Beekeeping

I visited the Gilroy Beekeepers Association's Apiary in November 2022 during one of their Apiary Days. The beekeepers were giving out pollen patties (a food supplement) to the bees, and I happily joined them. Helping them with their work was extremely fun and made me appreciate how hard beekeepers work to keep their hives alive. I was motivated to do my part to help reverse colony decline, even if just a few more hives could make it through the winter.

Trip to Bee apiaries in Small Bees


I met Mr. Small, who owns Small Bees, in Fall 2022. He showed me around his apiary, and I learned a lot from our discussion about beekeeping challenges!

Finding Queen Bees in My Beehives

One of the first things a beekeeper learns is how to find the queen bee. The queen bee is noticeably larger than the surrounding worker bees, with a longer and more elongated abdomen that extends past her wingtips. In terms of behavior, the queen is often at the center of attention, surrounded by worker bees who groom and follow her. Here is one of my first times finding her!

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Swarming in My Beehives

Swarming naturally occurs when a beehive becomes too crowded for the colony, and half of the colony splits off to find a new home. Unfortunately, the remaining colony becomes super weak. My hives have swarmed multiple times, and after seeing how difficult managing swarms is, I've been dedicated to helping beekeepers identify signs of swarming early.

Beehive Inspections


Bee inspections are essential for maintaining healthy and productive colonies. These inspections involve checking for the queen's presence and health, assessing brood patterns for consistent egg laying, and looking for signs of pests like varroa mites. 

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