Hello, little mining bee! This ground-nesting bee belongs to one of the largest groups of bees (Andrena), thought to contain around 1300 species worldwide.  Scientific Name: Andrena prunorum Common Name: Prunus Miner Bee Family: Andrenidae Species Range: Common in the western United States, rarely reported in the East past the Rockies Close-up of Andrena prunorum male. Identification Tips: Andrena prunorum can vary in color based on region. They are often orange or red tinted bees with dark wings. Like all bees from the genus Andrena, they have fuzzy hair between their eyes and antenna i ..read more

Nucs have long predominated as the most popular way to get bees among hobbyists for their ease of installation and quick build-up. Since you are adding frames of brood and food upon installation, it is true that nucs provide a head start on the season. There are, however, some downsides to introducing brood into your hive right off the bat. The Downside of Nucs If you are a first-time beekeeper, evaluating a nuc upon installation can be confusing. Evaluating nuc quality is a practiced skill, and you’ll need to make sure your hive is queen right and of a quality that won’t shoot you in the foot ..read more

As the mother of the hive, the queen honey bee is the only indispensable member of her colony. But calling her the "queen" is actually a bit of a misnomer. Her worker bee daughters call all the shots and are responsible for feeding and cleaning the queen, dictating where and how many eggs are laid, and ultimately deciding when to send her off with a swarm or supersede her by raising up a new queen! Read on to learn all about her Royal Highness. Scientific Name: Apis mellifera Common Name: Honey bee (queen) Family: Apidae Species Range:   Every continent except Antarctica! Identification T ..read more

The most recognizable bee in the world, European honey bee workers can be seen foraging on all types of flowers all warm season. Did you know that foraging is just a small portion of the work they do? From foraging for food, rearing the brood, caring for the queen, hive hygiene, processing and storing honey, and guarding the hive - these busy little bees sure have their work cut out for them! Read on to learn all about honey bee workers. Scientific Name: Apis mellifera Common Name: Honey bee (worker) Family: Apidae Species Range: Every continent except Antarctica! Identification Tips: Honey be ..read more

Why Do We Harvest Cocoons? Providing habitat for solitary tunnel-nesting bees is fun and easy- a great way to ‘keep bees’ without all the intensive management. It is important to remember, however, that any time we create artificial habitats for wildlife, we are assuming some responsibility for the wildlife that occupy those spaces. In the case of mason bees, we are providing an abundance of tubes or holes for them to nest in, which is more densely aggregated than in nature. This helps the bee populations proliferate, but it can also cause an abundance of their common pests and diseases.  ..read more

Scientific Name: Megachile pugnata Common Name: Pugnacious Leafcutter Bee Family: Megachilidae Species Range: Widely spread throughout North America.  Identification Tips: Pugnacious leafcutter females can be distinguished by their almost comically large mandibles. They are longer in length than her eye! Like all Megachilid species, females also have specialized pollen-carrying hairs called scopae along the underbelly of their abdomens. The scopae tend to be bright yellow in color.  Male pugnacious leaf cutters have stiff bristle-like hairs on their forelegs. They are much smaller-bo ..read more

Scientific Name: Melissodes spp. Common Name: Long-horned Bees Family: Apidae Species Range: Widely distributed throughout the US, into Canada, and south into Mexico. These bees are found in rural and urban areas alike. Identification Tips: Named for the males’ very long antenna, these summer bees can be found darting between flowers in the warmer months. Females are distinguished by their shorter antennae and abundant, long-haired scopae on their hind legs, used for dry-packing pollen as they collect it. Melissodes bees often have striking blue or green eyes, and both males and females are ve ..read more

Scientific Name: Bombus bifarius Common Name: Black-notched bumblebee; Two-form bumblebee Family: Apidae Species Range: These beautiful bumbles are found in the western areas of North America. They are fairly widespread in the southwestern United States up through the PNW and into British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Identification Tips: B. bifarius are mid-sized bumblebees. Both males and females have a distinctive notch of black hair running through the middle of their thorax, giving them their common name the “black-notched” bumblebee. Tergal segments (abdominal segments used in bumblebee ..read more

Every beekeeper becomes familiar with the seasonal ebbs and flows of work they do for their hives. Those “beekeepers” providing habitat for the especially ephemeral mason bees and leafcutter bees are also very aware of the need to be tuned into changing seasons to provide for these tiny creatures as best they can. For the home gardener or hobbyist landscaper, this means getting inside the mind of a bee to know just what to add to your yard. In the end, you get the double reward of beautifying your home and supporting pollinator habitat! Planting strategies from a pollinator perspective When de ..read more

In this day and age, it is not uncommon for new beekeepers to lose hives their first, second, third (or even more) years before finding success in keeping colonies alive. If this describes you, and you’re getting ready to try again with a new package or nuc, you may be wondering how to clean a “deadout” and prepare your hive for a new install. The good news is, barring American Foulbrood as the cause of death, you can reuse all of your equipment, and even the comb your old colony left behind. This takes a little preparation on your part, but we’ve broken it down into a handful of eas ..read more