a) What to look for when opening a hive.

b) Swarm control and management.

c) Splits and nucs.

d) Comb Honey production

e) IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

What to look for when opening a hive.

Al Horton discusses hive equipment and the procedure for opening a hive. Details about what to look for are put to good use later that afternoon during the hive openings.

Swarm prevention and collection.

Gus opens his workshop with swarm discussions and answers questions about how to decrease the probability of a swarm. Gus also had some interesting stories about a skep hive (center) and the use of his bee vacuum used to retrieve swarms from hard to get places.

Rick and Gus during the morning break.

Gus and his first group - so many questions to answer...

Comb honey production.

Rick discusses his secrets and tips on how to product the perfect Ross Round. There are many points to watch for to produce the completely sealed round ready for the market.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Alden starts with a few tips on working the bee yard - one of his favorites is to use the bees wax and olive oil bar on his hands before working the bees - it gives them a sense of familiar sent.

Alden gives the crowd tips on Veroa mite control using drone comb, discussed the screen bottom board and shares his secrets on treating the hive with grease patties (or oil soaked paper napkins in this this case).

The screen bottom board would normally have the 1/8 inch screen stapled down. A most interesting trick Alden told his group about is the 1/2 inch wire folded and inserted in the entrance (shown here without the hive body on top). The 1/2 inch screen when folded is small enough as to provide an effective mouse guard in winter. An added bonus is that robbing bees that would normally fly in past the guard bees will not enter because the don't attempt to negotiate a direct flight in with the wire in their way.

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