Early Warning Signs Of Swarming

We are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms and Honeybeesonline.com. Even though the National Weather Service claims that March will come in like a lion with very cold temps, spring is only 23 days away. Spring means SWARMS!!

Healthy colonies will swarm. If your hive makes it through winter they will likely swarm as soon as they can raise queens. Most colonies are already raising drones in preparation of mating with virgin queens from hives swarming. Are you ready? How do you get ready?

Why do healthy colonies swarm? Spring swarming is the natural way colonies reproduce. Your healthy colony must create another colony in order to keep the bee population strong. It's a good thing for bees to reproduce through swarming, but no so good for you.

When your hive swarms nearly 60% of your bees leave with the queen leaving behind queen cells. This  means that your hive doesn't have a queen and they are down in population by 60%. If you came out of winter with only 20,000 bees, now you only have 10,000 bees and no queen. You are in worse shape than when you started with a package. At least your package had a mated queen. To add to the risk factor, your multiple virgin queens must fight it out. Sometimes all virgin queens die in the fight leaving you with no hope for a queen because the brood is too old to raise a queen after 3 days. When the virgin queen takes her mating flight she faces the dangers of being eaten by a bird, not making it back to the right hive etc. And if you were hoping for a honey crop but your hive swarmed, your honey crop will be greatly reduced if not zero. 

Consider Taking My Spring Management, Swarming & Making Splits ONLINE COURSE...click here. Take it from the comfort of your home.

We are also offering a Spring Management course here at our training center on Saturday March 30th from 1pm-5pm. This class has 4 spots still open. REGISTER NOW.

You really cannot tell if your hive swarmed or not judging by the number of bees left behind. They can swarm when you are not home to see it. You don't even know they swarm until you realize your hive isn't performing well. This is why preventing a swarm is so important. Swarm prevention is challenging work and takes skill and a thorough understand of the anatomy of the colony. For example, even if you make room by adding a super, a reproductive swarm will likely still occur. A reproductive swarm is entirely different from a swarm caused from overcrowding. 

Even though hives begin giving off early warning signs of a swarm 30 days prior to swarming, sadly, beekeepers are uninformed on what to look for and how to take the necessary action to prevent swarming. 

Most beekeepers are convinced swarming will not happen to them and so they are not prepared. When your colony swarms, they will land on your property not far from your hive and hang on a tree for several hours or several days before they finally fly off to their new home several miles away.

Unfortunately, most beekeepers do not have a spare hive to catch and place the new swarm into and within a few hours the swarm flies away and is gone forever. Make sure you have a new, fresh hive ready to place these "free bees" into as their new home.

We sell an Emergency Swarm Hive Kit. This kit comes with a tie down strap that wraps around the bottom board, deep box and top cover. It also comes with a screen mesh entrance screen to keep the swarm in so you can transport it to their new location. This is handy to have on hand and even keep in your car or truck should you spot a swarm while traveling or should you get a call to retrieve a swarm. Be ready!

If a neighbor calls, or the local school knows you keep bees and they ask you to come catch a swarm, be prepared with this swarm kit. You can even make extra money removing swarms from homes. Drop your name and phone number to local police departments, home improvement stores and pest control companies. You will be helping out your community.

Do you know the early signs of swarming...Read What They Are In This Article

In my DAY IN THE APIARY online course, I actually catch a swarm in the field from a tree and coach you on how to place it into a hive. It's a priceless teaching tool if you've never caught a swarm. This class is available online...CLICK HERE

Sign Up Now. Join Me In Our Training Center

March 9th 1pm-6pm

REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN

Register Now!

Come take a class with me, David Burns. I'm an EAS Certified Master Beekeeper. I've taught beekeeping classes for over a decade. You've seen me on YouTube, now join me for the afternoon on March 9th from 1pm-6pm. This is my last Beginner's class I'm teaching onsite for the year...LAST CHANCE. You can save shipping by picking up your beekeeping supplies at the same time. CLICK HERE NOW! I'll make room for you. Sign Up Now. Join Me In Our Training Center March 9th 1pm-6pm REGISTRATION IS STILL OPEN Register Now!

Your Bees Need Protein As Soon As Good Weather Allows Them To Fly

Here's a nifty little way to help your bees. Buy our pollen substitute powder and place it in a bowl or on a board in your bee yard in late winter and early spring. Add a tiny bit of honey to attract the bees faster. Then, watch them pack the powder in their legs and head back to the hives. It's so easy and fun to watch. Make sure you do this on dry days. 

