Using Honeybees to Pollinate Conventional Agricultural Crops

Using Honeybees to Pollinate Conventional Agricultural Crops photo from: entomologytoday.com In the US the honeybees in conventional vertical beehives get transported by the truckloads all over the country for pollination of conventional agricultural crops. Unfortunately, conventional agricultural crops are usually replete with agrochemicals such as pesticides and herbicides affecting both the bees and their honey. […]

Pandemic-inspired Beekeeping

Pandemic-inspired Beekeeping Beekeeping styles differ greatly. Paul Sheppard, an admin of Facebook’s Natural and Regenerative Beekeeping group with well over 2K members observed that different beekeeping styles exist between 2 extremes: Wild bees/feral colonies are on one end of the pendulum swing and conventional commercial-style beekeeping is on the opposite end.  Video shows a slightly […]

Apiaries next to farm fields?

Honeybees’ Lifespan and Health are Declining. Two primary reasons: Agro-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, etc.) from nearby farmfields Chemical treatments from conventional beekeepers (ApiVar, ApiStan, Oxalic/Formic Acids, Thymol, etc.) Conventional Beekeepers Treat Honeybees with Chemicals, Acids or Oils, Adversely Affecting the Bees’ and the  Honey. Keep apiaries far removed from agrochemicals! Apiaries need to be miles away […]

Honeybee Sanctuary or Why Honeybees’ Lifespans are now 50% shorter than in 1970s

Forest Beehive Apiary – a Honeybee Sanctuary  Natural and Regenerative Beekeeping Forest Beehive apiary is located on the left side of this secluded forest lake. On the right side of the lake there’s a state owned land – a 3,000 acre wildlife sanctuary.  ForestBeehive apiary on the left side of the lake is a veritable […]

About Us

ForestBeehive Team Bee-Friendly Beekeeping – Putting the Bees First About Us There are fewer and fewer unpolluted lands in the US that are far removed from agricultural and industrial pollution where the bees can freely forage in pristine forests and meadows uncontaminated with pesticides or herbicides. ForestBeehive natural beekeeping apiary was inspired by this beautiful […]

Starting ForestBeehive Apiary

Starting ForestBeehive Apiary. Transfer from a conventional nuc to a horizontal Layens hive. May, 2022.  Setting up ForestBeehive natural beekeeping apiary in Central Maine on May 1st 2022. The original idea was to use only local wild survivor bees but with colder Spring season none of the swarm traps caught any swarms yet. Instead of using […]

Honeybees and airplanes?!

Honeybees and airplanes? Like the airplanes in the world’s busiest airports, the forager bees are flying in and out delivering to their hive airports mostly nectar and pollen and sometimes water and propolis.The foragers fly out with the speed of 15-20 mph and return with their heavy loads (carrying up to half of their own […]

Clean Natural Habitat – the most important factor for natural beekeeping

What’s Most Important for Natural Beekeeping In his seminal book “Keeping Bees with a Smile”, its author Lazutin lists 3 main ingredients for successful beekeeping, listed in order of their importance:(1) Nectar & pollen resources(2) Using locally adapted bees(3) The design of the hive and beekeeping system Despite the fact that there’s much debate among bee […]

mad or hallucinogenic honey

‘Mad’ or Hallucinogenic Honey Or How to Select Your Honey Ever heard of hallucinogenic or ‘Mad’ Honey?The 1st recorded report about the ‘Mad’ honey comes from a famous Greek warrior and historian Xenophon of Athens who in 401 B.C.E. was returning home with the Greek army along the shores of the Black Sea (now modern […]

A Beekeeper’s Secret

A Beekeeper’s Secret When I was 12, my grandmother and I happened to be guests of honor at a beekeepers house and I still remember the taste of their absolutely delicious honey.  The beekeeper told us a secret why that honey was really exceptional: she said it came from 2 hives that were intended for […]