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!
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…
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…
Honey Pops Recipe
Make your own Honey Pops! Honey pops are a delicious treat any time of the year. I especially love whipping up a batch to help combat sore throats! The recipe only has 3 ingredients plus flavoring, if you like. Once you have the equipment- these are a snap! Getting Started Before making these for the…
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…
Keeping BEARS out of Beehives
Bears can really wreak havoc on a beehive, ask me how I know! No matter how good you think they are strapped down, the bear WILL just peel it open. Yes, even the little innocent-looking black bears! So, how do you go about keeping bears out of your beehives? Bears and Bees An iconic duo,…
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…