 Click here to order now.

Don't Wait Until You're Desperate Or It's Too Late!  Make Sure You Have A Hive To Put A Swarm In.

It is essential that we feed bees in the spring. Even if fruit trees are blooming why not give them an added boost. Our feeding board is perfect spring. Holes are lined with screen to make changing jars easy by keeping the bees down. On a rainy, spring week, your bees cannot gather much needed food. Feeding your hive will speed up drawing comb. ORDER NOW

FREE SHIPPING    2+2 Kit    2 Hives + 2 Packages

It's better to start with two hives. 

You can swap frames to balance your hives during the year. If a queen dies, just move a frame of eggs over from the other hive. MORE DETAILS

1 Complete Hive FREE SHIPPING

If you have bees, they are likely to swarm. If you catch them and place them into a new hive you've just saved $130! Have a hive ready to put them in. Our hives are Amish made here in Illinois. Top Quality. Order now.

You Will Need Some Coaching This Spring?

Spring brings panic into the hearts of beekeepers. Knowing what to do and when is the tricky part of beekeeping every spring. 

-Do I reverse the deep hive bodies?

-When Can I Start Feeding?

-Should I let them raise a new queen or buy a new one?

-What is checkerboarding and how do I do it?

-How do I avoid spring farm sprays and will it kill my bees?

-Why does the new study on mites going to bee's fat bodies matter?

-Formic? Oxalic Acid?

-Does my honey have to be 18% in moisture content?

-What does the deadly American foulbrood look like?

-Why is chalkbrood and European foulbrood worse in the spring? And how can I prevent it?

Let me be your mentor. I have a special mentorship program called BeeTeam6 where you can call, email or text me concerns or questions you are having about your bees. Plus you receive a regular tip and an instructional beekeeping video. Even if you are not keeping bees yet, this is perfect to help you gain the education you need before you start. Or if you are starting this year, why not have the extra peace of mind by having someone you can consult. 

 

FIND OUT MORE

Long Lane Honey Bee Farms

www.honeybeesonline.com

217-427-2678

Spring Is Only 34 Days Until Spring

Thank you for your interest in beekeeping. We are David and Sheri Burns and we operate a beekeeping know as honeybeesonline.com and Long Lane Honey Bee Farms in central Illinois. When you purchase from us, not only does it allow us to live out our dream of making a living from beekeeping, but it allows us to continue to work hard at helping more and more people start beekeeping. We need more backyard beekeepers to help save the honey bee. As a family business we believe we can give you the personal touch you need to become a successful beekeeper. We started beekeeping in 1994 and began building beekeeping equipment in 2005. We live down a long lane, and thus was born Long Lane Honey Bee Farms.

Beekeeping is our love and passion and livelihood. We enjoy helping others get started in beekeeping.

The first day of spring is only 34 days away!! That means beekeepers must: 

1) Prepare to make splits

2) Prepare to catch swarms

3) Prepare to raise queens for those splits 

4) Purchase extra hives for these splits and swarms 

5) Know the best way to feed in late winter and early spring

Here are some questions beekeepers face in the spring: 

  -How soon to inspect after winter? 

  -How do I feed my bees in the spring? 

  -How do I make a walk-away split?

  -How do I make a split without buying a new queen? 

  -How do I prevent a swarm? 

  -Do I split for more hives or keep my hives as one hive for more 
   honey? 

  -How do I do that? 

  -Will I be able to detect those nasty spring diseases? 

  -How do I equalize my hives that made it through the winter? 

  -Should I replaced my hives that died with packages or nucs? 

  -Is it okay to reuse old frames from hives that died? 

  -How do I inspect my hive in the spring?

These questions and more are addressed in our ONLINE spring management course. Sign up today Click Here.

We also offer Online Beginner's Course, Queen Rearing, Spring Management, Advance Beekeeping and A Day In The Apiary. Take Our Ultimate Course which is all 6 courses and save $85.

Here's what others are saying about the online classes:

     "I feel I have learned a lot from your online spring management course!  You have done a great job and I look forward to the queen bee course!"     Yasmin, Canada

 

     "I have finished all lessons from your online beginners course.  Really great and have learned a lot....I plan on continuing with some of your other courses."      Dennis, Georgia

 

    "Just wanted to let you know that I am thoroughly enjoying the Spring Management online class. I'm gonna add the others soon!"   Dan, Missouri 

 

    "David is so knowledgeable and teaches to my level as a new beekeeper.  He is also very encouraging. Very much appreciated."  Rick, Illinois

It would be sad for your hives to make it through winter but perish in the spring. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW!

