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In winter, I just put my ear to the hive and knock a time or two. They'll give a resounding buzz if they're in there.

In the US, the only time you will see hundreds of hives in one location is when a farmer has contracted with a beek for pollination services. Take almonds, for example. They do not self pollinate and must have a pollinator to make a crop. I can tell you that most commercial beeks do not...

Sometimes it's hard to judge what a colony will do during the winter, especially if it's new. I do a "heft" test in late fall. I literally lift the hive with one hand, to judge the amount of honey. Most often, I can't lift the box, which is good. I know they have plenty of stores. I'll check...

From what I understand, a lot of the commercial beeks regularly use medications. In addition to Thymol, there is Check Mite and Mite Away. There are probably a couple that I'm missing. I know some guys don't like to use chemicals, and prefer to use powdered sugar. I am no scientist, but I do...

I typically only use smoke on my crankiest hives. If they are prone to stinging, then I'll smoke. Most often, I won't bother lighting it. It takes me longer to get the dang thing going than it does to crack open the hive and do an inspection. I watch the weather, too. IF it looks nasty out, I...

Right. It would be nice if it would not automatically archive a hive after it's been combined. I'm working around that, but it is a slight pain. Other than that, I love the site. Kudos!

This is an excellent site! I use it on a regular basis. I don't know how I'd keep my notes in order, otherwise! It's well worth the minimal yearly fee!!

The bee's attitudes could change once the queen emerges and is laying. However, a bee's disposition; i.e. whether it's passive or aggressive, is determined by the queen's genetics. Sometimes, you'll have to pinch a queen with nasty genetics and introduce a queen with the desired genetics. If...

lol...wait until it's nasty out and you just HAVE to work the hives. That happened one weekend. I had to get a couple of nucs together, for a customer. A storm was coming in, but I thought I had time, since it was still pretty sunny and hot. That storm came in faster than I had anticipated. I...

Sounds about right. Sometimes, I'll get no reaction after several stings. Other times, I'll swell like a toad after just one sting. I find it helpful to take an antihistamine a half hour before I work my hives.