Dear Beekeepers, Deepen your beekeeping experience through classes! Your bees will appreciate it!Here are two learning opportunities: Varroa Mites: Advanced Topics - Online Live on Zoom!Sunday, June 29th, 6-8pm, $30Click here to register!If you do the sugar roll test & treat with Formic/OA, then this class is for you! Learn new tips & the updated research to add to your mite game! There is a new robbing screen design by Randy Oliver that is more effective for keeping robbers/yellowjackets out...
19 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Happy Solstice! This email highlights two of my upcoming classes - Keeping Healthy Queens & Varroa Mite Advanced Topics. Both are aimed at more experienced beekeepers but all levels are welcome. At the end I talk about Swarm Prevention & where we are in the Bee Year. Keeping Healthy Queens: How to Spot Queen Problems & What To Do - Online Live on Zoom!Sunday, June 22nd, 6-8pm, $30The queen is the mother of all the bees in the hive. The worker bees only live about 5 weeks, so...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Read on for new classes & what to do in your hive! It's a good weekend to inspect - make sure you see eggs/larvae/worker brood (evidence of a queen) and test for mites (if you haven't in 3-4 weeks). Sugar rolled bee being cleaned up BEE CLASSES - OnlineThese classes describe the best practices of what has worked for me and my students in the urban Bay Area. If you can't make one or both of the sessions live, you can still register and download the recordings to watch at your...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Dear Beekeepers, It's the best time of year for our bees and beekeeping! Keep up on swarm prevention - big hives likely have 7 boxes now and small hives need boxes added quickly (every 2-3 weeks) to keep ahead of their growth! I'm doing more inspections at my Berkeley hives. Don't miss this opportunity to learn inspecting tips and techniques. HIVE INSPECTIONS @ My Berkeley HivesCome play with the bees! I'll focus on how to use the tools, identifying what's in the hive, and how to recognize...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Beautiful weather this week - definitely inspect your hive and enjoy your bees! For tips on inspecting, take my hive inspection class. Read on for classes & what to do in your hive! RANDY OLIVER NUCSUrban Farm Oasis still has gentle Randy Oliver nucs available. The queens are daughters of hives that did not need treatment in 2024 as they kept their mites at 0 or 1 mite. Here is a photo of one to the right with all zeros for all five mite washes. I highly recommend these nucs...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Beekeepers, The weather forecast Friday - Sunday is for sunny, above 60°F weather. Time to inspect! If your hive is getting tall or you want a second hive, sign up for my Splits class that starts Sunday. Read on for what to be doing in your hive! FIRST YEAR BEE MENTORSHIPDo you want to learn to be a really good beekeeper in a supportive environment with hands-on inspections? Apply here for my 1st Year Bee Mentorship (starts in 2 weeks!)! Pass on to friends/family wanting to start...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Read on for quick advice on what to do this weekend! Preventing swarms starts now! If you have a booming hive, sign up for my Swarm Prevention class, starting Saturday. Message from your Bees: "We don't want our house toppling. Put a ratchet strap on!"With the high winds/storm, if you haven't put a ratchet strap on your hive yet, add that to your list for this weekend. There is more rain expected next week, and the forecast predicts higher chances of above normal rain for...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Happy New Year to you & your bees!!! If you have a friend who is interested in beekeeping, recommend my Intro to Backyard Beekeeping class through Urban Farm Oasis. It starts this Saturday (recordings included). Details are here. Want more Bee Knowledge in the New Year? My Bee Circle and Bay Area Beekeeping book will support you in your quest. Both are 25% through this Sunday, January 12th! BAY AREA BEEKEEPING GUIDE FOR URBAN BACKYARD BEEKEEPERSMy 80+ page online guide gives...
6 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Beekeepers, Happy Solstice! Want more Bee Knowledge in the New Year? My Bee Circle and Bay Area Beekeeping book will support you in your quest. Both are 25% through January 12th! Read on for winter reminders for your bees, including a free 24 hr mite drop video. BAY AREA BEEKEEPING GUIDE FOR URBAN BACKYARD BEEKEEPERSMy 80+ page online guide gives you clear guidance each month about what's important to do in the hive.Click here to read more about it & buy!Use this code for 25% off:...
7 months ago • 2 min read