Starter Hive With Bees

Last year many new beekeepers didn't get to start beekeeping because everyone sold out of bees early. This year we are making a new beginner kit available with bees. Our starter/hobby kit is the perfect way to test out if beekeeping is right for  you. Our Hobby KIT is a starter kit. This is the least expensive way to get started.  You will need to add more boxes or additional items to this hive as it grows, but you can purchase this kit to get started without paying for the full hive at one time, so it's a little easier on the wallet. 

Buy other boxes as you need them. This hive kit comes with a screen bottom board, a deep hive body with 10 wooden frames and foundation, top cover, entrance feeder and entrance reducers, a cloth hat/veil combo, a smoker and and a hive tool.  Boxes are rabbet joint corners and the hive is assembled and painted. This offer is so that new beginners can secure a hive and a 3lb package of bees with a mated queen. We ship the woodenware and equipment free. But the bees can only be picked up at our location this spring. 

Package Bee Information - Please read thoroughly before purchase. Pick up date tentatively 4/27/19.

3 lb package of bees with mated queen. Italian. Limited Quantity.  PICK UP AT OUR TRAINING CENTER IN FAIRMOUNT IL ONLY (we are 25 miles east of Champaign-Urbana, 2 and1/2 hours south of Chicago, 1 and 1/2 hours west of Indianapolis).  We do not ship bees.  

Click Here to Learn More

Varroa Destructor Mite Spreads Viruses

Honey bees now suffer from so many viruses that are likely spread when mites bite your honey bees. Some of these viruses do not take their toll on a colony until around February or March. All at once the colony begins to crash with plenty of honey in the comb. It's sad. Controlling mites must be started in the spring and continue until your last inspection in the fall. Check out my article on how to test for mites. Learn More 

Spring weather can be warm, then cold, nice, then snowy

The rapidly changing weather of spring can leave your bees starving for food. As they start raising more brood in the spring a cold snap may hold them inside. Since they consumed most of their food in the winter they can quickly starve on cold spring days. Make sure you have our Burns Bees Feeding System on your hive this spring. Available for 8 or 10 frames hives. The screen holds the bees down when you change your sugar jars and pollen patties. If you need more ventilation just leave one hole open. On cold days and nights in the spring, the colony clusters high in the hive and is likely not to go down to entrance feeders. This feeder feeds the cluster or the new package or nuc.

 Click here to order now.

Our Story

David began beekeeping in 1994 after hiving a swarm from a fallen tree.  After moving those hives from Ohio to Illinois, the hives were lost due to mites, and the yard had to be started all over again. In the beginning the Burns family just sold honey, but as time went on and the yard became bigger, the Burns family began building their own hives and selling them to other beekeepers.  Knowing that the success of beekeepers was all dependent upon education, David began blogging and uploading videos to YouTube.  In order to make sure beekeepers had the best and latest of scientific information on bees and beekeeping, David took several years to become a Certified Master Beekeeper.  A graduate of Lincoln Christian University, and now a Master Beekeeper through the Eastern Apicultural Society since 2010, workshops on beekeeping are taught all year at the Training Center in Fairmount, IL. He also has a mentorship program, talks throughout the country at beekeeping association meetings, and heard frequently on radio shows and podcasts. He is also a competitive sportsman and competes throughout the US. 

 

Sheri is a former teacher who joined the business in 2008.  A graduate of Lincoln Christian University with a degree in business management, she does just that - manages the business and customer service and can often be heard on podcasts with David. While she has staff in the office that helps her, she often prefers to talk to customers on the phone herself to make sure they get exactly the help that they need.

In her spare time, Sheri raises and teaches their one child still at home, takes care of chickens and gardens, sings in a community choir, and likes nothing better than to hang out with her grandchildren or read a book.  She dreams of retiring out west in St. George, Utah with David.

  

Buy your bees and equipment before every one beats you to it. We know you can run off to a big box store to buy your beekeeping supplies, but we are a small, American hard working family that would appreciate your business. Thank you for your support. We support our customers with expert advice, not myths and opinions. Some beekeepers and clubs are private and keep information close to their chest. You've probably met beekeepers who will not help you. We are here to help and as you can see throughout our site, videos and podcast, we freely share information that will help you become a better beekeeper. We hope you'll show your appreciation by purchasing your equipment from us which enables us to stay in business. Thank you.

