The PerfectBee Blog

Honeybee drones - not just useful for reproduction!

Drones are specialized for a singular but critical function: ensuring the genetic diversity and growth of honeybee populations.

The lifetime of honeybees is dependent on the type of bee and the role that they play within the colony.

What should you do if you love honeybees and beekeeping, but for one reason or another, you’re unable to be a beekeeper yourself?

Traditionally, the use of technology in beekeeping has been fairly limited, particularly at the hobbyist level. Yet hobbyists, sideliners, and commercial beekeepers all face similar challenges....

Honeybee development time varies by role: worker, drone, or queen.

The Langstroth is both the most traditional and popular of beehives. It is also the design with the potential for the highest honey yield.

Honeybee colonies reproduce in different ways depending on their needs as a colony.

Brand new to learning beekeeping? Have years of experience? Being part of a beekeeping community can offer some great benefits.

Prevention is key to protecting your bees from potential threats, and bears are no exception.

Beekeepers can use some special techniques to check if their colony is alive in the coldest months.

The focal point of the Langstroth are the boxes in which your bees will live. This Product Guide looks at the options available when purchasing...

A few dead bees are normal, but it's important to know when you need to do further investigation.

Honeybees cannot forage in winter while clustered. So, how do they get their water?

One area with many choices is that of the frames and foundation to be used in our hives. There are options aplenty here and, without...

In some extreme scenarios, man-made beehives may not be able to retain the level of heat needed to keep bees safe.

Honeybees need to stay warm and require enough resources to survive the winter, but what else threatens them?

Discover effective Varroa mite treatments for your bees. Explore natural and synthetic options, including Apiguard and Oxalic Acid, to protect your hive.

Cold weather and condensation are a dangerous combination for honeybee winter survival.

Honeybees produce beeswax with a process that begins with using specialized glands on their abdomen.

When temperatures get too low, beekeepers should avoid disturbing the colony and cluster.

Beekeeping laws and regulations cover many aspects of beekeeping and may vary by location.

Candy boards are a preferred method of providing supplemental food for bees, especially in the winter months.

With certain precautions, it’s possible to safely enjoy the hobby with a bee sting allergy.

Bees buzz with intention. Communication is key when there are so many variables in the life of a honeybee!

Born in late summer or early fall, winter bees are built differently! Their bodies develop especially to survive the cold months.

Disturbing the hive in cold weather can stress bees. Learn how to check on your bees safely in the winter!

In winter, it’s normal for honeybees to relieve themselves near the hive. Learn what is normal and when to be alarmed.

The timeline you'll officially start your beekeeping hobby depends on a few factors, read more inside to help ensure a successful start! 

A nucleus colony, packaged bees, catching a swarm; learn what your options are and what will work best for your season as a beekeeper.

Honeybees use a wide array of tactics to see them through the winter, without hibernation. There is also the wonder of winter bees.

As each beekeeping season is nearing its end, beekeepers are filled with a twinge of sadness and anxiety. Not only will we miss being able...

In our recent Snippet, “Preparing Honeybee Colonies for Winter” we touched on the population changes that occur in a honeybee colony during the fall and...

At the time of the original writing and sharing of this Snippet (early September), it seems nearly impossible that we should even be thinking about...

As we touched on in another Snippet, "Assessing Colony Size", knowing what the size of your colony is AND what it means for its health...

No matter the reason for your trip out to your bee yard and inspection of your colonies, each time you peek inside one of your...

If you’ve asked yourself the questions in our previous PerfectBee Snippet, “Before You Harvest Honey” and feel confident that taking some honey won’t harm your...

When you start a beekeeping hobby, it becomes clear quickly that there are many rewards you can gain by keeping bees. There are many of...

“Robbing” is a term in the beekeeping world that refers to the act of bees (or other insects and animals, like wasps) invading another hive...

Being a beekeeper often requires you to pay attention to what’s happening in the environment around your bee yard, especially when it comes to keeping...

Whether you’re just getting started in beekeeping or have been at it for years, you’ve likely heard a LOT about the Varroa Mite. But are...

“Beekeeping Season” is often thought of as the time of year when the world and environment around us will become alive and renewed again. Trees...

Though it’s a rare and truly beautiful sight, most beekeepers would prefer not to see half of their strongest colony and their successful queen leave...

The sight of a honeybee swarm is truly an incredible one. Thousands of honeybees, heavy with the weight of the nectar they carry, decide together...

Now that you’ve learned more about “When to Feed” and “What to Feed” your honeybees through our other PerfectBee Snippets, it’s time to prepare to...

We recently received a question from Darryl that was prompted by one of our PerfectBee Snippets, "What to Feed Honeybees". He wondered, "what exactly is ash content...

