JC's Bee Blog

If you have kept bees for very long than you know about the Varroa mite. This pest returns to the hive on foraging bees that are working the flowers. To give you an idea of the size comparison if we were the bee the mite would be the size of a rabbit. Now think some bees have several mites on them. After it gets it's free ride into the hive it's goal is to enter into the cell with a young egg of a honeybee preferably a drone egg. This is where it will feed and lay eggs over the next few days. So by it feeding on the bees it weakens them infesting them with pathogens and viruses. Which completely destroys the colony especially during winter months. To better understand the Varroa Mites life cycle click here The best option if I were to choose is to raise bees that have good hygienic behavior. These bees would manage the mites themselves by keeping each other clean and removing infected brood. But this is not always an option.  No one likes to use strong chemicals in their hive o...

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.  ...