We have become known for our amazing beekeeping courses and our really fun and highly informative  online beekeeping courses. We introduce thousands of new beekeepers to beekeeping each year through our thorough, yet simple to understand beekeeping lessons which are available online and in person at our training center.

Our videos are helping beekeepers around the world. Our beekeeping videos have passed 3 Million views on YouTube. Check out our videos.

We manufacture all hive components and ship to all 50 states. 

David is a certified Master Beekeeper of the Eastern Apicultural Society of North America.

Beginning beekeepers call us from around the country asking for advice and opinions. It is such a joy for us to see more and more people become involved as beekeepers!

Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
14556 N. 1020 East Road
FAIRMOUNT, IL 61841

Your Bees May Do Some Strange Things. What Will You Do?

Knowing what to do and when is the tricky part of beekeeping. Let me be your mentor. I have a special mentorship program called BeeTeam6 where you can call, email or text me concerns or questions you are having about your bees. Plus you enjoy receiving my beekeeping tips and instructional beekeeping videos. Even if you are not keeping bees yet, this is perfect to help you gain the education you need before you start. Or if you are starting this year, why not have the extra peace of mind by having someone you can consult. 

 

FIND OUT MORE

Answers to the top 21 Beekeeping Questions

Answers to the top 21 Beekeeping Questions

We are David and Sheri Burns from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms and Honeybeesonline.com. There are only 41 days until the first day of spring. Are you putting off your beekeeping checklists? Don't delay.

Our most visited page on our website is our "Frequently Asked Beekeeping Questions" page. After working with experienced and new beekeepers we compiled answers to the most commonly asked questions. I've updated these answers and want to provide them to you as an Ultimate Guide To Beekeeping! Please forward this on to others to help them out. 

Before I start answering 21 common beekeeping questions, allow me to introduce myself. I am EAS Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns. I have worked hard to educate and mentor beekeepers all across the country for over a decade. I do this through my  ONLINE BEEKEEPING COURSES  to help educate beekeepers to put an end to the unnecessary die-outs of colonies around the US. Consider taking one of my courses. Let's face it, it's hard to know who is giving you sound beekeeping advice. The guy at the club? The fellow down the road? Are you sure they are giving you current and accurate information?

1. How Many Hives Should I Start With?

How to start keeping bees can be confusing. The number of hives to start with is entirely up to the individual. We recommend at least two hives because with two hives you can share resources between hives. If one hive becomes queenless and fails to replace their queen, a frame of eggs can be carried over from the other hive and the queenless hive can raise their own queen. If one hive becomes low in numbers, frames of brood from the strong colony can be moved over to strengthen the weak hive. Certainly starting with one hive is acceptable, but there is an advantage to starting with more than one. Click here to read entire article.

 

2. How Far Apart Should The Hives Bees From Each Other?

In commercial operations, four hives are placed on a single pallet. For the hobbyist, the distance between hives is usually determined based on the comfort of the beekeeper. The beekeeper may want to work all the hives without walking a considerable distance between each hive. I usually recommend at least two feet between hives. They should be further apart when installing new packages to help prevent absconding.

 

3. Which Direction Should Hives Face?

Traditionally, we recommend the opening of the hive face south or southeast. However, it really does not matter too much. It does help if the sun can reach the hive first thing in the morning. This will cause the bees to start gathering nectar sooner than if they were in the shade.

 

4. How Close To The House Can I Put My Hives?

Use good judgment. Bees will fly miles away from their hive to find nectar. If a hive is near your house, the bees will still fly up and away. However, it may take six feet from the hive for bees to gain six feet in altitude. Keep this in mind so that hives are not placed near sidewalks, decks, and clotheslines. Place them so that when the bees leave the hive, they will not be immediately near people or pets. 

 

5. What Should I Plant To Help My Bees?

Bees will pollinate plants around your house, but not in huge numbers. In other words,  if you have 10 tomato plants you will not see thousands of bees in your tomato garden. Certainly, many bees will help pollinate your flowers and garden. However, most of your bees will fly out to an area of abundant nectar such as an apple orchard, acres of clover or a large grove of basswood or black locust trees. If you have a half-acre or more, planting buckwheat, clover and other flowering plants will certainly help your bees, but it is not necessary. Bees are quite capable of flying two to three miles to gather nectar.