In our recent Snippet “When to Feed Honeybee Colonies”, we discussed the importance of knowing when it may be time to assist your colonies by...

In a perfect beekeeping world, our bees would consistently find what they need in the environment around them at any time of the year! Unfortunately,...

One of the most exciting steps for any beekeeper is installing a new honeybee colony into their beehive. It can, though, be a worrying time as...

Goals for Becoming a BeekeeperOther than the personal enjoyment and satisfaction that most beekeepers crave, many people have wonderful goals in mind for their hobby...

Cleansing Flights - What Are They? Many might not be aware that honeybees exhibit a form of "house-training," making concerted efforts to avoid defecating inside or...

Since I launched PerfectBee (I registered the domain name in 2015 - yikes!), we have been delighted to introduce tens of thousands of folks to...

Though beekeeping is an incredibly fun, interesting and often exhilarating hobby, it certainly does have its challenges. Many beekeepers face losses of colonies each year,...

Beekeepers spend their winters inside hoping their bees are strong enough to survive the harsh cold. But there are plenty of options to help ease...

New beekeepers starting their beehives this spring are quite rightly focused on their equipment and having it ready for the day they bring their new...

While you could start a beehive by setting your hive directly on the ground and the bees might just make do, at least for a...

Although as you gain experience there will be a bit less to learn, beekeeping is a hobby where the learning never stops. When you’re first...

Awful News, But an OpportunityNo beekeeper wants to go out to feed a hive in late winter or open up a hive for their Spring...

New beekeepers can justify more frequent inspectionsWhen you start beekeeping, you will likely have an inclination to visit your hives often. That deep fascination is...

With a single hive, we lose many options as beekeepersOne question all beginner beekeepers face is just how many hives they should install when starting...

For nectar, pollen and water, our bees will travel great distancesHoney bees are like foraging machines! While a single honey bee will make less than...

Even for a brief inspection, being prepared pays offBeekeeping is a specialized hobby and, as such, a beekeeper may need a few specialized items to...

Whether the holiday season, a birthday or any other time of the year, it's always fun to gift your favorite beekeeper.

Despite the short drone lifetime, DCAs are in the same place each yearSome beekeepers are not particularly fond of the drone bee, the male in...

Freezing honey frames is a useful option for the beekeeperAfter the beekeeper extracted honey from supers, the work isn’t quite done yet. The beekeeper will...

How the Vision of Bees Helps ThemAs with many things bee-related, the way honey bees see the world is remarkable. However, the way they see...

Most people know honey as a sugary and very tasty substance, made from nectar gathered from flowers by honey bees. What many people don’t know...

There aren’t many guarantees when it comes to keeping bees, but eventually getting stung is one of them.

Be ready....If you keep bees, it’s likely that sooner or later, upon visiting your bee yard, you will find a pile of dead bees on...

In nature, honey bees overwinter in hollow tree cavities, with a small entrance and generous insulation above, below, and around their hive. This creates an...

For beekeepers who have harvested their honey for the year, a choice must be made regarding how to package and present your harvest. While standard...

IntroductionWhen inspecting your beehive, checking it is queen-right should be at the top of every beekeeper’s checklist. Marking a queen bee can help locate her,...

Bees are remarkably resilient. From hot to cold and through the seasons, bees are adaptable to climates nearly across the board. But with populations numbering...

Bees in the wild make good use of whatever entrances to a space they can find. In the managed environment of our own beehives, however,...

In our first edition of Beekeeper Stories we chat to Sandy Soares, a Colony member from Rhode Island and a long-time, passionate beekeeper.Sandy started, like...

Who is the patron saint of beekeeping? St Valentine, no less. We can't let that go without a celebration. Here are 9 ways to do...

There has been strong growth in interest recently for synthetic comb, as an effective way to help our bees establish themselves in a hive. The...

Does the idea of requeening a hive scare you? Don’t let it. It is great for your hive and in turn, great for you as a beekeeper....

Spring is the busiest time of year for both the bees and the beekeeper.  A strong, healthy colony will feel the natural urge to reproduce...

For any online community, such as PerfectBee Colony, an important factor is exactly how and where members engage with each other. Somewhat over-simplifying a complex...

How can we assess our bees response during a hive inspection? And what can we do to increase the chances of the calm enjoyable encounter...

VHS bees exhibit behaviors that directly reduce the number of Varroa in a hive, helping keeping the threat of mites in check.

Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs) are a fascinating place where queens kick-start their life of egg laying - and drones end their own.

The events that happen within a beehive are hidden from view. But they shape the miraculous lives of our bees and, through the wonder of...

