If Beekeeping=Agriculture, shoud you treat Bees like Cattle??

If Beekeeping=Agriculture, should Bees be treated like Cattle?? Rev. Langstroth, who in 1850s invented conventional vertical multi-box beehive, was a congregational minister who advocated for a “dominion of man over bees”.  Langstroth shared the prevailing philosophy of the 1800s, that Man’s mission was to control, dominate and subjugate nature rather than live in harmony with […]

100% Naturally Foraged Honey vs Conventional Honey. Taste & Health Benefits

100% Natually Foraged Honey vs Conventional Honey. Taste & Benefits This Maine wilderness honey came mostly from woodland asters and silver rods that bloom in abundance in the fall in our remote woodlands of Maine.   At our ForestBeehive apiary, we are far removed from agricultural and agricultural & industrial pollution, and our bees are […]

Wintering USDA Russian bees in Maine

Wintering Russian Bees in Maine In this video you’ll see how I help my USDA Russian bees overwinter in Maine. In neighboring Vermont, Kirk Webster, a long-time commercial treatment-free beekeeper also keeps Russian bees for the last 20 years. Kirk Webster says that the Russian Bees are still “the best primary source of breeding stock […]

Honey as nature intended – no meds, no sugar. Spinner and honey press

Honey as nature intended – no meds or sugar for the bees In the video, the honey frames collected at the previous stage of the harvest are uncapped and harvested using both the spinner and the honey press. For me beekeeping and honey harvesting is primarily a labor of love rather than purely a matter […]

USDA Russians vs. Italian Bees, Horizontal Hives and Funny Honey

Russian Bees vs. Italian Bees Comparison of USDA certified Russian bees and bees with Italian genetics in terms of winter survival in US North East without supplemental sugar feedings. “To feed or not to feed”, that is the question. Summer space management of horizontal Layens hive and what makes funny honey.

USDA Pure Russian Bees

Russian Bees are Coming! The beautiful new peaked roof Layens beehive is from Paul Maida, a fellow treatment-free beekeeper from neighboring New Hampshire. The hive’s detachable peaked-roof opens and closes smoothly and is a joy to work with.   Unfortunately, several of my bee colonies with Italian genetics did not survive this past winter in […]

Bees in Winter: Are They Dead or Alive?!

Honey bees in Winter: Dead or Alive?! In the middle of cold and snowy winter, how would a beekeeper know if the bee colonies are alive and well inside the beehives? It would be wrong to open the top lid and take a peek – it’s too cold and it could kill a healthy bee […]

Bees, Christmas and Gifts of Nature

Bees, Christmas and Gifts of Nature. Moving Beehives. It’s below freezing and the first layer of ice started to form along the shores of our secluded forest lake. Our beehives are winter-ready. Raw wool insulation is both inside the double-walls and directly around the bee nest. I harvest once a year in the Fall and […]