6. How Do I Manage My Bees Every Spring?

If your bees survive the winter and are strong, they will swarm which means half of your population of bees will leave with your original queen. The remaining bees left behind will raise a new queen from an egg laid by the old queen. This will greatly reduce your population and will affect your colony's ability to make honey and thrive. It is best to control swarming by making splits prior to swarm season. Check out our ONLINE SPRING MANAGEMENT COURSE 

What's Covered In This Spring Management Course

-How soon to inspect after winter?

-Feeding solutions in the spring

-How to make a walk away split

-David's best spring split method

-How to make splits without buying queens

-Swarm prevention techniques

-Split for more hives vs. not splitting for more honey

-Be aware of diseases more common in the spring

-Techniques to equalize hives in the spring

-Replenishing the bee yard with more packages vs nucs?

-How to collect pollen in the spring

-Is it okay to reuse old comb from a hive that perished?

-Tips on Finding Your Queen

-How to Install a new package of bees

-How to inspect your spring hive.

-Seasonal management calendar

-Feeding Solutions for each season

7. Should I Buy Medication For My Bees?

When various pests and diseases were identified among bees, many chemicals became available. However, some of these chemicals proved to be harmful to bees over time. Certainly, some medications do fight certain pests and diseases. However, we prefer not to use chemicals or medication in our hives. This is a personal choice. In my Online Courses, I teach practical management techniques that are natural and as effective as medication or antibiotics.

 

8. How Much Honey Will I Get My First Year?

First-year beekeepers should not expect much honey from a new hive. It takes eight to eleven pounds of nectar for the bees to produce one pound of wax. The first year the colony is producing a lot of wax to build up their comb. Certainly, some first-year hives can produce a full crop of honey, maybe 70-200 pounds of honey. But this would be in a perfect situation, or from a second-year hive. So it is better to have no honey expectations the first year, but if your bees do produce extra honey for you the first year, it is an unexpected surprise. Year two is when you can expect much more.

 

9. How Much Honey Can One Hive Make Each Year?

An average hive in Illinois produces around 70 pounds per year. This can change to more or less depending on the weather and the health of the bees and the skill of the beekeeper. The most I've produced from one hive in one season is 210 pounds.  If a hive produces 70 pounds and you sell it for $10 per pound you make $700. $10 a pound is a common price for 2019. 

 

10. Can I Save Money By Using Old Equipment?

There are several diseases that can linger in old equipment. American foulbrood is one of the more deadly diseases and AFB spores can live perhaps 50-80 years in old comb. It isn't worth taking a chance unless you are absolutely sure the old equipment was not exposed to diseases. There is really no way to clean or test old equipment. As a family business, we pride ourselves in the beekeeping equipment that we sell. Please support our family business so we can continue to provide top quality beekeeping information and equipment.  Check out our full line of hives and equipment.

 

11. Should I Leave My Screen Bottom Board Open In The Winter?

This is a personal preference. However, we prefer to have plenty of ventilation in the hive even during the winter. We leave our screen bottom boards open. If you prefer to close the screen bottom board, simply slide in a thin piece of metal or plastic. In my courses, I teach how to wrap hives for winter and to use our Winter-Bee-Kind feeding system to feed the bees in the winter and to provide upper ventilation. 

 

12. What Do You Recommend To Combat Varroa Mites? 

Varroa destructor will be found in all beehives. We recommend these natural methods:

a. Screen bottom boards, so that mites fall out of the hive.
b. Green Drone Comb Trapping. Click here to read my article on the using Green Drone Comb To Trap Varroa Mites. 
c. Powdered Sugar.  See our article by clicking here.
d. Removing the queen to break the mites brood cycle.

 

13. How Do I Treat Small Hive Beetle?

Since we prefer not to use harsh insecticides in the hive, the best method is be sure your colony is strong in population. Small hive beetles love smaller colonies to infest. Always smash and trap. We have extensive teachings and videos on trapping small hive beetles.

 

14. What Do I Do If I Want Northern Bees But Can Only Find Southern Packages?

All packaged bees come from the sunshine states, southern states, and California. There is absolutely NO WAY anyone in the north can provide packages prior to May, and probably not then. Many northern beekeepers like the idea of a nuc, which is four or five frames from a strong hive, and a queen. But nuc producers can never produce the volume of bees to ever replace the number of packages sent to new beekeepers. Therefore, many northern beekeepers purchase southern packages, and if the queen fails, they replace her with a northern produced queen. 

