Education needs a lifetime.
Not Feeding.
I changed last year to not feeding. Some hives needed food combs. To much rain, no main flow, the bees genetics showed they were bred for big brood areas so they did not reduce brood amount.
Housel Positioning.
Many opinions, no long time observations, no evidences. To me it´s like the small cell story. What is not a disadvantage maybe an advantage.
Small Entrances.
I have them all year round since 3 years. I made them even smaller in august and now in spring.
Still robbing and one let wasps in. Only screens will prevent that.
A strong hive should defend itself with small entrance.
If they do not genetics show they are bred for gentleness.
Monitoring Mite Levels.
Mentor says the same. I did no monitoring and it costs me 4 hives. Why? The mites outbred the bees and in autumn the winter bees were infested.
I could have prevented this with splitting late or imitating swarming with splitting.
You might say it´s natural selection. But the bees need more time to adapt to natural circumstances in my eyes. They need at least some years and a new local queen IMHO.
Replacing Queens Routinely.
I left it to the bees.
Bad matings because of the weather led to queen failures. This could be my timing but I had some which superseded on their own and it was the same.
One decided to supersede in winter.
The decisions the bees do are not always to their advantage.
Hive Inspections.
Please don´t be offended, David.
In a location where there are no ferals, where bees ( and the drones from open matings) have genetics which make them unable to survive and where infestation of mites and virus is high you need years until you can leave them alone.
The moment you have 2/3 survivors bred out of your managed survivors you may risk this.
The people here who do not watch what´s happening in the broodnest areas and who act when observing the first DWV bees in summer all have up to 100% losses.
2015 to 2016 I checked every week and splitted when they were the strongest and the first swarm cells seen. All survived the winter and got strong even without a brood brake.
2016 to 2017 I thought it not necessary but it was. I splitted too early because I was afraid of swarming and I let the hives become too strong. I had lost control and this cost me 3/4 of my colonies.
But this are just
my circumstances.
Education needs a lifetime.