What a lot of questions!  Standard answer: Get a good book and join a
local beekeepers association.  A good book that covers most of the
bases is "First Lessons in BeeKeeping" available in paperback from
Dadant and Sons for under $7!  Can't beat the price and it's very
informative with good pictures and illustrations.  For a beekeepers
association, contact your area cooperative extension for information
for possible groups near you.
 
Now: Michael Moroney ([log in to unmask]) queries about queen cells
that have been built, torn down, rebuilt, none with larva, ...  It is
common for bees to do this and is not a cause for concern.  A few queen
cells in the middle of the frames are usually supersedure cells,
whereas more numerous cells on the bottom of the frames are indicative
of an inclination to prepare to swarm, but again, if the cells are being
built and torn down and have no larva in them, there is little cause for
concern.  Practice good swarm prevention techniques (strong young queen
and plenty of room) and there is even less cause for concern.  You need
not worry until the cells contain larvae or worse, are capped (the larva
has pupated).
 
Holes in Duraguilt are there to allow the bees to use as tunnels to
travel between individual frames.  No one ever told this to my bees and
they tended to fill the holes up as you described.  IMHO, Duraguilt is
not worth the extra expense and I don't know of any beekeepers who use
it (other than beginning hobbyists).
 
Jeffery Young ([log in to unmask]) asked a LOT of questions!  See
standard advice above.  What to do with a good natured hive with an
indigenous queen descended from the original Italian queen shipped with
the original package?  Jeff, after ten years your bees have DEFINITELY
superseded the original queen.  You state that the bees are good
natured, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  Now is not the time of
year to be requeening if it's not imperative anyway.  Requeening is a
tricky process and chances of success are less with a populous hive than
one with a smaller population.  Fall and early spring are the best times
to requeen.
 
Keeping ants out of a hive: A good way to keep ants out of your hives is
to use a product available from tree nurseries called Tanglefoot.  The
is a very sticky paste that is used to put a ring around the trunks of
trees to keep caterpillars and other insects from climbing into trees.
If you place your hives on stands built with 2X4s, you can use
Tanglefoot on the legs of the stand to prevent ants from crawling up to
the hive bodies.  This suggestion is sure fire, but labor intensive.
Care must be taken to be sure that the bees don't get stuck up in the
Tanglefoot, which is why the hives should be on hive stands of some
sort.  Cement cinder blocks also make good hive stands.
 
Extracting Equipment: Quite an expense for someone with a single hive!
Watch want ads for used equipment, or join a beekeepers association to
meet beekeeper contacts who may know someone getting out of the business
with equipment to sell or members who have equipment they may be willing
to rent.  I prefer a capping plane to a capping knife - the capping
plane is more precise/less awkward to use.  I have never seen them in
the Dadant catalogs, but was able to procure one from a local supplier
who got his from a supplier in Canada (are you listening Peter?).
 
Preferred method for removing workers from queen excluded honey supers:
I prefer a bee blower (expensive to buy, but a BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION -
(are you getting the gist?) may point you towards a rental).  Chemicals,
such as Bee-Go are not to my liking, but I must confess that I have
never used them.  With only a single hive you are just as well off
shaking and brushing the workers off a frame at a time.
 
Preventative methods for Mite control:  I know of none.  Research is
being done on mite resistant strains of bees, with some indication that
Buckfast Bees (among others) are mite resistant, but the jury is still
out.  This is a reason to keep indigenous queens - your indigenous queen
may be the mother of all mite resistant bees!  Mite detection can be
done either using sticky paper on the bottom board or by using the ether
roll method.  If you determine that mites are a problem you can use
Apistan strips or Mitacur (if approved in Massachusetts) as a treatment,
but you cannot treat while you have honey supers on your hive.
 
Anything to be conscious of with a backyard hive?  Yes!  Your neighbors.
Your neighbors' children.  Your neighbors' pets.  Your neighbors'
clothes lines (I guarantee they will not appreciate the polka dots of
winter cleansing flights!).  Remember the saying: "Good fences make good
neighbors!".  Fences, either wooden or hedge rows, force your bees to
fly above head level before crossing the property line.  They also serve
as barriers between defensive guard bees and inquisitive minds.  With
the law suit craze prevalent in the states, take care not to upset those
around you.  Check that there are no local laws or ordinances
prohibiting hives in your community.  Share a bottle or two of your bees
labors with your neighbors.  A little good will goes a long way!
 
I think that covers all the questions.  Whew!  Just one more plug for a
local beekeepers association.  The types you'll meet will be familiar
with your area (climate, seasons, rules, contacts, etc.), they'll be
friendly and informative (I never met a beekeeper I didn't like), and
they'll surely be able to talk much faster than I can type! ;-)
 
Aaron Morris
15 years hobby beekeeper
Upstate New York, Saratoga Region