Betsy's Buzz is a friendly guide that reads the extension services and the makers' own pages, tells you what they say, and links out when you're ready to shop.
We research and explain. We don't sell anything, and we don't claim to have tested what we write about.
Facts come from university extension services, government pages and the makers' own pages. Each guide links its sources and the date we checked them.
Beekeeping rules differ by state and city, and a sting allergy is a doctor's question. Both have their own pages with no shopping links. Safety and local rules.
Prices change and ratings belong to the store. Shopping links go to search results, and we say so. How the site is paid for.
Thinking about keeping bees? Start with the questions that decide whether to buy anything at all.
What extension guides say to do before, during and after your bees arrive.
What a medical source says about severe reactions, and why to ask a doctor first.
Why the answer depends on your state and city, with Florida's rules as one example.
A kit's contents next to what the extension guides say you need.
What changes, and what doesn't, according to the maker and the extension guides.
What to look for on a label, and a few ways to give honey and beeswax.
What FDA labeling guidance says, one important caution about babies, and gift ideas that don't depend on health claims.
Questions to ask about the wax, plus fire-safety basics from the NFPA.
You don't need a hive to help bees. Start with what blooms when, and how to read a seed packet.
An example bloom calendar from Xerces Society's Northeast list, plus where to find your own region's list.
What to look for on the packet, based on guidance from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
A little music for the bee-curious: the "Bumble Bee Buzz Song" music video by Music For The Soul. It has its own page, and nothing on it is for sale.
More guides are on the way. Have a question we should answer? Tell us.