Pollination is the process of transporting pollen from the anthers to the stigma of a flower. Most plants require pollination to bear seed or, as the case may be, the fruit that contains the seed. While this can be accomplished by the wind, the plants benefit greatly from the insects where wasps, flies, birds, bats … Continue reading Pollination 101
Honeybee on Dusty Miller
This month's photo comes courtesy of GBA member, Jaye Kendal. If you'd like to take a closer look at bees, the Gilroy Beekeepers Association will have a booth at the following country fairs in 2018: Santa Clara, August 2-5 Santa Cruz, September 12-17 San Benito, October 4-7
Packages and Splits Class
How to install packages of new bees and how to split existing hives before they swarm.
UC Davis Bee Lab visit
A visit to the UC Davis Laidlaw Bee Lab and Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven with our friends from Syngenta.
The history of the honey bee
Bees that live in a hive and produce honey are not native to Coastal California. According to John Muir, in his 1894 book The Mountains of California, it wasn't until 1853 that "The first brown honey-bees brought to California are said to have arrived in San Francisco (when) a bee-keeper by the name of Shelton … Continue reading The history of the honey bee
Historical look at keeping bees in California
Here are a couple of oldies but goodies - especially useful for beekeepers just starting out in California. However please be warned that some of the material presented in the publications is dated and you are advised to consult more recent publications regarding current laws, mites and bee disease treatments. "These publications are copyrighted by … Continue reading Historical look at keeping bees in California