Read past issues:
In the Beehive Newsletter
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Living with 150 queen bees
A big, strong hive ready to be split into two! What's new on the farm: I can hear the hum of 150 queen bees and their attendants sitting a few feet away from me in the living room. That means...
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Why do bees want to swarm?
Our hives start as single boxes, but as they grow larger we stack a second box on top to give them more space! Each vertical stack of boxes is a unique colony. What's new on the farm: It's been an...
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The queen making has begun
A frame of queen cells made from our own bees! Larvae are gently transferred into the grey cups, which are then placed with the open end upside-down in the hive. The bees feed the larvae with royal jelly for several...
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Why we can't buy the best queens we've ever had
A very healthy frame of brood! The brown circles are baby bees (in the pupa stage) covered with wax cappings for protection until they hatch. A consistent and widespread pattern (without too many holes) means the queen is an organized...
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🐝 "They're dripping with bees!"
These cells in the middle contain freshly packed yellow and orange pollen. What's new on the farm: It's been an up and down week here on Vancouver Island, but we are ending it on a high note. Andrew has gone...
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We finally opened the hives
A first peek into our hives this spring. What's new on the farm: It's the first week of April now and some of you might be wondering what's going on with the bees already?? Trust me, we felt the same....