Advertise on podcast: Hobby Beekeeping

So I don't do any winter prep as a hobby beekeeper.  That's the bees' job, and likely, if I do what I'm told, I'll increase the chances of killing my bees.  Go ahead if you think you need to do something; I just don't, and here's why.

It may sound strange, but successful investing is a lot like successful beekeeping. Here are the two key characteristics of successful investing and can you do this with your bees?

This time of the year the hives seem to be exploding with bees. As a hobby beekeeper what could this mean and is there anything I should do?

What were the two biggest mistakes I made when I started beekeeping? In this episode, I share two lessons that changed the way I manage my hives. The first is why I now believe an inner cover is essential for managing winter moisture. The second is less about equipment and more about thinking—why having a clear beekeeping philosophy before you begin may be one of the most important decisions you'll make. I also discuss stinging nettle and whether it has a place in mite prevention around the apiary. If you're thinking about keeping bees or you're in your first few years as a beekeeper, this episode may save you from a few of the mistakes I made. My complete online beginner beekeeping course is available for $99, where I cover the 10 biggest mistakes I made, along with hive management, equipment, swarming, queens, seasonal management, and much more. Learn more at: TheThreeHiveMethod.com Bee well.

Looking at combining a hive opening with perhaps two tasks and updates on today's last day to sign up for the free class.

For one week, I'm making my complete $99 Beekeeping Class available free. If you've ever wanted to keep honeybees—or simply understand them better—this is a great opportunity to get started. Register at: https://TheThreeHiveMethod.com Use coupon code: FreePodcastClass You only need to enroll during the promotion. Once you're registered, you can complete the course whenever it fits your schedule. Limited enrollment so sign up today. I hope you enjoy the class, and I look forward to helping you begin your beekeeping journey.

The Hive Entrance Monitoring has revealed a stunning discovery. At night, some hives narrow or shut down their entrances while others do not. The second finding is that as soon as there is light, some hives break it up and return to normal quickly, while others take more time. Is this a sign of hive health or failure? I also discuss how my new way to be with bees is bringing me incredible hobby beekeeping joy.

Thoughts on the heat, missed treatment because of it as well as thoughts on perhaps missing a survivor hive?

Placed the first treatment on the swarm hive today. Took about a minute to do. Nope, didn't do any alcohol wash to kill some bees, just looking for ways to help them. The idea of 3 hives as a hobby beekeeper is a lot of fun.

This year's project is to see if I can be sustainable with just 3 hives. I have one swarm that moved in, as well as two nucs. Here's the story and the challenges. Will this work?

As a hobby beekeeper we often have swarms move into our empty hives. This one on the farm is strange to say the least. How do they choose the home and what should I do next?

Swarms are arriving and it's getting to be that time to make decisions on how to work with them. Some ideas and challenges as I move forward with my hobby beekeeping.

In looking at helping the bees I realized that the ApiLiveVar is open to heat issues. So what about this new oxalic acid treatment? Is it helpful for hobbybeekeeping?

This Science has been around for over 30 years, but this way to help honeybees with natural organic compounds wasn't something I talked about. I simply didn't know. I feel pretty stupid, but I am going to change what I do in this one important way. You may think about doing it too.

Back from the Edge?After I opened it up about a month ago and saw it was only two frames of bees, with no later activity, I gave it up. Didn't open it up again, but now the camera caught this. Orientation flight? Queen survived? At first thought it was just scouts, but now thinking I got lucky. What should I do now?