We love our bees. We introduce them to their homes, in the form of a hive. We do our best to ensure they have the...

An effective and popular treatmentA keen awareness of the level of Varroa mites in the hive is a primary concern for most beekeepers. There are...

Winter Updates from the HiveWhat a year it has been in Beorn's Apiary! 2018 went out with relatively warm weather. In December, we had a...

This article is part of the A New Beekeeper's Journal column, which documents the story of Keith Stiles as he builds a keen interest in...

Well, many people might have only seen bees being fed one way or the other. But really, you should be well informed so you can...

Did you know that there are two different types of bottom boards?New beekeepers may not be aware that there are many types of bottom boards...

Did you know that using herbs for medicine was once considered witchcraft?It is true! During the 17th Century they literally handed out tips as to...

Would you like to be able to raise your own queens?The idea of raising your own queen isn't one that comes to mind early for...

Are you new to the beekeeping scene?PerfectBee was formed specifically to help potential new beekeepers take their first steps, as well as to support and...

ZomBees?!!!No, this isn’t a joke or the next big sci-fi flick coming to a box office near you, though I’m sure Hollywood could have a...

As a general rule, PerfectBee recommends against the use of pesticides or any form of chemicals around your bees wherever possible. However, we also recognize...

Have you ever performed a swarm split?If not, it can actually be rather intimidating at first thought. I remember the first time my husband performed...

Urban beekeeping. Is there really even such a thing? Why yes, yes there is. And it is on the rise, just like urban farming. People...

What is the Small Hive BeetleThe small hive beetle is a common hive pest, particularly in southern areas. The winters in northern areas are a...

Have you ever been stung by a bee?Are bee stings something that has held you back in your beekeeping ventures? Have you ever wondered "What...

Excitement and NervousnessBeekeeping is a special and fascinating pastime. While bees continue to teach us through our beekeeping experiences and across the years, there's quite...

Are you a beekeeper with a child right on your heels?If so, you should encourage them!You are probably wondering how? Keeping bees is not the...

Depending on your methodology, there are two options for when to harvest honey from your hive - a spin extractor or crush-and-strain.

April is the cruellest month, breedingLilacs out of dead land, mixingMemory and desire, stirringDull roots with the spring rain- T.S. Eliot The Waste LandIntroductionIn April,...

Why is weighing your beehive important?Simple - it is a great unobtrusive way to monitor how your bees are doing.It’s important to keep tabs on your...

Bees and kids are often not a happy combination. Taught to fear bee stings at a young age, children often erupt with screams and tears...

The result of 50 years of research, the Warre beehive is designed to mimic bees in nature as much as possible. We look at it's...

It's not uncommon for the laymen to harbor a fear of bees. But a little digging shows they are far more docile than many consider.

There are more associations between beekeeping and Easter than you might imagine.

Propolis is more than just that sticky substance that makes it difficult to move your frames – it plays a crucial role in a hive’s...

The top bar hive has emerged as a popular alternative to the Langstroth for people who are looking to avoid heavy lifting and/or enjoy a...

It’s finally here! That joyous warm weather. The sun is shining, it’s 50°F and you’re ready to see how your bees did over the winter.

As a beekeeper, it’s absolutely essential that you keep the varroa mites in your hive under control. Because it’s never a question of whether you...

Although beekeeping is a time-honored tradition, it is constantly evolving and new trends and technology emerging to aide beekeepers - and save the bees.

A look at the components of the Langstroth beehive and guidance on operational ​factors to keep your colony happy and healthy.

Just like most intelligent animals, bees communicate with each other. They don’t use words like we do, or clicks like dolphins, but they do have...

As a new beekeeper you have a lot to learn. Beyond old-school books, today we have the benefit of the Internet. But for the most...

Moving a hive full of bees, comb, and honey is not an easy task and should not be undertaken lightly. In addition to the weight...

Our resident curious beekeeper-to-be, Amy, wonders whether she has all she needs to be a beekeeper, while hoping her history with plants isn't an accurate...

Beekeepers talk about overwintering - the art of getting bees through the cold winter months. But what about us humans?

The mystery of honey bees in winterFor the layman, it's a bit of a mystery. Those little creatures we associate with beautiful summer days return...

Sarah chose her hive, she decided where to locate it. Now it's time to obtain her bees. A package of bees or a swarm?

As we sit down for Thanksgiving dinner there are so many things for which we should be grateful - but especially the bees!

Sarah considers her beehive location - grade, environmental protections, flight directions and permanence.

If you care for your bees attentively, they will reward you.

How one intrigued, fascinated person is slowing getting drawn into the amazing world beekeeping.

The first of a three-part blog series, describing how Sarah decided on her choice of hive.