beekeeping Archives - Mann Lake Blog

3 Ways to Increase Your Local Bee Population

July 9, 2020 | Education

Honey bees and other pollinators are an essential part of the community. They help crops grow, help flowers flourish, and allow the natural world around them to continue to thrive. Who wouldn’t want a buzzing local population of honey bees?...

Why Do Honey Bees Sting People?

December 20, 2019 | Education

As wonderful and fascinating as honey bees are, we’re taught as children to keep our distance from them so that they don’t sting. Bee stings can cause pain, and they’re even dangerous if you have an allergy. Even the most...

8 Different Ways Kids Can Help Honey Bees

December 13, 2019 | News

It’s important for kids to learn more about the world around them. The more we teach younger generations about their environment, the better equipped they are to help protect it as they grow older. With bee populations on the decline,...

Why Is Beekeeping so Important?

December 11, 2019 | News

All beekeepers are different. They have different motivations and methods, but the one thing they all have in common is their passion. Talk to any beekeeper about their bees, and they’ll be quick to tell you all about how necessary...

3 Common Misconceptions of Honey Bees

December 10, 2019 | News

Despite being some of the most beneficial and fascinating insects, many fears and misunderstandings target honey bees. The myths surrounding honey bees are untrue and potentially harmful, as they can keep people from caring for, or protecting, these vital creatures....

Top Tips for Safely Handling Honey Bees

November 6, 2019 | Education

As a beekeeper, your job is to keep you and your bees safe. No one wants to get stung, and no one wants to harm or alarm their colony. You can avoid both by taking the right precautions and preparations....

Education: Different Types of Extractors

September 11, 2019 | Education

Extracting season is sneaking up on us, or for some of us it’s already here! This can be a rewarding time for beekeepers. If the season has gone well there is a sweet reward ready to be harvested. There are...

The Hive and Hive Nots

August 7, 2019 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Who’s a busy little bee? You are!” –Krista, Blogger and Bee Motivator Already, another busy summer is in its final tailspin and once again I am left apologizing for neglecting to post. I never thought I’d be too busy...

Education: The Common Varieties of Honey Bees

July 3, 2019 | Education

If you're a new beekeeper or just learning about the world of bees, like me, it might be surprising to discover just how many kinds of honey bees there are. I had been naive and always thought that there weren't...

An Inspection Reflection

June 3, 2019 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Little by little, one travels far” – J.R.R. Tolkien, English Writer and Academic Second year into beekeeping, and I still find it hard to contain my excitement. After the big install of bees into my three hives, I was...

…and then there were bees.

May 9, 2019 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“What? They’re here?! But I haven’t even painted my new hive!” – Krista, Blog Writer/Minnesota Winter Survivor Spring is finally here in the Land of Lakes and with it comes all the excitement of the outdoors minus the huge...

Bee x 3

April 4, 2019 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“But I always say, one’s a company, two’s a crowd, and three’s a party.” –Andy Warhol, American Artist After breaking the sad news in my last post that I lost both my hives during the brutal winter, I vowed...

Bee Blog Blues

March 22, 2019 | Adventures in Beekeeping

"It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft Corporation, Philanthropist, Humanitarian Let me start out by apologizing for the blog silence for the past months. ...

All Bottled Up

October 9, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Sugar, ah honey honey” –The Archies, Sugar Sugar (Lyrics) 1969 So, The Archies were a ways before my time (missed ‘em by about 2 decades), but a catchy song is a catchy song. I won’t deny that the lyrics...

An Extraction Attraction

September 19, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest.” –Deepika Padukone, Indian Film Actress One really can’t take full credit for a honey harvest. I mean the bees do most of the work, I’m really just there to...

Hop to it!

August 17, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Quit slackin’ and make stuff happen!” – Random Internet Quote I Identified With Summer has been speeding by and, boy, has it been a busy one! Trying to fit in all the activities one can handle to take advantage...

Check, please!

July 11, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Look, that rabbit’s got a vicious streak a mile wide. It’s a killer.” – Tim, Monty Python and The Holy Grail I was once told an interesting comparison by a fellow beekeeper. She mentioned that size-wise a varroa mite...

A Queen’s Demeanor

June 19, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“I will do what queens do. I will rule.” –Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones If the quote above or references to J.R.R. Tolkien and Star Wars in previous posts weren’t enough of an indication, I’m a nerd. In my...

Second Boxes, First Sting

June 1, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Though she be but little, she is fierce!” –William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream As the term ‘busy bees’ implies, bees are not idle critters. They truly are the creature that best embodies hard work and a bustling activity. ...

First Hive Inspection

May 21, 2018 | Adventures in Beekeeping

“Hello, girls!” –Krista, Blog Writer/Overly Excitable Beekeeper I sometimes get the impression that beekeeping, for me anyways, is a huge lesson in patience. This week was no different. After the installation of my two bee packages, I found myself...