 

15. Should I Start With A Top Bar Hive Or Langstroth Hive?

We believe new beekeepers should start with a traditional Langstroth type hive and only try a top bar hive or other types of hives after they have become more familiar with beekeeping.

 

16. Which Feeder Is Best? There are many types of hive feeders all serve a different purpose. 

1. An entrance feeder is placed in the entranced of a hive in the spring. 1:1 Sugar/Water is used. This feeder cannot be used in the summer and certainly not in the fall or it may cause other hives to rob and kill a hive. 

 2. A top feeder is a large feeder placed on top of the hive and sugar water is held in a large reservoir. Sometimes stray bees can get under the top cover and drown in the reservoir, or the reservoir can crack and leak down into the hive and kill the colony. 

3.  Frame Feeders are used inside the hive in place of a frame. It's a frame sized plastic reservoir and requires opening up the hive to refill. It cannot be used in the winter because you cannot open the hive to refill it if the temperature is below 60 (F). It is labor intense

4. Check out our Burns Bees Feeding System which is a very effective way to feed bees in the spring and fall. For winter feeding we recommend the Winter-Bee-Kind feeding system.

 

17. How Important Is It That I Take A Beekeeping Class?

The more you know the better beekeeper you will be. We have a host of classes available all year. Taking a beekeeping class is so important for today's beekeeper. There have been lots of changes since grandpa kept bees. Without knowing how to keep bees today, you might lose your new hive quickly or the first winter. We are here to help. Our beekeeping classes are taught by Certified Master Beekeeper, David Burns. Be well informed before you start keeping bees by enrolling in one of our beekeeping classes.  Click here to visit our class list in our new Training Center. We also offer all of our classes ONLINE, so you can watch our video classes from the comfort of your home. When you complete any of our six online courses and satisfactorily complete the worksheets and send them back to us, you will receive a certificate of achievement. 

 

18. Should I Register My Hive? Check your local state requirements. 

Most states require hives to be registered and we recommend beekeepers register their hives with the Department of Ag or the Department of Natural Resources. Registration affords you the opportunity to receive helpful, free advice from state bee inspectors. This is always a good thing where it is available. 

19. What Happens To Bees During The Winter?
During the winter bees do not hibernate. Instead, they cluster tightly together in their hive and generate heat to keep each other warm. They eat honey and pollen that they collected during the spring and summer. Many beekeepers make the mistake of hoping their bees have the stored honey they need to stay warm in the winter. However, science has shown us that bees need protein (pollen) too. Bees eat what we eat, carbohydrates and protein. We have a new approach to feeding bees by adding pollen into our winter-bee-kinds in the winter, and into our sugar water in the spring and fall. It is so important because without this needed protein, the colony is unable to raise young bees properly. David's "Getting Your Bees Through The Winter" class is available online. Click here.

20. How Much Time And Commitment Is Required To Keep Bees?
Once your new hive is established, we recommend that you inspect your hive every two or three weeks to ensure that your queen is healthy and laying well. Many new beekeepers find beekeeping so fun that they will open up their hive several times a week. This is fine but really not necessary.

21. Where can I go for help once I get started?

Over the last few years, many beekeeping places have popped up everywhere. People have purchased from many of these places only to find they cannot get any help or sound advice after their purchase is made. When you purchase your equipment from us, we are here to help you. Even if you can save a buck buying somewhere else, will it do you any good if you don't have the support you need and your bees die? Think about that before you make your decision on where to purchase your bees and equipment. We'd love to become your mentors. Check out our mentorship program which gives you access to EAS Certified Master Beekeeper's personal cell phone and email to ask your questions.

See what awaits you as you become a beekeeper. 

Only 41 Days Until The First Day Of Spring

Between now and spring many of you will be getting started in beekeeping for the first time. So be sure and enjoy some of our videos:

How do I install a package?

How do I test for mites?

How do I inspect my hive?

How do I know when to add another box?

Please contact us if you have any questions on your beekeeping needs for 2019. We look forward to hearing from you!

www.honeybeesonline.com 

What Impact Did The Recent Winter Storm Have On Your Hives?

What Impact Did The Last Winter Storm Have On Your Hives?

  

Hello from Long Lane Honey Bee Farms. For over 12 years my wife and I have introduced and trained hundreds of new beekeepers and countless thousands of others through our online beekeeping lessons and videos. 

