The PerfectBee Blog

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...