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I have not read this entire thread, but I'll tell you my experience with gloves. (I'm the one who uses the Thisksters)
I started out like most with leather gloves.I got the thin, goatskin ones and...

I have read threads about introducing virgins many times. I am really surprised at the difficulty some post about. I must have just stumbled upon the best way to do it.

I have direct released...

I move my hives a short distance all the time. But there are a few things to know.
If it is early spring or late fall, the hive is not activly rearing brood and the hive is already light in numbers...

Here's some pics. I obviously have not used them yet, but will update this thread when I see how they are in use. Remember, these frames are meant to only allow a finisher to nurse about 15 cells...

Mind are fairly dark blue, but not super dark.

Things are getting underway in the queen rearing dept., finally.

Here's a virgin hot out of the incubator eating honey off my finger. Actually it is a bit of nectar that came off her cell cup....

Ahhh...This is a subject I have worked on to perfect. Cells to far apart invite bees making comb all over capped cells.
Put the cups close together and fill your frame, you have too many cells in a...

Morning glory..ha ha, just kidding:)

I made an apple tree plot this year, about 100' x 25'. Planted 120+ just a bit larger than whips apple trees 3' apart to let them grow and get some girth. I...

This is the one I grew.
http://www.newhopeseed.com/one_sucker_tobacco.html

So many different kinds. I know nothing about tobacco. Anyone have any thoughts about which seed to try next?

Ya Don, that's the same problem I have. I leave my strong colonies alone, other than using them for grafting larva doners. My so called 'non productive' colonies this early in the spring are just...

Heres the lid to the Jack Daniels hive. It has some weight to it and is stout! No blowing off in the wind I'm pretty sure.
made with a sub floor underlayment pannel I got at Home Depot for about...

Here's a few more pics..how to do the crackle paint job.
First, seal the box with a latex primer..2 coats and let dry well. Then go get a quality hammered finish metal spray paint and coat the...

Most of my benches are just on a concrete blocks. The ones on the 2' high saw horses are for mating nucs..nice so I am not bending over all day. The hives you see on with the Jack daniels hive are...

What ever it was my Grandpa smoked...
I grew tobacco last year, just to see if I could. Grew just like tomatoes. When it was dried it smelled just like Gramp's pipe
I don't smoke myslf-just playin...

I'm suspicious.

I think it's a trick to distract us from his swarm trapping escapades.

That truck may be small, but I bet it smells like lemon grass oil inside:)

Throw in a little scent of...

In my opinion, you'd be better off saving your nucs to raise locally mated queens and selling them. That leaves you your nucs to offset your winter losses and make your own apiary increases.
I...

Ya, that's honey in that bottle:) Everyone keeps their decoritive whisky bottles for me to fill with honey. The crown Royal bottles are really nice. I leave the last few drops of liquor in them too....

I put on a patty whether they need it or not without checking the hives. When the bees came into the bunny shed and got into the bag of corn one day early spring, I made up protein patties and...

Update: Heres the same hive as of 5-18-13. 1 1/2 months after original pic in the OP. Building nicely WITHOUT any additional feeding other than a protein patty in early spring. Remember, I live in...

Put on reading glasses under your veil. Take time to look on the frame. After a quick sweep of the bees on the frame, I don't look in any one place. Just try to observe the entire frame and you'll...

Which hive top feeder do you have? The Mann Lake one needs to be calked with silicone inside around the edges of the screen-or when it gets near empty on one side the bees can get through and drown....

I look for a frame of hatched eggs on soft new comb without cocoons. The take my razor knife and cut or tear the wax comb right down to the rite cell foundation. The foundation cells are deep enough...

So here's an example of a better fed cell. As I said, until just a few days ago there was just enough of a flow the bees wouldn't take up any of my syrup or pattys. My queens cells grafted 2 weeks...

And what a difference feeding makes. My first few grafts this year have not been the quality I had last year. They wouldn't take up syrup or my patties yet. Now they are taking it up and the cells...

My horse shoer use to call me Martha Stewart. I told him...Uh, no thanks-I'm not a fan.
So now he says "Martha Stewart aint got S*** on you'
I told him that was OK, LOL

So... I am not exactly...