The number of new beekeepers is a double edge sword. It's great to see an increased interest in beekeeping but many newbies never receive adequate and thorough training. Consequently, many hives perish during the winter.

The last winter storm brought devastating cold winds and drove chill factors down to 40-50 below zero in Illinois. This was exceptionally hard on colonies which were below 40,000 in population.  Many beekeepers followed our new paradigm and raised strong numbers of bees with winter physiology and are feeding their hives our winter-bee-kind feeding system.  Here's an example of a strong colony under one of our Winter-Bee-Kinds  in Minnesota!

 

Colonies that were below 40,000 in population and a low amount of protein will not winter well. Bees need protein during long winters. New beginners fail to control mites and fail to provide protein for their colonies during the winter. The answer to the challenge to protect our nation's honey bee is making sure beekeepers are well educated because our bees deserve to be managed well. Without our honey bees the healthy foods that we enjoy will be poorly pollinated and we will be without these vital fruits and vegetables. Sheri and I are not giving up. In fact, we ramp up our efforts every year.

In the last few years we have started a mentorship coaching program to educate and support beekeepers. We accept 200 beekeepers into this program each year. Click here for more information.

In 2019 we made all six of our classes available to be taken online from the comfort of your home. Click here for more information.

Many beekeepers keep repeating the same mistakes. Before you make another mistake and lose your hives, please commit to taking my special online course. I  have made 3 of my classes in one bundle to help the beekeeper who is just starting or has kept bees for a few years but needs help in figuring out why your bees keep dying.

OUR NEW 3 ONLINE BUNDLED COURSES

 

This bundle is for 3 of my top courses:

1. Basic Beekeeping

2. A Day In The Apiary

3. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter

These three courses will give you the information you need to be successful. The basic course will ground you in the fundamentals.  The Day In The Apiary will show you what to do out in the bee yard. Getting Your Bees Through The Winter will give you the knowledge to get your bees through the winter.  Save money when purchasing these courses as a bundle. Still not convinced? Read testimonials from some of our students by clicking here.  I am humbled by the overwhelming response I have received from hundreds who have taken my online courses. Thank you.

Here is how you can help save our nation's honey bees:

1) Start keeping bees. This will help increase colonies in the US. We have only 1/2 of the number of colonies that we had just after WWII in 1946.

2) You can encourage others to keep honey bees. So many people want to keep bees, but they do not know how to get started. You can send them to our special webpage: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/howtostart.html

3) You can stop using dangerous (to bees) pesticides on your gardens, flowers, fruit trees and crops.

4) You can plant and grow more wildflowers native to your area. Why spend the fuel to keep acres and acres mowed? Why not provide food for honey bees by letting wild flowers grow.

I appreciate the fact that many of you reading this are beekeepers. Good for you. But think of the impact you can have by encouraging others to keep bees as well. Think of the impact you can have if you can convince your friends and neighbors and area farmers not to cut down every wildflower.

Winter Storms Are Hard On Bees

Winter weather certainly brings concern to most beekeepers. Although healthy colonies can withstand brutal winter weather, colonies that are low in numbers or food supply can fall victim to such storms as we are witnessing across the Midwest and northeast.

What can you do to help your hives? Heat lamp? Wrap? Carry the hive into a garage? Read more... 

We are a family business working hard to earn your trust and have you as a friend and fellow beekeeper.  

BUSY BEE SPECIAL

1 Hive plus 1 package of bees with a mated queen.The hives are custom made by hand right here in Central Illinois. The bees are picked up by you at our location in April.  CLICK HERE to read more about our BUSY BEE SPECIAL. VERY LIMITED NUMBERS.   

 

Come Join Us For Our Next Onsite Beekeeping Course

We only have 2 Onsite Beginner Courses left for the year. These are taught in our training center near Fairmount, Illinois. Click on the links below to register: 

Feb 16th  1pm - 6pm Only 4 Spots left

March 9 th 1pm - 6pm

Want to save travel and time away? Take all of our 6 classes ONLINE, known as our ULTIMATE BEEKEEPING COURSE Click here for more info.

Featured Product: 

  

2 Completely Assembled & Painted Hive PLUS SUPPLIES & 2 Packages Of Bees

FREE SHIPPING

Bees Picked Up At Our Location In April

  

   

Start With Two Hives Click here for more info.

Check us out at www.honeybeesonline.com

David & Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms

217-427-2678