Bee-listers,
 
Fall is upon us, the bees are settling down for the winter.  Time to
evaluate the past season and prepare for next year.
 
I must confess that I look forward to reading digested BEE-list postings
delivered each day to my box.   I am truelly grateful for the pearls of
wisdom that have passed thru this list.  Many of the ideas and discussions
have helped me refine my procedures in managing my small apiary of 4 hives
this season to a point where I could probably handle 8 hives next year.
 
Some of the changes/additions that I have made this year:
 
I have found myself using frame grips less and less. I can open a hive with
a standard hive tool and loosening the10th frame for easy removal if a
small space is left between it and the hive wall.
 
I have stopped using venom-laced gloves in favor of disposable surgical
gloves (BEE-list idea #100) and now my finger dexterity is maintained, and
the bees stay calmer.
 
I would set the frames on the ground leaning against the hive.  No more.  I
now use one of the metal FRAME PERCHes from Brushy Mountain Bee Co. Up to 4
frames can hang nicely on the outside of the hive while there rest of the
colony is inspected.
 
Thanks to Double Screen Boards, requeening and swarm prevention ideas from
this list were tested and found to work quite well.
 
Honey extraction was a breeze this season with the help of Bee Escape Boards.
 
And finally, the labor-intensive assembling of wired frames and foundation
was replaced with snap-in Permadent foundation.
 
Just think about it....  with the collective minds of over 450 subscribers
on this list,  surely we can all work together to help solve many of the
problems affecting this industry.
 
Keep those pearls of wisdom flowing.  :)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paul Cronshaw, D.C.
Hobby Beekeeper
Santa Barbara, CA  USA