Tara here, and you’ve found Queen Bee Homestead! Located in Western New York, I have been beekeeping for eight years and now I’m expanding into other ventures. Follow along as we build a barn, get some goats, rabbits, and help you learn along with us!
How to Get FREE Bees!
That’s right! Want to start beekeeping, but don’t want to spend $150-$200 on bees? It may take a little luck and time, but you can learn how to get free bees! Swarms That’s right, swarms. The key to how to get free bees is swarms. What is a swarm, you may ask? Well, it is,…
Free Bees by Splitting Hives
Swarms are a great way to get free bees, but if you’re already a beekeeper splits are another great way to increase your numbers! That’s right, you can get free bees by splitting hives! So, What is a Split? A split is a term used when a beekeeper manually takes one beehive and makes it…
Getting Started in Beekeeping
So, you want to be a beekeeper? Good choice! You could say I’m partial to it, but I think it’s a great beginning to self-reliance. Bees are fascinating creatures and honey is a great bartering commodity. It can be a higher initial investment than some hobbies, but honey fetches a great price and never spoils…
How to Check on Your New Hives
So you hived your new bees, good job! Now you’ll need to know how to check on your new hives! You want to make sure your queen is laying eggs and has a good pattern. I will go further into detail below! Always Check Your New Hives! It can be a little intimidating- opening a…
Foraging Ramps (Wild Leeks)
Foraging ramps- also known as wild leeks (or Allium tricoccum, if you want to get really technical)- is a very easy food to forage. It’s great for beginners! They are also great in many recipes and are easy to substitute in. Before you Begin Foraging Ramps It’s key to note that the best time to…
A Great Dual-Purpose Breed: Kinder Goats!
I researched for a long time and flip-flopped on what exactly I wanted in a goat quite a few times. Eventually, I landed on the Kinder goat. This breed has some of the highest butterfat content milk available (averaging around 5.5% and many going much higher). High butterfat means better taste and more products that…