BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Paul Hosticka <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 24 Dec 2017 13:16:41 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (16 lines)
> My advice has always been to inspect frequently and learn what normal looks like so you can recognise abnormal. Technique may play a part as there's obviously a difference between gloveless and gentle compared to full suit of armour and bashing them around.

For people learning the craft, frequent (perhaps weekly) inspection will do far more good for both the bees and the student beekeeper than any negative effect IMHO. It would be like saying don't constantly go to your The Hive and the Honeybee for fear of wearing out and breaking the binding or dog earing and staining the pages. You are getting an education that can be found no other way. Mark Twain said it best "a person will be tough lessons that they can learn no other way than by carrying a cat by the tail"

That said you should have an objective in mind with each inspection. You don't have to find the queen every time. Eggs are a good enough evidence of her presence. You don't need to pull every frame of brood. One nice frame of brood in all stages with proper stores of honey and pollen will say that all's well. Lift the back of the hive to get a sense of its weight and how that is changing over time. If they are pulling comb make sure that they have feed. Learn how and CHECK FOR MITES. Tip the top box and look for swarm cells. It all seems second nature to the experienced beekeeper but there is no substitute for experience but experience.

Bee-L is a joy of life for me and I hope all the others in this wonderful congregation.  Happy new year!

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2