Groups Feed

Growing buckwheat is beneficial for honey bees, providing them with a rich source of nectar and pollen.

Planting Tips

• Timing: The best time to plant buckwheat is in early spring as the soil warms up, allowing for optimal growth conditions.

• Spacing: Plant buckwheat seeds 2-3 feet apart in full sun to ensure healthy growth.

• Succession Planting: For extended nectar availability, sow seeds every two weeks.

Benefits for Bees

Sunflowers are effective in cleaning up various contaminants from soil and water. They are particularly known for their ability to remove:

• Heavy Metals: Sunflowers can absorb heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and zinc, which are common pollutants from industrial activities and mining.

• Radionuclides: These include radioactive elements like cesium and uranium, making sunflowers useful in areas affected by nuclear contamination.

• Other Toxins: They can also help in reducing levels of other harmful substances, contributing to soil remediation efforts.

This process, known as phytoremediation, allows sunflowers to thrive in contaminated environments while extracting and neutralizing these harmful substances

Sunflowers provide significant benefits to the ecosystem, enhancing biodiversity and soil health.

Support for Pollinators

Sunflowers are rich in nectar and pollen, making them attractive to various pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. This support is crucial for maintaining healthy populations of these species, which are vital for pollinating many crops and wild plants

.

Soil Improvement

Soon, the backyard will be cleared of all the briars and saplings, from corner to corner of the property line, and up along the sides.

After 5 long years of looking for help. If your property needs some tender care from the Forest mulcher give Ryan a callSoon, the backyard will be cleared of all the briars and saplings, from corner to corner of the property line, and up along the sides. Call Ryan for further help with your Property needs

Wild grapes

Persimmons

Pawpaws

Apricot

Coming to the MNBK Apiary this Spring. Russian Bees, and Queens. These girls and boys are extremely cold hardy, prolific Honey producers, as well the reason our Michigan Cold Hardy Bees turn black, from pulling on their Russian DNA. NO!! they're not mean, lol.

Nuc's are $235.00 with a $100.00 Deposit. Ann Arbor, MI. Pick-up is Late April/Early May 2026. I'm still checking on Queens. If this is of interest to you I will be heading down with my truck to get mine, I'm more than willing to pick up your order and you can come over to my Apiary to grab your order.

https://youtu.be/ahC2nu9wPDM?si=lyQn9Haten7GGJ__

Now is the time of year to start thinking about your Bee Yard in the thought of plants, food shrubs.

This year in the Bee Yard I'm excited to be planting very sustainable plants with a great food benefit to myself as well as the Bee's.

These Ancient plants grow without worries of water, no chemicals need what so ever.

Sea Buckthorn carries 7 amino acids, the health benefits are more than anything your doctor can give you.

Chock Berry, good jams and jellies.

Pawpaw's produce more fruit than a family can eat

Bee Human, be mindful. Because you build a Horizontal hive yet still us Langstroth frames doesn't mean you solved the issue. Honey Bees feed down on the lower part of the frame, and work their way up. When a bee colony have to split left and right to feed in the winter time, they will just choose to try and survive clustered together, and this is why you find them in the spring clustered together "DEAD"

I just ran across another beekeeping club ad for Bee school. This really chaps my wax.

As beekeepers Our first job is to raise bees in a sustainable manor.

Here Our knowledge is free 100% of the time, "Always"

As beekeepers we can earn money buy selling Honey, Wax, Pollen Propolis and yes even Bees.

I learn from other beekeepers, youtube videos, and books I have bought over the years.

But I feel it's very hypocritical of myself or anyone else that cares for the bees to charge money for knowledge, on how to raise bees sustainably, if your goal is to raise Michigan Cold weather disease hardy strain of bees.