DOW GARDENS' BEE BLOG

Well, folks, it’s been an exciting year so far.  The Dow Gardens orchards started with 2 hives this spring with very mixed progress including one dying out from disease (read previous entries to understand that saga). Only the queen from that hive remains as she was added to a split we made. However, a peek at the hive stand would…

This is an important entry to read in an appropriate order!  Please understand why we are making such drastic decisions in the Whiting beeyard.  Our previous entry will walk you, reader, through noticing symptoms in our hives that were concerning during an inspection.  We went through extensive diagnostic work, research on bee disease, and lots of important conversations on what…

We mentioned that one of the hives at the Gardens had a VERY spotty brood pattern and we were concerned and watching it. After a few inspections, this hive was lagging behind and the brood pattern was not improving. We began to worry there might be a more serious issue. This is where having more than one hive comes in…

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 construct a stable and attractive…

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 friendly wave of a working…

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 ego, but also the general…

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 insight into the innerworkings of…

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 examining the flowers we collected,…

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 been NUMEROUS bear sightings in…