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2023 has brought a fresh start to the sister hives at Whiting, including a new location with more daylight.  We are happy with the location, and this year decided to invest in building a hive stand and improve the aesthetics of the location.  This week, we relied on our favorite carpenter, jack-of-all-trades Tyler, to help…

In an effort to improve bee genetics in our apiary and our technique, we spent last Friday playing hooky from work and experiencing another beekeeper’s apiary.  We hit the road on a busy spring Friday and headed downstate. We visited Mike Sautter, located in Romulus.  We pulled into the farm and were greeted by the…

Unfortunately, one thing a beekeeper learns to weather is a season of heartache.  I know personally I (Elly) get so invested in my bees and have become over confident in my ability to overwinter bees that when I have a season that’s less than great, I feel it!  It’s not just the blow to my…

Everyone appreciates the world’s pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and more, but when it comes down to giving pollen itself credit, we often fall short. This summer, high school students and recent graduates in the Midland area are taking part in the Michigan State University St. Andrews Research Internship. These students are gaining an interesting…

While walking through the winding paths of Dow Gardens, we, the interns from Michigan State University (MSU) St. Andrews research facility, were determined to find and record the wide diversity of pollen that surrounded us. What we didn’t realize when collecting samples, however, was that there was a hitchhiker we often brought with us. When…

Usually our bee blog follows the escapades of the honey bees of Dow Gardens and their beekeepers. This edition, however, is brought on by a rare opportunity provided by social media. We see it all of the time, people trying to figure out how to co-exist with ‘creatures’ great and small. Of late, there have…

I cannot believe it is June 15th already! Seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting spring and today it is 95 degrees in the shade. That said, we decided an early morning inspection was necessary because of some situations we have happening in one of our hives. The Dow Gardens beekeepers (and bees!) have…

This is a phrase I have been hearing all too often this year. The concept is, as you evaluate your hives for their preparation for winter, if you identify major issues, you have to decide whether or not to take drastic steps such as requeening so late in the fall. Is it worth it? Will…

It has been a busy summer at Dow Gardens with programs being back in full swing. We have kept on top of our beekeeping, but I regret that we haven’t shared more of the journey on this blog. We have managed to maintain all 4 hives through the summer, however, the status and progress varies…

I am sure you all have times when it is so busy, that you don’t even know where to start. That is how I have felt with starting the season with a variety of hive situations. It is HARD to keep track of all of the details: If the hive didn’t make it, do we…