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Welcome to
THE BUZZ
What's the Buzz?
The Buzz is a beekeeping blog by Master Beekeeper, Christine McDonald.
Through these articles, I share my experiences and advice in a way that is concise and easy to understand. If you would like me to speak at an upcoming club meeting or event, you can learn more about my speaking engagements here. And if you've found this valuable and would like to buy me a cup of tea, you can do so here.
Bee well!
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The Dreaded Dearth
Dearth is any time of year when there is not a great enough nectar supply to sustain a bee colony. During a dearth, your bees will...
rushingriverapiaries
Aug 7, 20224 min read
Culling Without Killing
When we reach mid-summer, if we have hives that are not starting to produce honey for any reason, we take them out of production. We...
rushingriverapiaries
Jul 22, 20222 min read
My Bee Library
This is a collection of my favourite bee books for bee-ginners, experienced keepers, and those who just love bees 🐝 Each photo is an...
rushingriverapiaries
Jul 17, 20221 min read
Come Graft Queens With Me!
This is not exactly a how-to video, but more of a ride-along as I graft a round of queens. Watch as I work through my starter to...
rushingriverapiaries
Jul 16, 20221 min read
Newbees: What is That? (Part 2)
This is a collection the slightly less typical stuff that you may find in your hive and what it means. We still are not looking at...
rushingriverapiaries
Jul 10, 20223 min read
I Might Have Mites
No, no, you DO have mites (unless you live in Australia). The trick is keeping track of how many mites you have and knowing how to deal...
rushingriverapiaries
Jun 25, 20223 min read
My Bees Won't Draw Comb
There are three things required to make fresh wax: young bees, lots of nectar, and heat. If any one of these is missing, your bees won't...
rushingriverapiaries
Jun 25, 20223 min read
Re-queening a Hive
Your hive needs a new queen. No matter how it comes about, your choices in how to ensure your hive gets a healthy new queen will be the...
rushingriverapiaries
Jun 19, 20224 min read
Dealing with Mean Bees
Each hive has its own unique temperament. Our very first two backyard hives were aptly named War and Peace. In some cases, a little bit...
rushingriverapiaries
Jun 17, 20223 min read
The Quick & Dirty
Sometimes you're in a hurry. It might be because you have a lot of hives and need to work efficiently. It might be because you fly away...
rushingriverapiaries
Jun 2, 20221 min read
The Basics of Making A Split
Making splits can be a strategy to grow your apiary, a way to earn back a bit of the small fortune you've spent on bees (if you sell the...
rushingriverapiaries
May 31, 20223 min read
When to Split a Hive
Timing is everything, especially when it comes to bees. This article will help you decide when is the best time to split your hive, or...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 22, 20222 min read
Building an Electric Fence
Buckle up because this is a big one. But so is building a fence so let's do this, shall we? What you Need It really works best to draw...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 21, 20222 min read
Inner Cover Insulation
This is a winter hack that we tried for the first time this year and found to be very successful so it will become part of our yearly...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 21, 20221 min read
Reversing the Brood Chambers
Reversing the brood chambers is a classic spring move. Over the winter, bees move up from the bottom box into the top box as they...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 13, 20221 min read
Moving Hives
Whether you're moving your bees across the yard or across the country, there are some basic principles and processes that will make the...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 7, 20221 min read
Combining Hives
Combining hives is a bit of a last-resort move that we use when we have a queenless colony at a time of year when queens are not...
rushingriverapiaries
Apr 6, 20222 min read
Boosting a Weak Nuc Above a Strong Hive
Coming out of winter, we had a handful of nucs that were not building up like they should be. They were queenright, but just had too...
rushingriverapiaries
Mar 28, 20222 min read
Condensing a Weak Hive
One of the best things you can do for a struggling hive is to reduce the amount of space they have to work in. That can mean reducing...
rushingriverapiaries
Mar 12, 20222 min read
Three Types of Bee Feeders
Whether you plan to feed your bees strategically, or just for survival when necessary, having the right tool for the job will make your...
rushingriverapiaries
Mar 12, 20221 min read
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