Mary says > I'm new to beekeeping and I was informed from an experienced > beekeeper that I need to examine my hive (once a week) and > destroy any cells that are being created into queens or > drones. Is this true? If so, how can I tell. Also, > for a new hive, how much honey should I get from it in an > average year. I am also taking the wax. I have a regualr > hive with a queen excluder and a small super on top. How > often will the bees fill it up? Is there any problems on > taking the top super off and removing the honey. Someone > told me that if I did this the bees would get confused > because they would have no where to put the honey. Do I > wait until it is totally full before I remove the honey? > Thanks This small text suggest a lot of questions and answers you can find in a good beekeeping book ... To resume ... 1/ " ... created into queens " in presence of the queen -> to destroy otherwise you'll get a swarm in absence of the queen : swarming or lost (dead or kill) -> don't destroy, but do observe closely the hatching, etc... 2/ " ... created into drones " don't worry about them (the bees need a few in the nest : in Europ, some are using a system to control them but it not the subjet here) but do replace one or two frames each year (you'll take the wax) and choose the most drones combs. 3/ " how much honey ...? " the answer this question is another question ... " how many flowers in your country ? flowers to do honey flow(s) ? Some flowers give a lot of nectar, some give nothing. The weather is important (generally the better is wet AND hot). => In your account, don't forget the plaisure seeing and doing with bees. 4/ " taking the top super off ..." o Normally there is no problem on taking the super off because you are doing this when the honey flow is finished. o It seems to me a good idea to have a second super you put in place of that you are taking. o It is even also a good idea, if the honey flow is not finished, to put the second super (to make place for the nectar) below the first before to remove them. Regards ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jean-Marie Van Dyck Fax +32 81 72 42 72 B.P. 102 email : [log in to unmask] B-5000 NAMUR(Belgium) Medical school - Biochemistry dept -----------------------------------------------------------------------------