Introduction Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower or another flower of the same plant or another plant but of the same species. In other words, pollination is  the mixing of the male and female parts of a flower. Pollination is a vital step in the reproduction of flowering plants and is necessary for all seed and fruit production. Plants require pollen to be transferred from one plant to another and many depend upon insects to do this as they forage. Bees play a vital role in food production and overall agricultural productivity, as pollinators. Pollination Plants require pollen to be transferred from one plant to another to aid reproduction. This transfer of pollen grains…

You should always wear protective equipment when you work your hive. You should light your smoker before getting started. I have often been asked how I keep my smoker going out. Seems some people have smokers go out just about the time they need them. The key is to take time to get the smoker going before rushing off to the bees. There are many types of smoker fuel. I can remember learning how to build a fire as a boy scout. Start small and then add new material slowly to the fire. Don’t dump a lot of smoker fuel onto a newly started fire. You will smoother the fire and it will go out. The goal is to have a good cool flow of…

Knowing when to harvest Honey can be extracted when it has been capped over by the bees on the comb. At this stage, the honey will have been ‘matured’ by the bees, sealed up and is ready to eat. Often, when you want to remove the honey, not all will have been sealed. I always use a rule of thumb here if three quarters of the honey is sealed, I am happy to remove it from the hive. This is an important point. If you extract honey that has not been sealed, the water content will inevitably be too high, and the honey will ferment in storage and explode if sealed in a jar or tank. It will also taste foul if this happens. You…