In a message dated 97-05-24 22:26:13 EDT, Tom Elliott
[log in to unmask] writes:
 
<< I check my brood nest on pretty much a weekly basis.  They have yet to
 become unproductive, and they show no signs of "demoralization".  A
 commercial operation cannot pay the attention to a hive that a hobbiest
 can, but to make a statement like that above is irresponsible.  I
 routinely watch my queen lay eggs, watch foragers do their dances and
 see normal activity at all times.  There  "MAY"  be a scientificaly
 measurable reduction in productivity as a result of weekly inspections,
 but you could not prove it by my experience.>>
 
    Yes there are scientific studies, that show that even just smoking a hive
during a honey flow will stop productivity for a day or two, and reduce the
total production. So I don't feel a bit irresponsible.   I don't consider
opening the cover to be bothering the bees much, but studies also show that
production is greater if all the supers are added at once, rather than one or
two at a time.
 
 <<Charley, go for it.  That is the way to learn about bees, and it will
 not do any noticible damage to either your bees, or your honey crop.  If
 you find something strange, you could save your hive from an early
 demise.
 
 The only condition is don't rough the bees up.  Move carefully and
 gently to avoid mashing or rolling bees.  The life you save may be your
 queen. >>
 
    Yes, if Charley does "go for it," he needs to disturb the colony as
little as possible.  So that's good advice.
 
    A lot depend on your purposes.  If you want production, one thorough
inspection in spring followed by a couple times to examine one frame
throughout the year for foulbrood is best.
 
    If you are wanting to learn about the bees, great!  Then Charley, go for
it! Just be aware that they know best how they want to work, and we can get
at cross purposes with endless manipulations.
 
   An old beekeeper told me when I was starting:  Study the bees, and try to
help them do what they want.  Then you will succeed as a beekeeper.
 
   A good tool to study them is an observation hive.  When I first started, I
kept one for the summer on my kitchen counter, and they exited through a hole
I bored in the wall.  I learned a lot, though I didn't get as much work done
as most summers.  Since, I have tried to set one up in a nearby store each
season.  I still wind up spending too much time there, showing off the bees
to the public.
 
[log in to unmask]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554        (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service,  Pot o'Gold Honey Co.)
 
Practical Pollination Home Page            Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html