What's the difference between having bees and actually keeping bees?

In this first installment of Lessons from the Hive, a new Beekeeping Buddies series, Luke shares one of the hardest lessons he's learned as a beekeeper: losing all ten of his colonies in a single winter.

After hearing an experienced and respected beekeeper explain why he chose not to treat for Varroa mites, Luke decided to follow a similar approach. But when spring arrived, every colony was dead. What initially seemed like a failure to treat turned out to be a much bigger lesson about the importance of active hive management.

Luke reflects on how that experience changed his approach to beekeeping, from monitoring mite levels and keeping inspection records to developing treatment plans and questioning long-held assumptions. He also discusses how a presentation by Dr. Cameron Jack led him to investigate the research behind oxalic acid vaporization and discover problems with his own treatment practices.

Years later, with improved management and more consistent treatment practices, Luke achieved approximately 80% overwintering survival across the colonies he manages.

The lesson? Beekeeping isn't about blindly following advice, whether it comes from a book or an experienced beekeeper. It's about observing your colonies, understanding the science, making informed decisions, and continuing to learn.

Join Luke for this personal look at the mistakes, research, and experiences that helped shape him into the beekeeper he is today.

Lessons from the Hive is a Beekeeping Buddies series exploring the practical lessons learned through years of working with honey bees.