Beepods Better Beekeeping Blog

Close-up of Ophrys apifera, known in Europe as the bee orchid

Published on August 11, 2020

Coevolution: Bees and Flowers

Bees and flowers. Predators and prey. Hosts and parasites. These are just a few examples of species that have coevolved, living together so intimately for so long that they have influenced each other’s evolution. In a classroom, we can relate coevolution to teachers adjusting their lesson plans based on the […]

Two beekeepers conduct an inspection together, one with a full bar of comb, and one with inspection forms

Published on August 7, 2020

Healthy Brood: The Number One Sign of A Healthy Colony

Honey bees live and die by their queen, but in order to understand why that is, we have to look at what the queen does: She lays a lot of eggs. If a colony doesn’t have a healthy, egg-producing queen, they don’t have healthy brood, and a colony without healthy […]

A leafcutter bee collects pieces of a leaf. Leafcutters line their nest cells with leaves, the behavior that gives them their name.

Published on August 6, 2020

Native Bees: How Your Colony Might Impact Them, and How You Can Support Them!

Long before honey bees were introduced to North America in the 1600s, native (or wild) bees were doing their thing across the continent. While honey bees make important contributions to our agricultural system, native bees play an equally, if not bigger role in pollination. Today, we’re taking a look at […]

Jars of honey line a table at a farmers market. A man behind the table holds a bouquet of flowers.

Published on August 4, 2020

Not-So-Sweet Spring: How Pandemic-Related Restrictions Have Affected Beekeepers

There are so many lessons to be learned from the pandemic, and it’s not even over yet. One lesson we can teach our students has to do with the global economy. As COVID spreads across the globe, it doesn’t just affect individual countries. Pandemic-related restrictions in one country affect people […]

bees covered in pollen return to the beehive to make their own pollen patties

Published on July 31, 2020

Pollen Patties? Here’s What Every Beekeeper Should Know

In 2020, you just can’t ignore bee nutrition. In fact, there’s plenty of research showing honey bee colonies with inadequate nutrition are more vulnerable to poor outcomes, including disease outbreaks. So, when bees do not have access to quality forage, they struggle, and deficiencies in pollen resources can spell disaster […]