Homer's Honeybee and Supplies (2026)

A Utah family built around the hive 🐝 We raise strong bees, mentor new beekeepers, and share raw honey & healing from the hive — rooted in education, stewardship, and doing things the right way. Our hives are hosted in backyards throughout the city primarily in Suburban Backyards. Doing our part to stem the decline of the honeybee in the US and bring bees back into the city to pollinate our trees, gardens and flowers! We Provide Beekeeping Classes and quality affordable Hive equipment, tools and supplies for the beginner to the commercial beekeeper. Italian and Carnolian bee packages and Nucs available for purchase in the Spring.

01/11/2026

You treated your honeybees for Varroa mites this fall. But how do you know the treatment actually worked?

That’s an important question, especially as colonies head into winter.

Varroa mites don’t just weaken honeybees directly. They also spread viruses, including deformed wing virus, that can compromise the health of the winter bees your colony depends on to survive until spring.

And here’s something every beekeeper should understand: Applying a mite treatment doesn’t guarantee your mite levels are under control.

Treatment effectiveness can vary depending on temperature, brood conditions, application methods, and the product being used. Mite populations can also increase again after treatment.

That’s why we encourage beekeepers to monitor their colonies rather than assume everything is fine.

One method we use is an alcohol wash, which allows us to estimate Varroa infestation levels by counting mites collected from a measured sample of approximately 300 worker bees. While the test sacrifices the sampled bees, it gives us valuable information about the health of the remaining colony.

Our approach is simple: Test, make informed decisions, treat when necessary, and verify the results.

As we head into November, it’s worth remembering that healthy winter bees are raised long before the coldest weather arrives. Late-season mite management matters, but it can’t undo damage that’s already occurred.

If you’ve treated your colony but haven’t checked your mite levels afterward, don’t automatically assume the job is finished. Follow the treatment label and verify effectiveness when conditions allow.

Want to learn more about managing healthy honeybee colonies throughout the year? Comment BEEHIVE and we’ll send you access to our free beekeeping education portal.

30/10/2026

Your bees are producing moisture inside their hive all winter long. The question is, where does that moisture go?

As honeybees consume their winter honey stores, they produce water v***r. When that warm, moist air reaches a cold surface above the cluster, condensation can form and potentially drip back onto the bees.

That’s why managing moisture is such an important part of winter hive preparation.

In our operation, we use our Bee Beanie (checkout below) to insulate above the winter cluster. This helps keep the overhead surface warmer and reduces the likelihood of condensation forming directly above the bees.

Other setups may use quilt boxes, absorbent materials, or carefully designed ventilation. There’s more than one way to manage moisture, and what works best depends on your climate and hive configuration.

One important distinction: Adding more ventilation isn’t always the answer. Excessive airflow can create drafts and increase the colony’s heating demands.

And remember, wrapping the outside of your hive with a Bee Cozy or tar paper serves a different purpose than insulating directly above the winter cluster.

Our goal isn’t simply to keep bees warm. It’s to help them maintain a stable, dry winter environment.

How are you managing moisture in your hives this winter? We’d love to hear what’s working for you.

29/10/2026

Is your beehive heading into winter without enough honey? 🐝❄️

One of the most important parts of preparing honeybees for winter is making sure they have enough food to survive until spring. But what happens when temperatures are already dropping and you realize your colony might be running short?

The answer depends on your climate, the colony’s condition, and how much food is actually available inside the hive.

Throughout the fall, we encourage beekeepers to monitor their honey stores and supplement with 2:1 sugar syrup when temperatures are still warm enough for the bees to take it, process it, and store it.

Why 2:1?

Because a thicker syrup contains less water than a 1:1 mixture, meaning the bees have less moisture to remove before storing it for winter.

But as temperatures drop, liquid feeding becomes less practical. Here in Northern Utah, by late October we’re generally transitioning away from syrup feeding, depending on the weather.

So what happens if your hive is still light?

This is where emergency winter feeding options, like fondant, can become important.

Fondant provides a concentrated carbohydrate source that can be positioned directly above the winter cluster, helping bees access emergency food without having to travel far from their cluster.

Suitable stored honey frames from healthy colonies can also be an option when conditions allow.

But here’s something we always emphasize at Homers Honeybee:

Fondant is insurance, not a replacement for proper fall preparation.

We want our colonies entering winter with healthy winter bees, adequate food stores, and as few additional challenges as possible.

And while emergency feeding can help prevent starvation, it can’t correct every problem that may affect a colony during winter.

That’s why understanding your local seasons and staying ahead of your bees’ needs is so important.

🐝 Want help knowing what your honeybees need throughout the year? Comment CALENDAR and we’ll send you our free hive management calendar.

💬 Have questions about feeding your bees this late in the season? Leave them below!

27/10/2026

Seeing honeybees with deformed wings in your hive this fall? This is something you shouldn’t ignore. 🐝

What you’re looking at is a classic sign of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), one of the most common viruses affecting honeybee colonies and one that’s closely associated with Varroa mites.

Here’s why this matters so much as we head into winter.

Varroa mites don’t just feed on developing and adult honeybees. They also transmit and amplify viruses like DWV, allowing infections to become much more damaging to the colony.

When infected bees emerge with shortened, twisted, or poorly developed wings, they’re often unable to fly and may have significantly shortened lifespans.

But here’s something important to understand: not every infected bee has visibly deformed wings.

A colony can look relatively healthy while carrying high viral loads, which is why waiting until you see symptoms isn’t a reliable mite management strategy.

And in the fall, the consequences can be especially serious.

Unlike summer workers that typically live just a few weeks, winter bees need to survive for months to keep the colony alive until spring.

If those bees develop under heavy Varroa pressure, viral infections can compromise their health and longevity before winter even begins.

That’s why we emphasize monitoring mite levels and managing Varroa throughout the season, especially before and during the period when winter bees are being raised.

So what should you do if you’re seeing this right now?

Start by checking your colony’s mite levels with a reliable method, such as an alcohol wash. If treatment is needed, choose a registered treatment appropriate for your temperatures, brood conditions, and hive setup, and follow its label.

Remember, reducing mites now can help limit further damage, but it won’t reverse infections or restore bees that have already been affected.

Healthy winter colonies start long before the first snowfall.

💬 Have you ever spotted deformed wings in one of your hives?

23/10/2026

Honeybees need water even in winter. But where do they get it when it’s too cold to fly? 🐝❄️

Unlike bears, honeybees don’t hibernate. They spend winter clustered together inside the hive, generating heat with their flight muscles and eating stored honey to fuel that work.

Water is still part of the equation. Bees need moisture to dilute concentrated honey and dissolve solid sugar or fondant so they can consume it. But that doesn’t mean they need to leave the hive every day to find a drink.

As bees metabolize their food, they produce water v***r. Moisture also enters the hive with the air and can collect on cooler surfaces. Bees can use available moisture inside the hive, and on warm enough days they may fly out to collect water.

Here’s where winter hive management gets interesting: moisture is necessary, but excess condensation dripping onto the winter cluster can be dangerous. That’s why we pay attention to food stores, insulation above the cluster, and the overall moisture management of our hives here in Utah.

If you’re feeding fondant or other solid emergency feed, remember that bees still need access to moisture to use it. And if your colony is light on food, don’t wait for a warm day to start thinking about its winter survival.

💬 Did you know honeybees need water throughout winter?

Follow for more practical winter beekeeping tips.

Address

84040

Telephone

+18018607715

Website

https://www.homershoneybee.com/

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