Anthony Ziebell - Zee's Beez

09/11/2024

This past week, one of my hives has been showing some unusual behavior. The bees left the hive several times in a dramatic swarm, only to settle below the entrance. At first, I thought the clustering (or bearding) outside the hive was due to the recent hot days, but even with cooler weather now, they’re still in this state.

Today, I inspected the hive and found emergency queen cells. It seems that the colony lost its queen—possibly due to age or an unexpected issue. During this time of raising a new queen, the colony can become stressed and more crowded, leading to this bearding behavior. The bees are working together to keep things stable as the new queen cell develops, even if it means temporarily relocating outside to help with ventilation and reduce congestion inside.

I checked for pests and other issues and removed all but one of the emergency queen cells to prevent multiple queens from emerging, which could lead to secondary swarms. If the new queen doesn’t successfully develop, I’ll introduce an already mated queen to help the colony get back on track.

This hive originally came from a captured swarm, so I didn’t know the age of the queen—she may have simply reached the end of her lifespan. Watching the bees adapt to this challenge is a reminder of how resilient and interconnected they are, depending on each other to keep everything running smoothly.

20/10/2024

Hello fellow Beekeepers! 🐝🐝🐝

I’m a Beekeeper with Big Goals – Can We Beekeepers Achieve Them Together?

I want to talk about three goals I’m working toward, and I believe they’re goals we can achieve together:

My Three Goals

1) Bring more people into beekeeping – The more beekeepers we have, the stronger our community and impact.

2) Educate and empower beekeepers of all levels – With better knowledge, we can care for our bees more effectively.

3) Help our bees restore the environment – By working with nature and each other, we can support forest regeneration and biodiversity worldwide.

These might sound ambitious, but I believe that with teamwork, they’re entirely possible. I’d love to work with beekeepers from all over the world to achieve them.

A Bit About Me

I’m Anthony, a beekeeper living in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia. Beekeeping started as a hobby for me, but it quickly became a passion. With over 20 years in IT and AI, I saw ways to combine my skills with my love for bees to solve some of the challenges I encountered along the way.

The Challenges I’ve Noticed

- Mentorship isn’t always accessible: Even with a mentor, it’s hard to get advice in real-time or track every detail about your hives. I found myself needing a way to stay on top of things without always relying on others.

- Inclusivity in beekeeping: Many associations can feel intimidating, especially for women and younger people. Beekeeping should be a space for everyone, and I want to make it easier for all people to join and thrive in this field.

- Using technology for a greater good: Beekeeping is about more than just honey – it’s also about giving back to the environment. I started wondering how we, as beekeepers, could use our work to support reforestation and biodiversity efforts.

What I’m Building

To address these challenges and work toward the three goals, I’ve been developing a tool called HiveHelp .AI. It’s not just an app – it’s a way for us to connect, grow, and work together for our bees and the planet.

Here’s what HiveHelp .AI offers so far:

- AI-Powered Assistance (via Beek): If you’re ever unsure about something, you can upload photos or ask questions, and Beek will offer real-time guidance based on what it sees.

- Inspection Logging: Track your hive visits, identify trends, and make better decisions for your colonies.

- Smart Weather Forecasting: Plan your hive visits on the best days to reduce stress on your bees and improve productivity.

How We Can Regenerate Forests Together

I’m also working on an exciting new feature: the app will soon be able to analyze photos of your pollen boards. This data can tell us what plants are present in your area, which will not only help you understand your honey better but can also inform reforestation efforts.

Imagine beekeepers around the world contributing local biodiversity data to environmental agencies – all by observing what their bees bring home. Together, we can support the restoration of forests and ecosystems, one hive at a time.

Let’s Work Together

I’d love to collaborate with beekeepers everywhere, whether you’ve been doing this for decades or are just starting out. We all bring something valuable to the table, and with tools like HiveHelp .AI, we can build a more connected, inclusive, and impactful beekeeping community.

If you’re curious, feel free to explore HiveHelp .AI on:

- iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/hivehelp-ai-beekeepers-app/id6469013696

- Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hivehelpai.android

More importantly, I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Let’s keep the conversation going, because I believe that the future of beekeeping – and our planet – depends on all of us working together.

10/10/2024

I had a beautiful bee swarm in my bee yard today—the first one of the spring season here in the Southern Highlands, NSW. Did you know swarming is a natural part of bee life? It’s actually a sign of a healthy, thriving colony, especially since the original hive still has bees remaining.

I’ve set up the swarm box, but it’s getting late in the evening, and I just got back from work. I’ll check and collect the swarm tomorrow morning if they’re still there and haven’t moved into the box on their own.

07/06/2024

Join our free Facebook group Buzzing Bee Basics - Beekeeping Help for Beginners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/buzzingbeebasics

02/06/2024

Hello fellow Beeks! I developed Hive Help to assist me on my beekeeping journey. The app logs inspections, predicts ideal weather for them, and uses AI for advice and photo analysis. Search Hive Help in the app and play stores. 🐝

12/01/2024

How I plan to use AI and bees to save the world.

15/11/2023

FULL STORY: 👉https://bit.ly/3JSpLPE

30/09/2023

Made use of an old hive that was a bit busted. I sanded it all back and painted it, some modifications, now it’s a honey hive for my customers to come and pick up honey and leave money in the cash box on the side!

