The PerfectBee Blog

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 both individually to maintain a workforce and through swarming to expand when resources or space are limited.

Receive valuable support and resources, whether you're new, returning for a second season, or an experienced beekeeper.

Bears can threaten beehives in areas where they live, but prevention is key to protecting your bees from such risks.

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 many at the entrance requires further investigation.

In winter, honeybees rely on moisture inside their hive for water since they cannot forage while clustered.

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...

There are some scenarios where wooden beehive bodies simply can’t offer enough heat retention.

Winter threats to honeybee colonies include cold, lack of food, and diseases or varroa mites.

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

If condensation disrupts a honeybee colony's cluster in cold weather, the bees can't regulate their temperature, risking the colony's survival.

Honeybees produce beeswax using specialized glands on their abdomen, which they convert into wax scales and chew with saliva until soft.

When temperatures drop below 40°F, honeybees cluster together for warmth, and beekeepers should avoid disturbing the colony and cluster.

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

Made from a sugar and water mixture that provides carbohydrates to help them survive until spring, candy boards are an emergency winter food for bees

With precautions like consulting a doctor and carrying an Epi-Pen, it’s possible to safely enjoy the hobby with a bee sting allergy.

Bees buzz for various reasons, including communication, signaling threats, indicating food sources through the waggle dance, and generating heat in winter to keep the colony...

Winter bees, born in late summer or early fall, have a slower metabolism and extra fat reserves, allowing them to survive the cold months and...

Disturbing the hive in cold weather can stress bees, so it's safer to check on them from the outside by gently knocking and listening for...

Honeybees are hygienic and avoid defecating inside the hive, instead taking "cleansing flights" when temperatures reach 40°F or above to relieve themselves away from the...

Spring is the ideal time to start beekeeping, allowing bees to build comb and gather resources, but beekeepers should plan ahead, ordering equipment and bees...

A nucleus colony (nuc) is ideal for new beekeepers as it includes an established colony, queen, and resources, while package bees are cheaper but harder...

Honeybee colonies survive winter without hibernation.

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...