Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
Swarming is a natural tendency for bees in the spring and early summer, and making splits and nucs is just another part of good management of your hives. Whether you want to grow your apiary, or just insure against winter hive losses, making your own splits and nucs is an ideal way to grow or…
This past Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the Somerset Beekeepers, we hosted Gary Fish from the Maine Board of Pesticide Control to talk with us about “Pesticides and Pollinators”. We are a small group, so I’m always grateful that any knowledgeable speaker should come to Skowhegan to share their knowledge with us, and I…
I am excited to announce that Runamuk will be hosting it’s first-ever workshop! Sunday, May 19th 11am – 3pm Splits & Nuc-Making Workshop This Sunday I will be leading local beekeepers to the Runamuk apiary at Medicine Hill for a workshop on how to make splits and nucleus colonies (otherwise known as “Nucs”). My only…
The early spring season is a very difficult time for bees and beekeepers. When the temperatures start warming the bees begin increasing activity, rearing brood, and flying on warm sunny days. This is a tricky time for bees because there is not much available to feed the growing population. Many beekeepers feed sugar-syrup or candy,…
Bee-school is new to this region of Maine. Before the Somerset Beekeepers were established 2 years ago folks had to travel to Rumford or Albion for any sort of beekeeper education. But now we have our annual bee-school, offered by the Somerset Beekeepers and hosted by the Somerset Cooperative Extension in Skowhegan.
Since man first began robbing bee-trees for honey, beeswax has been a highly prized commodity treasured for it’s many uses and healthful benefits. Beeswax is utilitarian, medicinal, and beautifying. Beeswax through the ages Both ancient Egyptians and Persians used beeswax when embalming the dead. When they conquered Corsica in 181 BC, the Romans demanded…
There are a good number of beekeepers who object to feeding bees sugar. And I completely understand their objections. Sugar is essentially the equivalent of feeding your bees a steady diet of twinkies. It causes a number of health issues. Add to that the fact that mainstream sugar is produced from genetically modified sugar beets,…
I miss my bees during the winter. The long cold and snowy months when a beekeeper can’t go out to play with her bees are hard for me. But yesterday was a gorgeous January day–sunny and relatively warm (for January), and I was feeling energized after helping a local prune her beautiful apple tree. So…
It’s getting to be that time of year again–the Somerset Beekeepers are planning their annual bee-school for the communities of Somerset County, here in Maine. And I’m thrilled to be teaching the course again. As president of the Somerset Beekeepers it is my duty and privilege to teach new beekeepers the basics. To be able…
This has been an exciting year for the Runamuk apiary, we were able to expand from two to six hives throughout the summer. My new-found partnership with Medicine Hill in Starks gave me the chance to increase the number of colonies, and I seized the opportunity with both hands. And I am pleased to announce…