Kelley Beekeeping Archives - Beekeeping Resources

Beekeeping Resources

A Basic Guide to Installing Bee Packages

February 15, 2021 | Kelley Beekeeping

Honey bee packages make it easier than ever to get your hives buzzing. With a little online research, you can purchase a package of live bees for local pickup or delivery. After that, you simply have to wait for your...

The Kelley Beekeeping Website Is Moving

December 8, 2020 | Kelley Beekeeping|News & Events

Dear valued Kelley Beekeeping customers, We are constantly looking for the best way to provide top level customer service along with everything you need to be a successful beekeeper. In this spirit, we are pleased to announce that Kelley Beekeeping is merging websites with...

How American Foulbrood Affects Honey Bees

October 9, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Among the most severe diseases that honey bees face is American foulbrood, a bacterial infection that targets larvae in a colony. Unlike many diseases, American foulbrood can hit any colony regardless of population size, productivity, and overall health. This makes...

Top Flowers To Keep Near Your Beehive

September 10, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

One of the best additions to any apiary is a garden full of colorful, thriving blooms. Your hives will look even better nestled within such natural beauty, and your honey bees will also have access to some of the...

7 Steps To Help Your Honey Bees Prepare for Winter

September 10, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Winter brings many dangers to your beehives. No one wants to check in on their colonies in the springtime only to find a hive full of dead bees. Fortunately, there are several ways to prepare your honey bees and their...

The Main Threats to Honey Bees

August 27, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

The life of a honey bee is pretty straightforward. The queen lays eggs and keeps the hive productive. Worker bees devote their days to collecting resources, making honey, and caring for the hive. Meanwhile, drones live to mate with another...

A Guide for Inspecting a Honey Bee Hive

August 18, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Honey bees are experts at keeping their hives. They know how to build the hive, protect the queen, raise the brood, gather resources, and create the honey that sustains them all year long. Our busy, buzzy friends work hard every...

Raw Honey vs. Regular Honey: The Difference

August 18, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Anyone can buy a bottle of grocery store honey, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting the true honey experience. Those who settle for regular honey are missing out on a world of unique flavors and characteristics. Every spoonful of raw...

Why Honey Varies in Color, Texture, and Taste

July 28, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

There’s more to honey than meets the eye. When you buy raw, local honey, you get a jar full of distinct, one-of-a-kind properties. Unlike grocery store honey, which undergoes pasteurization and other processing, raw honey retains all the unique elements...

How to Prevent Colony Collapse Disorder

July 10, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

You’ve probably heard about how important it is to save the bees. Like all pollinators, honey bees play a vital role in our environment. They help flowers grow and crops flourish, which is why their health and well-being is so...

What Is Cross Comb in a Beehive?

July 9, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

As much as we love our honey bees, we can’t always control them. Even the most docile and productive hive is going to go its own way once in a while. After all, honey bees are still wild creatures that...

3 Plants That Increase Honey Production

June 23, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

One of the best ways to help your honey bees is to give them a wide menu of bee-friendly plants and flowers to visit. Honey bees need plenty of pollen and nectar to feed the colony and create that sweet,...

The Different Varieties of Honey

June 9, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

When many people buy honey, they simply go to the grocery store. Most of the time, they’ll only find a couple of options: the honey that comes in a cute bear bottle, an organic variety, and—on occasion—the odd unique-flavored honey....

4 Common Signs Your Hive Is Failing

June 1, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

It’s important for beekeepers to listen to their honey bees. Your productive, buzzing little friends might not be as obvious as a sick cat or upset dog, but they’ll still display a few sure signs when something is wrong in...

How Beekeepers Can Prevent Swarming This Summer

May 14, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Late spring and early summer are a honey bee colony’s most productive times. While this productivity is excellent for your honey bees’ health and honey stores, it can also lead to bee swarms. Sometimes, these swarms are the perfect opportunity...

A Complete Guide to Urban Beekeeping

May 11, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

When you picture an apiary, what kind of images come to mind? Do you see stretching farmland, fields of colorful flowers, and other elements of a rural setting? These locations make great homes for beekeepers and their hives, but that...

How to Keep a Beehive Cool and Comfortable in the Summer

May 6, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Summer is creeping ever-closer, which means our beloved honey bees will soon be facing intense heat and humidity. As much as we enjoy the warm sunshine, it can cause a lot of damage to your beehives if you’re not careful....

Tips for Extracting Honey from a Beehive

April 22, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

As with any harvest, you have to work hard to collect the honey from your beehives at the end of the season. Honey extraction can be a long, messy process, but the reward is more than worth it. You can...

What Should Beekeepers Know About Queen Bees?

April 2, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

A honey bee queen is the most iconic member of the hive. As the only egg-laying female, she takes sole responsibility for the colony’s reproduction. She also bears a unique scent that keeps the other members of the hive content...

How to Keep Your Honey Bees Healthy

April 1, 2020 | Education|Kelley Beekeeping

Your honey bees’ health is important. Bees have evolved to be able to successfully manage and protect their hives, but it doesn't hurt to help them out. Honey bees face many threats throughout their lives, including pests, diseases, and man-made...