I Broke My Own Beekeeping Rule. But It Proves The Point!
Black Mountain Honey
3,581 views
I've spent two months telling beekeepers to leave their colonies alone. Then I opened one up and pulled every frame out.
I wanted to show you how the weight of a nuc relates to what's inside it, and how a simple scale can help you learn to judge stores by hefting. But the colony I picked had a surprise waiting for me.
Get my FREE winter preparation guide:
https://black-mountain-honey.kit.com/...
Come along for a busy September day in the apiary as I finish feeding, remove Apivar strips and fit homemade propolis traps. I also try a smokeless smoker alongside my regular smoker and share my first impressions. One day's testing is a start, so I'll keep using it before giving a final verdict.
Then I break my own rule and inspect a nuc to demonstrate what its weight looks like in bees, brood and stores. That was the plan, anyway. The bees had other ideas.
PLEASE DON'T COPY THE LATE-SEASON INSPECTION SIMPLY FOR A LOOK.
I'm opening this colony for a demonstration so you don't have to. The weights discussed relate to the nuc and weighing setup shown in the video. They aren't a universal target for every hive type. Follow the current product label and local rules for any varroa treatment.
CHAPTERS
00:00 A winter prep day that doesn't go to plan
00:25 The jobs in the apiary
01:08 Trying a smokeless smoker
02:33 Making homemade propolis screens
06:04 Fitting the screens without blocking feeder access
09:07 Removing treatment strips and checking stores
11:35 Resisting the urge to pull frames
14:36 Wasps, an owl box and a few distractions
17:46 Why I'm breaking my own rule
18:51 Weighing a nuc and learning to heft
21:56 An unexpected discovery inside the colony
24:21 Propolis traps and an uncertain winter
26:37 Smokeless smoker first impressions and final thoughts
How do you check your colonies' stores? Do you trust your hands when hefting, or use scales? Let me know in the comments.
Subscribe to Black Mountain Honey for practical beekeeping videos and the bits that don't go to plan.
#Beekeeping #WinterBeekeeping #BlackMountainHoney
6 Comments
I Broke My Own Beekeeping Rule. But It Proves The Point!
Black Mountain Honey
3,581 views
I've spent two months telling beekeepers to leave their colonies alone. Then I opened one up and pulled every frame out.
I wanted to show you how the weight of a nuc relates to what's inside it, and how a simple scale can help you learn to judge stores by hefting. But the colony I picked had a surprise waiting for me.
Get my FREE winter preparation guide:
https://black-mountain-honey.kit.com/...
Come along for a busy September day in the apiary as I finish feeding, remove Apivar strips and fit homemade propolis traps. I also try a smokeless smoker alongside my regular smoker and share my first impressions. One day's testing is a start, so I'll keep using it before giving a final verdict.
Then I break my own rule and inspect a nuc to demonstrate what its weight looks like in bees, brood and stores. That was the plan, anyway. The bees had other ideas.
PLEASE DON'T COPY THE LATE-SEASON INSPECTION SIMPLY FOR A LOOK.
I'm opening this colony for a demonstration so you don't have to. The weights discussed relate to the nuc and weighing setup shown in the video. They aren't a universal target for every hive type. Follow the current product label and local rules for any varroa treatment.
CHAPTERS
00:00 A winter prep day that doesn't go to plan
00:25 The jobs in the apiary
01:08 Trying a smokeless smoker
02:33 Making homemade propolis screens
06:04 Fitting the screens without blocking feeder access
09:07 Removing treatment strips and checking stores
11:35 Resisting the urge to pull frames
14:36 Wasps, an owl box and a few distractions
17:46 Why I'm breaking my own rule
18:51 Weighing a nuc and learning to heft
21:56 An unexpected discovery inside the colony
24:21 Propolis traps and an uncertain winter
26:37 Smokeless smoker first impressions and final thoughts
How do you check your colonies' stores? Do you trust your hands when hefting, or use scales? Let me know in the comments.
Subscribe to Black Mountain Honey for practical beekeeping videos and the bits that don't go to plan.
#Beekeeping #WinterBeekeeping #BlackMountainHoney