# Todays Inspection and Thinking Ahead



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I would not do the crush and strain anymore because the drawn
comb is invaluable on the 2nd year hive expansion. Without the extra drawn comb the
hive will swarm on the Spring expansion mode. So keep the drawn comb. I have the langs frames
do will do extraction to save these valuable comb.
Also, you need to do a mite check to see if the hive can overwinter without any kind of a mite treatment.
A hive that overwinter over with the mites will crash your hives during the Spring build up time. So consider
a treatment option to get rid of them. I still have bees because I know how to manage the mites now.


----------



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I would not do the crush and strain anymore because the drawn
comb is invaluable on the 2nd year hive expansion. Without the extra drawn comb the
hive will swarm on the Spring expansion mode. So keep the drawn comb. I have the langs frames
do will do extraction to save these valuable comb.
Also, you need to do a mite check to see if the hive can overwinter without any kind of a mite treatment.
A hive that overwinter over with the mites will crash your hives during the Spring build up time. So consider
a treatment option to get rid of them. I still have bees because I know how to manage the mites now.


----------



## trishbookworm (Jun 25, 2016)

I'm a second yr beek with long horiz top bar hives - and I understand what you mean about not wanting to hear that angry buzz! At this point the yellowjacket pressure is so strong that I am inspecting until I see brood comb, noting how far that is, and trying to keep a half comb at the honey/broodcomb edge. That way if if the queen needs room to lay, she has it. Or if the girls need to turn that into honey, that is what they can do. I think this upcoming week will be nice and warm so I will do what is probably my last inspection.

Come spring I am going to be very aggressive about splitting early - no swarming for me if I can help it! I have a couple of wacky combs and I am just waiting for spring to deal with them. 

Keep in mind if one hive is "hotter" than the other, the queen may be a stinker, and it may be worth replacing her - again come spring. But I am taking it as communication from the hive - telling me that this is a harder time for them to be "inspected" and to make it quick!

Oh and if smoke is not calming them, take care that you are not putting "hot" smoke on them - and remember that the smoke takes several minutes to affect them. The smoke both triggers an urge to consume honey and moves the bees - but for a top bar hive it moves them WHERE WE NEED TO GO NEXT. I actually don't use any smoke and the bees in each of the 4 hives only headbutt me a handful of times. If smoke isn't working, but you need something still, you can try 50:50 sugarwater in a spray bottle. Just spray each bar as you expose it. One last thing that has worked for me - I use nitrile gloves rather than the goatskin beeK ones. I find my grip to be more sure and my moves faster and smoother when I have those gloves.


----------

