I'm saying as much as possible but ideally once every three days and thats my opinion. Maybe not the large body of opinion but its mine. Until you can read one and that's certainly not in the first two years unless they have access to numerous hives of someone else's
What a load of rubbish ... tearing the hive apart every three days is so totally unecessary and destructive - every time you disturb the bees in this fashion it causes them stress - it takes days for them recover properly - is likely to actually promote swarming rather than prevent it and the stressed colony is rendered susceptible to disease. Not to mention the fact that every time you drag a frame out looking for a queen you probably stand (as a beginner) a fairly reasonable chance of squishing her by accident ...
What a load of rubbish
Frankly, from what I've seen of all your posts, your suggested beekeeping is so far off what is practical and sensible that I rather wonder whether you have ever kept bees ....
Don't you think a new beekeeper should learn how to inspect a hive without killing a queen? Should be able to do it with ease? Much better a new beekeeper stress a few bees than to let the colony die when it swarms from a varroa infestation.
maybe then you would like to see my hives? All are perfectly healthy and all but splits on three broods?
So you think a new beekeeper would be able to see varroa infestation by looking at the bees ... have you ever looked at a frame of bees to try and count varroa .... more rubbish. Better to inspect less and teach them to do a sugar roll once in a while - far less destructive than you constant fiddling with them.
More by luck than good management, I would respectfully suggest, if you carry on the way you are suggesting others should ...
I can spot a bad varroa infestation with an inspection yes can't you? Look at your bees. One of the first things my bee inspector pointed out to me
Well, you've obviously had a lot of varroa infestation to be fully competent at spotting a colony with a heavy varroa load ;.... says it all really. Anyway, I've had enough of this tonight - do what you like with your colonies but if you spout these outrageous ideas here - expect to be challenged.
Errr I had one hive in the heat of a flow that had already been treated according to advice. It was a large colony mind you. And he also congratulated me on the state of my operations. I don't kill drone brood by the way in fact I encourage it I have frames of it in each hive. And nothing I've said is outrageous it's all in your own mind because you think you know it all. You think there is a set of rules that can't be broken without the detriment of bees and your talking excrement. It's a simple thing like seeing a few bees with deformed wings. But you should know this. If you have a few bees with deformed wings it's safe to say your hives are getting ready to be treated. But then that's just a single pointer. Then there's bad infestation and grave. If I see any sign of it it's bad because my bees should be top notch. I've already treated my hives for varroa twice this year pre flow and also treated them with a general medication. My bees are booming every hive. Luck? Ok
I was presuming they had swarmed.
Whatever... I think if you had been here a few years you would find that this could not be further frin the truth...
Philip
