole 3. 6 to 10 feet off ground 4. Baited with Old brood comb, Lemongrass oil, Queen lure   Some people choose to use a container that is easier to maneuver over a deep box. There are a few options available on today market.  ...