Category Archives: bees

Buzz-Kill at the Bee Hive: The importance of hive inspection

Posted on December 12, 2013 by jkmcintyre

After inspecting our hives weekly during May and then monthly into mid-summer, we left the bees to their own bees-ness during the remainder of summer and fall. This was in part because they appeared to be doing well, in part … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, top bar hive, winter | 1 Comment

Hot enough to beard

Posted on July 1, 2013 by jkmcintyre

Very uncharacteristically, it has been hot in Seattle. Really hot. Nearly unheard of in June. Last year the high today was 68 degF, close to the 57-year average of 70 F. Today reached 92 F – and the bees noticed. … Continue reading →

Posted in animal behaviour, bees, summer, top bar hive | Tagged | Leave a comment

Hive Inspection 101

Posted on June 19, 2013 by jkmcintyre

I look at the bees every day.  I watch them fly about the yard, and I peek into the hive through the observation windows.  A few weeks ago we noticed the first drone bees.  These are males (in contrast to … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, top bar hive | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Catastrophe! Calamity! Comb Collapse!

Posted on May 5, 2013 by jkmcintyre

The view through the observation windows on our top bar hives isn’t perfect. The combs are, after all, covered in bees (nearly a ‘couch‘, to be precise). Nonetheless, I could see a piece of the pattern that did not fit. … Continue reading →

Posted in bees, top bar hive | 3 Comments