HiveKeeper Journal exists because beekeeping is genuinely hard to learn from books alone. The hive has its own logic — one that only reveals itself after you have made a few mistakes, watched a colony die, split a strong hive too late, and finally learned to read what the bees are telling you. This site collects those hard-won lessons and puts them in plain language for anyone who keeps bees or is thinking about starting.
Our focus is practical and field-tested. We write about the things that actually matter in hive management: recognizing problems early, making good decisions under uncertainty, and building sustainable apiary habits. We draw on advice from university extension programs, USDA research, peer-reviewed entomology journals, and decades of collective experience from the beekeeping community. When there is scientific consensus, we follow it. When the science is murky or the data is thin, we say so.
Sarah Whitmore has kept bees for over 15 years across three states. She runs a small apiary of 22 hives, teaches beekeeping workshops at her local extension office, and writes about the practical realities of hive management. Her work has appeared in regional beekeeping newsletters and she holds a certification from her state’s Master Beekeeper program.
Every article on HiveKeeper Journal goes through editorial review before publication. Sources are cited where applicable, and we update articles when new research or field experience changes our recommendations. We aim to be the site you can trust when you have a real problem in front of you and need a real answer.