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I've heard it said that when a hive is smoked it, "sets the bees back for 2-3 days" however we are in the middle of our nectar flow (at least I hope we still have a few weeks left of it) and I have had a couple of hives I checked on starting swarm cells. So far I've been able to split 2 super crowded hives and the hives are still drawing out much needed comb but I keep wondering if I am damaging my chances of a good crop by checking on them every week. I know if I don't watch their population and space they will swarm because of the amt of brood, the amt of honey they are jamming in the brood chamber and the flow. I had one hive with the top deep full of honey and zero room for the queen to lay. Luckily she still had some room in the bottom but I extracted four frames and returned them to the center of the top box. I can't bottle this honey because I had been feeding earlier in the Spring and I can;t be 100% sure the honey is not from sugar water. I will at least be able to feed my splits with it after the flow so it is not a concern. Keeping the hives producing is my main concern so do I smoke/check regularly or what?
Thanks-Howard
Hampstead, NC
Thanks-Howard
Hampstead, NC