Every time I go into the hive, I manage to squash bees. I just had to check my hives because I'm going to be out of town (at a beekeeping course) starting tomorrow through Sunday and I wanted to see if I needed to add a super before leaving.
When I opened the hive I was greeted by the smashed carcasses of two bees I must have killed last time I opened the hive and put it back together.
Inevitably when I put the hive back together I smash a bee or two or this time about five. The worst case was when the hive was back together one little bee was caught by the leg between the hive body and the medium super above it. She was on the front of the hive and I was working from the back and didn't see her.
Two of her friends were trying to help her or give her last rites or something. I lifted up the super to free her and she fell down to the hive stand.
Horrors! I don't like this aspect of beekeeping. I do have a bee brush but can't seem to find all of the bees to get them out of the way.
Any help or advice about how not to murder my bees?
Linda T in Atlanta