BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM.

Uh oh... I think I am in trouble.

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New_Bee:
Hi everyone!

I am a first year "beekeeper" and I think I have screwed up (go figure - right? lol). My girls are doing excellent as I have two medium supers, the second nearly drawn out (I am going to add a third super at the end of the week).  Here is my question, should I be able to easily remove frames for inspection right down to the bottom super?  If not, should I perform housekeeping now or wait til the end of the season?

Thanks in advance!

Robo:
Depends on your definition of "easily".  You probably won't be able to remove them with just your hands.  But you should be able to remove them with a little prying with your hive tool.

The longer you leave them alone, the worse they get.  As the wax/propolis gets older and dirtier,  it becomes much harder.

I try to make it a habit to clean frames when I remove them during inspection.  Simply scrap off any excess comb/propolis especially under the top bar tabs and on the bottom bars

New_Bee:
You mean you constantly separate brood boxes and make sure that frames aren't being "bonded" together -- being new, I wasn't sure how much "monkeying" you are supposed to do.  I have been reading everywhere and you find tons on feeding, medications, harvesting, but not too much on "housekeeping"

Robo:
I'm not saying to get excessively compulsive about it.  I just make a habit to clean a frame when I remove it.  Being I only have a few hives,  I tend to inspect them for brood, queen, general look see about once a month in the summer.  Now I don't pull out every frame, just enough to get a feel for the health of the hive.

I would say I scrape down the supers and frame rails at least once a year.

New_Bee:
Thanks for all of the info!  You are awesome!  I hope I can be as much help to someone as you have me one day.

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