Two kinds of writing live here: the running journal of our hives this season, and a stack of guides grouped by topic so you can read a thread start to finish.
A diary of the hives we split off Dad's yard this spring in Cache Valley: every inspection, every mistake, in the order it happened. See the series hub →
The kickoff entry for our 2026 Cache Valley season — the 2010 backstory behind these hives, what we're running, and what we'll document week by week.
Read the entry →Pickup night, the truck-bed run up to Weston, second brood boxes on day one, and a Saturday peek that confirmed both hives were already drawing comb.
Read the entry →Picked up two more hives from Dad's, set all four on bee pallets so they can ride to California next winter, and dropped second deeps on the new colonies.
Read the entry →Quick mid-May check of two of the four hives — one looks queenless, no eggs or larvae, so I moved a frame of fresh eggs over from a strong colony.
Read the entry →New to bees, or new to keeping them in a cold high-desert valley? Read this group top to bottom.
A practical beginner beekeeping guide covering equipment, first-year timing, common mistakes, Cache Valley conditions, and the next steps every new beekeeper should take.
Read the full guide →Everything you need to set up your first hive: equipment, timing, local resources, and where to get bees.
Read the full guide →Miss the ordering window and you'll wait a full year. Here's exactly when to order bees, build your hive, and make your first install in Cache Valley's short season.
Read the full guide →A practical guide to where to buy bees in Cache Valley, including local pickup options, national shippers, queen sources, timing, and what to inspect when your bees arrive.
Read the full guide →A beginner-friendly comparison of package bees vs nucs: cost, timing, setup, pros and cons, and which option makes the most sense in Cache Valley and Northern Utah.
Read the full guide →A practical guide to installing package bees: what to prepare, how to release the queen, when to feed, and the most common mistakes new beekeepers make.
Read the full guide →What a good beekeeping starter kit should include, how to compare cheap kits vs quality gear, and the best setup approach for beginner beekeepers in Cache Valley and beyond.
Read the full guide →The most costly cold-climate beekeeping mistakes beginners make in Zone 5b–6a: underinsulation, missed mite windows, moisture problems, late installs, and more, with concrete fixes for Cache Valley.
Read the full guide →Spring buildup, the late-August mite window, honey harvest, and getting a colony through a Cache Valley winter — roughly in calendar order.
A step-by-step spring inspection checklist for Cache Valley beekeepers: what to look for after winter, when to feed, and how to prevent swarms.
Read the full guide →A complete varroa mite treatment guide for Cache Valley beekeepers: alcohol wash thresholds, Apivar, Apiguard, HopGuard, oxalic acid, and when to treat in northern Utah.
Read the full guide →A practical guide to how to harvest honey safely: when supers are ready, which tools matter, how to extract frames, and how to bottle honey cleanly.
Read the full guide →A step-by-step northern Utah winterizing guide for beekeepers: timing, food stores, ventilation, wrapping, mouse guards, and winter monitoring in Cache Valley.
Read the full guide →What honey bees actually do in winter, how the cluster stays alive, and how Cache Valley beekeepers can tell whether a hive likely survived until spring.
Read the full guide →When colonies swarm here, how to keep yours from leaving, and what to do when you get the call about a cluster in someone's tree.
Cache Valley swarm season runs mid-May through early July. Learn the local timing, weather triggers, early hive signs, and what to do when a swarm lands in your yard.
Read the full guide →Five practical swarm prevention techniques for spring beekeeping: checkerboarding, adding supers early, making splits, managing queen age, and knowing what not to do.
Read the full guide →A practical guide to catching a bee swarm safely: when to collect it, what gear to bring, how to shake or box the cluster, and when to call a local beekeeper instead.
Read the full guide →What blooms when, the June clover flow, the summer dearth, and what to plant.
Month-by-month guide to bee forage in Cache Valley, Utah: what's blooming, when nectar flows, and how to plant for your hives.
Read the full guide →A printable Cache Valley bloom calendar poster: month-by-month forage, the three flow windows, and what to do with your hives at each one.
Read the full guide →The best bee-friendly plants and flowers for Northern Utah gardens, including Zone 6b bloom timing, drought-tolerant picks, and how to keep nectar flowing from spring through fall.
Read the full guide →Registration, inspections, hive limits, HOAs, and the local groups worth knowing.
A practical Utah beekeeping resource page covering registration, inspections, local ordinances, and the best Utah beekeeper resources for beginners.
Read the full guide →Learn Utah's beekeeping laws, Cache County hive limits, HOA restrictions, and practical permitting steps before you buy your first hive.
Read the full guide →