Adopt-A-Hive: Quarterly Update

Quarter 2 - 2020

By Bear Country Bees

Welcome to the spring of 2020! We’ve moved your adopted beehive out into the main area of our apiary (where beekeepers keep their hives) and the bees inside are absolutely thriving.

One of the most important considerations for the continued success of your adopted hive is where it’s situated. If the hive doesn’t have the right setup, it makes it much harder for the bees to be productive throughout the season. The wrong setup could even make it difficult for them to survive.

So what do we look for when determining the right location? A good apiary should provide the bees with access to the following:

Sufficient access to both sunlight and shade
Plenty of water (bees are just like any other animal; they need to drink)
Protection from winds that can make it hard for the bees to land
Elevated platform to sit on for proper ventilation
Easy access for the beekeeper

Did you know?

Honey bee swarms can look menacing but despite appearances, swarming is when honey bees are at their most docile. They are simply looking for a new home. If you find a swarm of bees, have a local beekeeper safely remove them instead of spraying!

Need to report a honey bee swarm in Utah or Salt Lake counties? Submit the report to us here!

With our apiary, we’ve ensured that your bees have access to all of these critical features so they have the best chances to survive and flourish.

Our apiary is situated in an area that has excellent wind protection as well as plentiful opportunities for sun and shade to give your bees maximum protection. Next, your adopted hive is placed securely on a wooden pallet that provides great ventilation throughout the warm summer days.

Our apiary provides prime protection from wind allowing the bees to land at the hive while still offering opportunities for shade and sun with underneath our pine and apple trees.

Smokey Outside - October 2019 Adopt-A-Hive Update Letter - Bear Country Bees

Elevating honey bees on a wooden pallet provides ventilation both under and around the hive throughout the hot hours of the day during the summer.

Lastly, there are multiple ways your adopted bees can get access to water including our sprinkler system, nearby flood irrigation, and the occasional honey bee watering dish.

With all of these logistics accounted for, your bees are now focused on being productive: building up beeswax, foraging for nectar, laying eggs to build up the future generations of the colony (queen bee only), attending to the needs of the hive, and storing as much honey as possible for the winter months.

Here’s to a great summer season for your adopted beehive!

Bear Country Bees

Download this letter in a PDF

"

Pollinators are what ecologists call keystone species…an arch has a keystone. It's the one stone that keeps the two halves of the arch together…If you remove the keystone, the whole arch collapses.

- May Berenbaum, Entomologist

Other Things You Can Do To Help The Bees

Plant a bee-friendly garden. Sowing bee-friendly seeds in a garden or even a planter box can be an easy and inexpensive way to provide bees with a safe haven. Try out a mixture such as this one: Wild Flower Mix - Honey Bee Mixture.
Report honey bee swarms to a local beekeeper. Most people tend to panic when they see honey bees but swarming is the time when honey bees are the most docile. Instead of spraying the bees or calling an exterminator, please contact a local beekeeper to help relocate the colony to a safer place.
Share your Adopt-A-Hive experience. One of the best ways you can help more honey bees is spread the word about our Adopt-A-Hive program. The more adoptions we have, the better we can care for the needs of the bees and the more honey bee research we can perform!

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