29/09/2023

🍯 Hey Honey Patrons! 🐝

I've crafted a special lip balm: 50% honey wax cappings, 50% organic coconut oil.

Offer: I'm giving away 5 for FREE to my loyal customers. All I ask? Your honest feedback!

Interested? First-come, first-served. Drop me a message!

25/09/2023

Peaceful Honey Bee Swarm Capture

24/09/2023

Hi fellow bee lovers, I'm excited to introduce you to a special project I've been working on. Meet 'Beek', an AI born from my passion for beekeeping. Once buzzing amongst the flowers as a worker bee, Beek is now dedicated to helping us better understand and care for our buzzing friends. From beginner questions to more complex beekeeping scenarios, Beek uses its own bee experience to guide us, always highlighting the pros and cons to provide a well-rounded view. I hope you find Beek as helpful and enjoyable as I do in our shared journey of beekeeping. Come explore with us at www.HiveHelp.ai! 🐝🍯

Looking to start a beekeeping journey or seeking answers to your apiary queries? Discover HiveHelp.ai with Beek; an AI beekeeping specialist with genuine bee experience. From beginners to pro beekeepers, Beek guides you through the sweet and the sting of beekeeping. Ask questions, learn, and make yo...

23/09/2023

Swarm season has officially begun.

have put a kill order out on swarms because of an irrational fear that it will be swarms that spread the mite. The mite as we know has already been spread by migratory beekeepers and is considered endemic in nsw. I see no reason why someone need to kill swarms.

Many Beekeepers around Australia often re home swarms with kindness and love providing a service to local communities who may be impacted by the arrival of a swarm.

Swarming is considered very fortunate in most cultures. If you see a swarm make sure you contact a local beekeeper and they will house and relocate the colony.

Swarming is the natural ways bees re produce and evolve to defeat pests and is why we have genetic resistant bees overseas.

Bees live in a collective consciousness where in each bee feels the thoughts and actions of all other bees within the colony. Thus every bee in the hive knows the status of the hive’s health, production, and coherence.

Before bees swarm they gorge on honey. Bees are vulnerable and generally calm when they swarm.

Swarming involves the old queen and some of her sisters leaving their established hive to scout out a new location to create another hive.


A virgin queen is left behind and after she mates she will quickly rebuild the population of bees.

Make sure you contact a local beekeeperi and they will house and relocate the colony.

To find a local beekeeper

Try swarmpatrol.com

20/09/2023

Sad news for all Bees in Australia today.

Following today's announcement by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Australia's strategy towards the Varroa Mite has shifted from eradication to management, marking a significant change in our approach to this pest. The implications for beekeepers are substantial, necessitating a transformation from traditional beekeeping to a more conservation-focused role.

The complexities associated with treating Varroa, including the use of potentially harmful organic compounds, may deter hobbyist beekeepers, potentially leading to a decline in their numbers. It's important to note that up to 90% of bee colonies could fail within a few years of Varroa infestation.

Bees play an essential role in our ecosystem, including the pollination of many food crops. As such, it's critical that we all consider ways to foster healthier environments for bees. These might include:

- Planting bee-friendly flowers: Bees are attracted to certain types of flowers. Planting these in your garden can provide a vital food source for them.

- Avoiding pesticides: Many pesticides are harmful to bees. Try to avoid using these in your garden.

- Providing a water source: Bees need water just like any other creature. A shallow birdbath or a dish with some pebbles in it for them to land on can be a great help.

- Building bee hotels: Providing a safe place for bees to live can contribute to their conservation.

- Supporting local beekeepers: Buying local honey supports beekeepers and encourages the practice of beekeeping.

With these measures, we can all contribute to the conservation of bees and mitigate the impact of the Varroa Mite.

02/09/2023

Before you use w**d kill this Spring, please consider giving these guys in the video a call… w**d kill is extremely unsafe for our bees - who are already under extraordinary pressure and we risk facing food shortage and other challenges due to varroa mite.

26/08/2023

Sweet Gold in Winter: Honey extraction and it’s not even Spring yet!

20/08/2023

First day of Spring beekeeping in Colo Vale today as finally the weather and my schedule could match up. Looking forward to a great season ahead, as the girls seem to doing very well and all required supers already! P.s, lots of drones around which means swarm season will be upon us imminently. If you notice a swarm, please send me a message and I’ll do my best to collect them and find them a new home in my apiary.

24/02/2023

A beekeeper from Colo Vale asked me to move her beehive from her backyard to my Apiary because she was having strong reactions to bee stings, which made her uncomfortable and scared in her own backyard.

The good news is that the bees are doing well in their new home! In just a few weeks, they have filled their brood box with pollen, nectar, honey, and have a strong population. Check out the first photo!

They are also getting ready for winter by storing nectar in the additional brood box I provided, as seen in the second photo.

Beekeeping is not for everyone, and reactions to bee stings can change over time. Although bees are not aggressive, they can be defensive, and in this situation, it's best to move the hive to someone else who can take care of them. Leaving them unattended or attempting to care for them could jeopardize your health and safety.

Please note that due to restrictions related to Varroa, only registered commercial beekeepers should move beehives or colonies.

19/02/2023

The perfect way to learn about bees and have a lot of fun, is a hands-on Beekeeping experience!