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Can't remember what book I read it in (probably Beekeeping For dummies) but the author was trying to the calm newbies and keep them from doing the inspecting every other day thing and simply said with a bit of observation you can tell an immense amount about the health of your hives just by keeping an eye on what's going on outside them.
That said I have to admit I'm a bit lazy. I haven't done a full breakdown in a month. I only check the topmost super to see how their drawing out the comb and judging when I'll need to put another on. I may take a peek down into the lower super from above. Frames drawn out and covered with active bees? Yup. Close it up.
I do however, spend an inordinate amount of time watching the activity on the front porch and Ive noticed what seems to be a pattern.
Most days besides the endless comings and goings there'll be between 30 and 40 young bees ( I am assuming they're young as they are noticeably smaller than the foragers) out doing their sweeping thing. Then one day, like today, there will a hundred or more cleaning the porch, cleaning up the front of the hive, cleaning down the legs of the hive stand and a whole bunch out taking their orientation flights. After a couple days it's back to normal. I take this as a sign the Queen is doing her thing pretty well and and all is functioning smoothly deep inside. Am I crazy or what?
I marked this on the calender to see how this corresponds to a bee's life cycle.
Just wondering.:s
That said I have to admit I'm a bit lazy. I haven't done a full breakdown in a month. I only check the topmost super to see how their drawing out the comb and judging when I'll need to put another on. I may take a peek down into the lower super from above. Frames drawn out and covered with active bees? Yup. Close it up.
I do however, spend an inordinate amount of time watching the activity on the front porch and Ive noticed what seems to be a pattern.
Most days besides the endless comings and goings there'll be between 30 and 40 young bees ( I am assuming they're young as they are noticeably smaller than the foragers) out doing their sweeping thing. Then one day, like today, there will a hundred or more cleaning the porch, cleaning up the front of the hive, cleaning down the legs of the hive stand and a whole bunch out taking their orientation flights. After a couple days it's back to normal. I take this as a sign the Queen is doing her thing pretty well and and all is functioning smoothly deep inside. Am I crazy or what?
I marked this on the calender to see how this corresponds to a bee's life cycle.
Just wondering.:s