Beekeeping Educational Videos & Tutorials

Learn how to prepare your hives for winter to help your colonies survive the cold months ahead. This video covers key steps such as checking hive weight, feeding thick sugar syrup when needed, adding mouse guards, and insulating hives to mimic the natural protection of a hollow tree.

Learn how different hive wraps and insulated covers help bees maintain a steady temperature through fall and winter. This video demonstrates how to install vinyl wraps, Bee Cozies, and insulated top covers to protect colonies from temperature swings and moisture.

Our Head Beekeeper Anne explains how robbing screens help protect honey bee colonies from robbers like wasps and neighboring bees. Learn when to install a robbing screen, how to set it up as both a screen and entrance reducer, and why it allows resident bees to find their way home while keeping intruders out.

Learn how to protect your hives with entrance reducers and metal mouse guards. This video demonstrates when and how to install them safely, the difference between entrance reducers and mouse guards, and tips for preventing mice and robbing bees from entering your colonies.

Watch as Betterbee demonstrates how to apply Formic Pro treatments to control varroa mites in honey bee colonies. This video covers safe handling practices, proper placement of the pads, and the importance of temperature guidelines when using formic acid.

Learn how to assess whether your colonies have enough food to make it through fall and winter. This video shows how to check hive weight, decide when to feed thick 2:1 sugar syrup, and when to shift to solid winter feeds like fondant, winter patties, or sugar bricks once temperatures drop. You?ll also see practical tips for keeping colonies well-fed as they prepare for the cold months ahead.

Follow along as Betterbee demonstrates the proper way to open and apply ApiLife Var wafers to treat varroa mites. This video covers handling tips for the fragile wafers, application methods, and the benefits of this thymol-based treatment that combines natural ingredients for effective mite control.

Head Beekeeper Anne explains how to apply VarroxSan, an extended-release oxalic acid treatment for varroa mites. This video covers proper dosage based on frames of bees, placement of strips in the brood nest, treatment timing, and how to use VarroxSan safely when honey supers are on.

Learn how to mix and apply oxalic acid using the Betterbee Oxalic Acid Dribble Kit with Api-Bioxal. This video demonstrates safe handling, proper mixing ratios, and application techniques during a brood break to effectively control varroa mites in winter or cool weather conditions.

Learn how a screened bottom board helps monitor and manage varroa mites in your hive. This video explains how to use a screened bottom board to track mite populations, when to combine it with a solid bottom board, and how to keep the tray clean to prevent debris buildup.

Learn how to make sugar bricks to support your colonies through long stretches of cold winter weather. This step-by-step video shows the simple ingredients, how to mix and form the bricks, how long they take to dry, and how to place them on the hive when temperatures drop. A quick, reliable way to provide emergency winter feed when your bees need extra sugar stores.

Head Beekeeper Anne shows how to assess hive activity, recognize signs of life on warm winter days, check colony weight, and determine whether emergency feed is needed. Learn when to use sugar bricks, fondant, winter patties, or frames of honey, and why carbohydrates (not protein) are essential during the coldest months.

Head Beekeeper Anne Frey demonstrates how to cut large blocks of fondant into hive-ready pieces using a simple homemade wire tool. Learn how fondant behaves on top bars, when screens are (and aren?t) necessary, and how to set up the hive with proper space and insulation when offering solid feed in cold weather.

Learn how to make your own beeswax candles using polyurethane candle molds. This video walks you through each step from preparing and banding your mold, to threading the wick, pouring melted beeswax, and topping off as the candle cools.

Learn how to make simple, clean-burning beeswax tealight candles at home. In this video, our chandler Mel walks you through each step from securing the preassembled wicks to pouring melted beeswax into tealight cups. You'll also see how to keep wicks centered as the candles cool and get ideas for packaging.

Learn how to make detailed beeswax candles using a Lyson silicone mold. In this video, Mel shows how to choose and center the wick, secure the mold with rubber bands, and pour melted beeswax for a clean, even finish.