Category Archives: Beekeeping

All things apicultural.

Hive data is in

Greetings, fellow bee enthusiasts! Spring is here, and the bees have awoken from their long winter’s nap. April 1 was the official end for the data recording period for the Cozy Bee Project, and I have pulled all the data … Continue reading

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Journeyman Beekeeper

As you probably know if  you’ve been following this for any amount if time, I’m a beekeeper. I got into it right after returning from Peace Corps in 2010, and almost immediately I joined the Oregon Master Beekeeper program. It’s a … Continue reading

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Growing things

WARNING! REALLY LONG POST! Despite the protracted radio silence, things are still growing at the Gravel Creek Homestead. In fact, they are growing better than ever before. Let me take you on a tour of what we have going right now. … Continue reading

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Disaster strikes- again

Hello all! Sorry it’s been so long since I posted. Something bad happened, and to be honest, I’ve been too bummed out to deal with blogging about it until now. Depending on which news source you watch, you may have seen … Continue reading

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A close call

Almost a year ago today, I had the biggest bee disaster of my life: a bear attacked my apiary, killing 7 colonies. It was a sad a dramatic day I will never forget. This November, though, my luck seems to … Continue reading

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Varroa sampling accuracy

First, a little backstory. There has been a problem in beekeeping since the 1980s, causing massive bee die-offs and (back then) prompting fears that bees would go extinct. It’s a parasite by the biological name Varroa destructor, or simply “varroa”.  If the … Continue reading

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Cozy Bee Gifts are on the move

Good news! For all of you who supported the Cozy Bee Project, the thank-you gifts are on the move. We’ll be sending out stickers, lip balm, and two different flavors of honey to folks all over the country, and candles … Continue reading

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2015 honey production stats

Honey extraction is done. Whew! That’s a lot of work. I guess I shouldn’t complain, though- it’s the beez that are doing most of the hard part. This year was very productive, by coastal standards, and I averaged 31.1 pounds of … Continue reading

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Honey harvest- GO!

… and the other reason I’ve not been chatty lately is that the honey harvest is on. It takes more and more time each year, for a few reasons: I have more and more hives each year. Right now, I have … Continue reading

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Bees are busy, and so am I

It’s mid june, and the blackberries are in full bloom weeks ahead of schedule- as might be expected with the way this strange, early year is turning out. I had 7 or 8 swarm calls before May even started (!) … Continue reading

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