Tag Archives: how to

Spring Beehive Tidy And Preparation 2016

Posted on April 2, 2016 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Spring has arrived in Whatcom County Washington (the northwest corner of Washington state). It has arrived two weeks earlier than last year, which was early as well. The sun and flowers emerge fast on the heels of a very web … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 9 Brookfield Farm Bee Yards | Tagged beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, hive, honeybees, how to, manipulation, Maple Falls, spring, Washington | 3 Comments

The Honey Paw Uncapper – I like it

Posted on January 23, 2016 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Last year I finally purchased and used a Honey Paw Uncapper. It works quite well, but it was a pain to buy. Nothing like sending 200 EUROS (about $215 at this time, I think the exchange made it higher when … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Extraction | Tagged Brookfield Farm, extraction, frames, honey, Honey Paw, how to, Maple Falls, uncapper, Washington | 1 Comment

Storing Bee Hive Frames in Winter

Posted on November 21, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I search continuously for easy, efficient, nontoxic ways to deal with bee equipment. Storing frames for winter has been an evolving technique. I am pretty happy with my new set up: stacking frames in boxes set on their sides. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees | Tagged bee, beekeeping, Brookfield Farm, frames, hive, how to, Maple Falls, store, Storing, Washington, Winter | 5 Comments

New Honey Pump at Brookfield Farm

Posted on November 13, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I love my new honey pump from Kelley Beekeeping. But like all love affairs, there are ups and downs, issues to deal with, questions to ask before everything works smoothly. She (all wondrous machines are she, yes?) is a straightforward … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, Honey Extraction | Tagged Assemble, beekeeping, Brookfield Farm, Geared, honey, how to, Kelley Beekeeping, Maple Falls, Pump, Washington | 2 Comments

Making Bottom Screens 2015

Posted on June 21, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I keep mentioning that I’m “making equipment like crazy” this year, due to good weather and bee hive expansion. One of the things that we make here at Brookfield Farm are our own bottom screens. I don’t use bottom boards … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees | Tagged 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, beekeeping, bottom screen, Brookfield Farm, honeybees, how to, make, Maple Falls, Washington | 5 Comments

Walk-Away Beehive Splits

Posted on June 13, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

It has been an absolutely busy time in the bee yards. The weather has been lovely, the bees have been out, and it did not pour rain in the middle of the Maple and Cascara flows. Looks like good weather … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, 9 Brookfield Farm Bee Yards | Tagged away, beehive, beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, how to, Maple Falls, split, walk, Washington | 8 Comments

Splitting And Supering Hives

Posted on May 15, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I’m a bit behind in my posts. About 3 weeks ago I went through all my hives, again. The intention was to either split or super the ones that were getting crowded to keep them from swarming. It quickly became … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 5 Queens and Queen Rearing | Tagged bee hive, beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, honeybees, how to, Maple Falls, nuc, overnight, queen excluder, split, Washington | 8 Comments

Checking and Manipulating Hives in late winter

Posted on February 20, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

The sun finally broke out, temperatures went into the low 50F’s so I finally got out to the hives to check them for honey stores, a bit of hive manipulation, and to put in their essential oil patties. The sun … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, 9 Brookfield Farm Bee Yards | Tagged bee, bees, Brookfield Farm, cleaning, hive, honey bound, honeybees, how to, manipulation, Maple Falls, Washington | 8 Comments

Making Bee Patties at Brookfield Farm

Posted on January 30, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Twice a year my bees get some essential oils in their diets. The aim is for general health, to strengthen their immune systems and to combat varroa mites, from the inside. Before I go any further, let me say there … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 2 Diseases/Pests/Treatments | Tagged bee, Brookfield Farm, essential oil, honeybees, how to, making, Maple Falls, patties, patty, recipe, Washington | 2 Comments

Harvesting Honey, Treating Hives

Posted on September 13, 2014 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I have been pulling honey and putting thymol on the hives this last week. This blog’s been silent for quite a few weeks. July and August simply got out of control. Busy Times: July to August In general I was: … Continue reading →