Q1: Do we ever add brood frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high?
A1: We do add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we’ll boost the hives in one way or another.
Q2: How do you level hive stands?
A2: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming…
Q3: How often do we check for swarm cells?
A3: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are stronger based on our ratings as described in our Swarm Control video. We only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we have the time and we’ve found cells in them previously. We stop looking once the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed.
Q4: What temperature should you use for settling honey?
A4: 28 to 30 degrees C.
Q5: Does acetic acid work on American Foulbrood spores?
A5: No. Acetic acid will only kill nosema spores.
Q6: How do you prevent robbing between colonies within a yard?
A6: nstalling an entrance reducer when robbing starts (usually in late fall).
Q7: Is it alright to us single brood chambers for 8 frame boxes?
A7: We know people who have success managing their colonies this way, but we have no experience with this personally.