Thanks for your video about the good and the bad. I am a second year bee person too. I had 2 hives last year. One did make it through the winter, but the other did not. I have a new one this year. I hope to do better.
I wouldn't worry too much about cleaning the frames, its making your inspections longer which in turn makes your bees more tetchy. Great lessons for a new beekeeper. Plenty to think about.
I have hive beetles but as my population grows and me switching to a screened bottom seems to have kept them at a manageable level. Actually just came inside from the hive and saw only 5 or 6. I wholeheartedly agree with everything thing else, I’m no Superman, I’m covered from head to toe and I’ve managed to not get stung so far. For the smoker, invest in a propane torch and thank me later, lol
One suggestion when you pull the Frames Don't. Let it touch the hive The Queen could be on the bottom of it and you could squash her. From personal experience.
This is my 4th year got a swarm through winter no feed. Did feed when they came out of winter 😊 made my first split. And had a swarm today learn to create swarms and catch swarms. Over winter in a 10 frame boxs
That's awesome. sounds like you are having some success. I'm still trying to learn all the ins and outs. I'm going to start preventing the hive beetles before I even have any, or at lest try.
@@pawpawdiditagain2654 pollen patties attract hive beetles and if you clean out old pollen patties you won’t have them just started making my own pollen patties and I clean it out Weakly I only put enough in that they eat most of it
@@pawpawdiditagain2654 I use brood breaks to deal with varroa. I make splits in 10 frame equipment. I will let the queen build up into 2 10 frame box’s and move the queen and a 10 frame. When they have a lot of capped brood
It does smell like the pheromones' that cause the bees to sting. It is a certain chemical in the banana that that is the same as that pheromone, isopentyl acetate, But there is not enough in a single banana to trigger that reaction from the bees.
