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Date: | Thu, 29 May 2008 14:01:06 EDT |
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I believe beekeepers that have been keeping bees for many years develop
techniques and skills that they do not realize to manage bees. I am interested
in picking your brain as to these bee management skills. What I am after is
something that I can use for the Master Beekeeping program in VA, NC (I have
already discussed this with David Tarpy) and SC. I am interested in your
additional comments about management technique.
David M.
When a hive is queen less it is noisy. You can verify queenlessness if
there are not any brood/eggs in the hive. Also, the bees are restless. Dr.
Fell published a paper on this.
If the bees get very excited and you are "sprayed" with alarm pheromone, you
should wait until tomorrow to work the bees or start at the other end of the
apiary working hives. You have failed to contain and stop the bees from
getting excited with smoke (short puffs). These could be over defensive bees
but even so, with the proper technique you should be able to stop defensive
mechanisms. Before working another hive, you should smoke vigorously the area
"sprayed" with alarm pheromone.
Good beekeepers have the ability to produce volumes of smoke from their
smokers. This will assist in controlling the bees.
smoke the entrance liberaly if you are not looking for the queen. If
looking for the queen smoke the entrace less before going into the hive.
use slow methodical movements. Use short puffs of smoke as much as
possible. Listen to the bees and watch their movements. The minute they start to
increase their noise, smoke them a little. If a bee starts flying erratic,
smoke them a little.
use a hive tool to break open the "seal" between supers and hive body. Go
easy.
open the hive, smoke short puffs over the frames. You can use short puffs
of smoke to direct the bees. Avoid using a bee brush as much as possible for
hive manipulations.
take out an end frame, look for the queen then set aside. Generally you
want to keep the queen in the hive on a frame as much as possible.
examine the next frame and put back into the hive in the same positions.
Place the frame back do not let it drop that last 1/2" or so into the groove.
Continue looking at each frame all the way thru the super or brood chamber.
observe runniniest on the comb. Observe how much capped brood and the
pattern. Observe holes in the brood. Look to see eggs and larvae the sign of a
laying queen. Observe if have honey and then a band of pollen in the
corners. If not need to assess if need to feed. Is the nest layout correct? Have
they swarmed.
stay in hive as short as possible.
The rougher you are with your bees the more you will get stung. Avoid
banging equipment. Place the supers back on the hive body; do not let it drop.
Avoid mashing the bees around the edge of the super. Use short puffs of smoke
to move the bees off the edge.
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