Honeycombs are essential to the survival of every honeybee colony. They provide the structure where brood is reared and where honey and pollen are stored for future use. During hive inspections, however, beekeepers may notice white material inside or on the combs. It may appear as damp white patches or as hard, crystal-like deposits, leading many to suspect disease or pest activity. In reality, these white substances can have several causes, most of which are […]

Dark honeycombs are a natural feature of established honeybee colonies and are usually the result of brood combs being used repeatedly over time. As comb ages, it gradually changes from pale yellow to deep brown or almost black. In some cases, honey stored in these older combs may also appear darker, especially when it comes from nectar sources that naturally produce rich, dark honey. What Causes Honeycombs to Turn Dark? If you are inspecting a […]

A honeybee colony is a remarkable example of organization and efficiency. Tens of thousands of bees live and work together as a self-sustaining community, with each bee performing specialized duties that support the survival of the colony. One of their most important responsibilities is constructing honeycomb. Although bees instinctively build comb on their own, beekeepers can take several steps to encourage faster comb production. This article explores practical ways to help honeybees build comb more […]

Brace comb is one of the many types of comb (see bridge comb, cross comb) that is built in places beekeepers do not expect or want honeycomb to be built by honey bees. As its name suggests, brace comb is drawn by honey bees in beehives to support regular honeycomb from falling. It usually attaches to the sides of the beehive.

Brace comb can be built in any type of beehive but is usually more common in top bar and Warré hives. This is because Langstroth beehives have beehive frames whose sides present a barrier between honeycombs and brace comb that bees might draw. In Warré and top bar hives, there are no frames used, and so bees find it easy to draw comb onto the sides of the beehive.

Comb in unwanted places in a beehive is not entirely unusual in beekeeping. It is more of a norm than the exception. Every beekeeper encounters such honeycomb in beekeeping. Vigilance against unwanted comb is the best respite, you want to see it early and take care of it before it gets out of hand. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can deal with brace comb.

Honey bees naturally build honeycomb both inside managed hives and in the wild. Under normal conditions, comb is constructed in straight, vertical sheets that maintain a consistent width. Occasionally, however, bees build comb that extends sideways and connects two or more frames instead of remaining within a single frame. This type of irregular comb is known as bridge comb. Beekeepers may also encounter comb built in other unintended locations within the hive. Along with brace […]

Any beekeeper, especially a beginner, hopes to avoid finding burr comb in a beehive. Burr comb develops when the gaps between frames are larger than the proper bee space. Frames should be evenly spaced, with enough room for bees to move freely between the combs and other parts of the hive. If the spacing is either too wide or too narrow, the bees will respond by altering the space to suit their needs. Burr comb […]

Cross comb is honeycomb that honey bees build between two adjacent beehive frames instead of keeping it within a single frame. It develops when bees extend comb sideways until it reaches and attaches to the neighboring frame, causing the comb on both frames to become joined. As one of the most common forms of misplaced comb, cross comb can interfere with normal hive management if it is allowed to develop. Honey bees construct honeycomb primarily […]

Worker bees in a honeybee colony are do not lay eggs except in special circumstances. This explainer article answers your questions on what are laying worker bees and how they come about. It also details what you should do to prevent worker bees from turning into laying worker bees, as well as how to address the problem if it occurs in your beekeeping operation. The setup of honeybee colonies requires the queen bee to lay eggs in the beehive. Having laying worker bees is, therefore, not good for the beehive. This is because the eggs that a worker bee lays are not fertilized. They bring forth drone bees which do not have much to do in the beehive except to fertilize virgin queen bees.

Often overshadowed by their industrious hive counterparts, the queen and worker bees, drone bees play an undervalued yet quintessential role in the sustainability and genetic diversity of honeybee populations. Drones are the male bees and their primary purpose revolves around mating with virgin queens from various colonies to foster a robust bee lineage.

Embark on a journey of discovery as we delve into the fascinating lifecycle, distinct behavior, and the pronounced physical traits of drone bees. We will also gauge the significance of Drone Congregation Areas, breeding hotspots where countless drone bees from different hives gather with the hopes of propagating their species.

The role of worker bees in a beehive is a remarkable example of coordination, efficiency, and collective labor. Spanning a range of vital tasks, these powerhouse female bees are the very foundation upon which a beehive thrives. Without them, bee colonies would not be able to maintain their complex structures, reproduce, or even survive. Driven by an innate sense of duty, worker bees aptly illustrate the term “busy as a bee” through their varied and relentless work ethic.