HiveKeeper Journal
Practical beekeeping notes from real hive owners
From your first hive to a thriving apiary — honest guides, seasonal tips, and hard-won lessons from beekeepers who’ve been there.
Explore by Topic
Dive into the subjects that matter most to beekeepers at every stage
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Getting Started
Everything a new beekeeper needs — choosing bees, buying gear, setting up your first hive.
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Hive Management
Seasonal inspections, feeding, splits, requeening, and the day-to-day work of running your hives.
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Bee Health
Recognizing and treating varroa, foulbrood, nosema, and other common threats to your colony.
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Honey Production
Harvesting, extracting, filtering, storing, and selling honey — plus wax and other hive products.
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Beekeeping Business
Turning your apiary into income: pricing, permits, farmers markets, pollination contracts.
Latest from the Hive
Fresh guides, tips, and stories from our beekeeping community
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Insurance for Beekeepers: What You Actually Need
Most beekeepers carry the wrong insurance or none at all — here’s what coverage you actually need for hobby apiaries,…
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The Flow Hive After 3 Seasons: An Honest Review
After three seasons running a Flow Hive alongside conventional Langstroths, here is an unvarnished assessment of what the Flow Hive…
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The Annual Hive Health Inspection I Do Every August
A thorough August inspection covering varroa counts, queen quality, food stores, brood health, and equipment condition sets every hive up…
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Moving a Beehive Without Losing Your Bees (or Your Neighbors)
The right way to move a beehive — whether across the yard or across state lines — with tips on…
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9 Common First-Year Beekeeping Mistakes (And How I Fixed Mine)
Nine mistakes that trip up most first-year beekeepers — from ignoring varroa to misreading defensive behavior — and exactly how…
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Running Beekeeping Workshops for Extra Income
Teaching beekeeping workshops can generate $500–$2,000 per session while building community and customer relationships — here’s how to structure and…
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Sarah Whitmore
Portrait coming soon
Meet Sarah Whitmore
I started keeping bees with a single Langstroth hive in my backyard, armed with nothing but a library book and more enthusiasm than sense. That was twelve years ago. Since then I’ve run up to forty hives, lost colonies to everything imaginable, and slowly figured out what actually works.
HiveKeeper Journal is my way of writing down the lessons I wish someone had told me earlier. No fluff, no sponsored gear lists — just honest notes from real hive work, updated every season.
Based in the Pacific Northwest, I’m a certified Master Beekeeper and occasional volunteer with local beekeeping associations. When I’m not in the bee yard, I’m probably in the garden or arguing about honey varieties.
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Practical advice delivered every Friday — what to check, what to fix, and what to watch for this season.
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