Tag Archives: beehives

State official gives go-ahead to Blount beekeepers to extract honey


All Blount County beekeepers can extract honey from their hives, Mike Studer, state apiarist, said on Saturday morning. But beekeepers should continue to monitor their hives to see if they notice any significant bee kills that might occur over the next couple of weeks. Studer asked on Friday that honey extraction be suspended from manyContinue reading “State official gives go-ahead to Blount beekeepers to extract honey”

Winter for the beekeeper: It’s time to think about spring, summer


With winter approaching (in some places it’s already here), the beekeeper has two jobs: Make sure the bees in your hives have plenty of food. Think about about what’s going to happen in your apiary in the spring and summer. Neither of these jobs involves a lot of work at this point, but they shouldn’tContinue reading “Winter for the beekeeper: It’s time to think about spring, summer”

Many beehive viruses introduced by varroa, researcher says


Many of the viruses now being discovered in beehives are introduced by the varroa destructor, according to Philip Moore, a bee researcher at the University of Tennessee. Moore spoke to the November meeting of the Blount County Beekeepers Association on Nov. 10 on emerging trends in honeybee health. The picture he painted is not a prettyContinue reading “Many beehive viruses introduced by varroa, researcher says”

Beekeeping involves year-around planning, BCBA told


Good beekeeping involves planning for two or three seasons ahead, according to Michael Wilson, a bee researcher at the University of Tennessee. Wilson spoke to the November meeting of the Blount County Beekeepers Association on Nov. 10 on “overwintering” and said that any plans a beekeeper has for overwintering bees should start in the springContinue reading “Beekeeping involves year-around planning, BCBA told”

Bee boxes: one size can fit all


When I was exploring getting into beekeeping, I was standing in the barn of a friend who had kept bees for more than 30 years. The barn was full of “bee equipment,” and my friend was trying to explain some of it to me. I remember one thing he said. “If I had to startContinue reading “Bee boxes: one size can fit all”

Vietnam beekeeper getting rich for his efforts


Beekeeping, we’re happy to say, knows no political or ideological boundaries. And apparently, you can get rich doing it even in a communist country. That’s the case with Tran Xuan Phong, 31, of An Khang Commune in northern Vietnam. In 2002, he inherited his father’s 150 beehives and tried to make a go of it. AsContinue reading “Vietnam beekeeper getting rich for his efforts”

Is CCD over?


Is colony collapse disorder (CCD) over? Apparently, an increasing portion of the scientific and governmental community concerned with bees believes that it is. If so, it’s good news. But it isn’t all good news, as Noah Wilson-Rich, founder and chief scientific officer of the Best Bees Company and the author of The Bee: A Natural History,Continue reading “Is CCD over?”

New thoughts about old comb


If you look at most any list of “best beekeeping practices,” you will probably find this item: Remove old comb from the hive and replace it on a regular basis. It’s one of those items that gives people like us — who are trying to be good beekeepers — a guilty conscience. We may removeContinue reading “New thoughts about old comb”