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Tips & Tricks

We are always curious about these little creatures and I believe we can learn so much from their social society - they are truly amazing.

This page is ongoing and will be updated and populated with many different and interesting things so buzz on back here every so often for new content.

Foraging Map

How far do bees travel as they forage for resources? Your hive will typically range about 1-2km from home, but may fly as far as 5km away looking for food sources. You can use free tool mapdevelopers.com to create a foraging map that will give you an idea of the resources and challenges your bees may encounter. 

Screenshot of Map Developers website, showing map of local area with concentric circles at 1-5km from specified point.

You may like to mark your map with concentric circles (as pictured above) at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5km, or zoom to create a 1-2km radius map. Print or copy the map and mark in important natural features and food sources, plant types, mandmade structures and areas where herbicidal and pesticidal chemicals may be sprayed. Arming yourself with information can help you to identify potential issues and threats to your hive from the surrounding area. 

Honey Bee Development within the Cell

Get a close-up view of the initial stages of bee development with this amazing time-lapse video of the first 21 days within the cells.

Sugar Shake Test Demo

Varroa Destructor mite poses a serious threat to honeybee hives, so it is important to be vigilant and check regularly for pests. One simple method for detecting these small pests is with the sugar shake test. Watch the video below to learn how to do a sugar shake test for Varroa mite surveillance. 

Waggle Dance

Bees use an ingenious method of communication to share information about food and water sources, as well as new hive sites. Dubbed the 'waggle dance' by beekeepers, it involves a roughly circular series of movements that tell other bees the direction and distance to a particular site. This great video explains the waggle dance in simple terms.

Receiving your new Queen Bee by mail

Have you ordered a Queen bee but not sure what to expect?  This will help you.