Daniel M.

Daniel M.

Daniel has kept honey bees for more than 12 years and manages roughly 45 colonies in eastern North Dakota. His work covers seasonal colony management, spring buildup, swarm prevention, summer honey production and preparing colonies for a long northern winter. He writes mainly about beginner beekeeping, hive inspections, seasonal management, swarm prevention, honey harvesting and hive equipment, with an emphasis on how weather and timing shape colony development in a northern climate. He is a member of his local beekeeping association and continues formal study in practical apiary management. Most of his articles here are Beekeeping Basics guides: the material a first- or second-year beekeeper reaches for, such as when to open a hive, what an inspection should cover and what each part of the season asks of a colony. His seasonal timing is written from eastern North Dakota conditions, so readers in milder climates should expect their own calendar to run earlier. Nearly all of his articles are second-reviewed by Thomas B. before they carry Daniel's name, and Daniel in turn reviews a smaller number of colleagues' articles on hive hardware, equipment, honey harvesting and pollination work.

Choosing Bee Species

Choosing bee species image 1

Italian, Carniolan, and Russian honeybees handle winter, mite pressure, and temperament differently enough that picking the wrong one for a given climate can cost a beginner an entire colony in the first year. Matching bee stock to local conditions, more…