Tips & Articles
Beekeeping tips, plant notes, and seasonal observations from the NKYbees apiary.
Spring Equipment Readiness — Getting Your Gear Ready Before the Flow
Before the Black Locust flow hits in May, your equipment needs to be clean, functional, and ready to deploy. A walkthrough of what we check every spring at our Northern Kentucky apiary.
Poison Hemlock in Northern Kentucky — What Every Beekeeper and Forager Should Know
Poison Hemlock is spreading along roadsides and creek banks across Northern Kentucky. It looks like Queen Anne's Lace but is one of the most toxic plants in North America.
Spring Buildup: What to Do in March and April
The steps we take each spring to get colonies from winter clusters to full foraging strength before the tulip poplar flow.
The Best Plants for Building Fall Honey Stores
Goldenrod, asters, ironweed, and blue mistflower — the late-season plants that determine whether your colonies survive winter.
What Is Raw Honey? Why We Never Heat-Treat Ours
Raw honey and commercial honey are legally the same product, but they're very different in practice. Here's what raw means, why it matters, and why we keep our honey unheated.
Varroa Mite Treatment Schedule for Northern Kentucky
A practical Varroa treatment calendar for zone 6a/6b beekeepers — timing for oxalic acid, Apivar, and mite wash monitoring through the year.
Black Locust Honey — Northern Kentucky's Spring Flow
Black Locust blooms for just two weeks in May, but those two weeks define the honey crop for Northern Kentucky beekeepers. Here's what makes it special and how to work the flow.