Not That Bryan

I Opened My Strongest Hive… What I Found Wasn’t What I Expected There is something about opening a hive after a stretch of warm weather. You expect progress. More honey. More activity. Everything moving forward. This hive had been doing exactly that. Strong colony. Good conditions. Plenty of reason to expect a straightforward inspection. But once the frames started coming out, a few details stood out that were worth a closer look. Watch This Full Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about inspecting a strong hive and checking honey stores For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Warm Weather Changes Everything A few warm days can shift a hive quickly. Nectar flow improves. Foragers increase activity. Honey starts building faster than expected. This is when inspections become important, not because something is wrong, but because things are moving quickly. Reading Honey Frames Properly The first thing t...

I Opened My Grumpy Hive With a Torn Suit… Then Found THIS Some inspections start with confidence. This one started with a problem. A tear in the bee suit. Right under the arm. And the hive I was about to open? The one that’s always a little more… alert than the others. Not ideal timing. But sometimes you just get on with it and see what the hive has to say. Watch This POV Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about POV hive inspections and reading brood patterns For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why This Hive Has a Reputation Every beekeeper has one. The hive that keeps you on your toes. Not necessarily aggressive, but definitely more reactive, more alert, and quicker to respond to disturbance. This is that hive. When Conditions Add Pressure Normally, you rely on your gear to give you confidence. With a tear in the suit, that confidence changes. You move slower. You think more carefully. You pa...

I Tried to Feed This Hive… They Had Other Ideas On paper, this was meant to be simple. Lift the lid. Top up the feeder. Close it back up. Easy job. But the bees clearly had a different plan. From the moment the lid came off, they were right there. Curious, alert, and just a little bit grumpy about the whole situation. Watch This POV Hive Feeding ';"> ▶ See this video about feeding a hive and working through defensive bee behaviour For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Feeding Matters at This Stage Feeding is not always about boosting production. Sometimes it is about helping a hive build enough reserves to get through tougher conditions ahead. In this case, the goal is simple. Build stores before winter and give the colony a buffer when natural flow slows down. The Setup Is Simple This is not a complicated system. A feeding frame sits inside the hive and is filled with sugar syrup. The mix here i...

POV Beehive Inspection – Checking Honey and Supporting a Weak Nuc What does a real hive inspection actually look like? Not a polished version. Not a highlight reel. Just the moment to moment decisions that happen when the hive is open. This inspection day has a clear purpose. Check honey stores, assess hive health, and find the right resources to support a struggling nuc. Watch This POV Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about POV beehive inspections and supporting a weak nucleus hive For more content beyond beekeeping, including leadership and real world thinking: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why POV Filming Changes Everything Using a visor mounted camera gives a true beekeeper perspective. You see exactly what is happening as decisions are made. This includes: Frame selection Hive reactions Small adjustments during the inspection It removes the gap between explanation and reality. What This Inspection Is Trying to Achie...

When to Feed Bees – Why I Only Feed One Hive and Leave the Others Alone Should you feed all your hives? Or just one? This is one of those decisions in beekeeping that is less about rules and more about understanding your colonies. In this case, the choice is simple and deliberate. Feed one hive. Leave the rest alone. Watch Why I Feed Just One Hive ';"> ▶ See this video about why feeding one hive can strengthen your entire apiary For more content beyond beekeeping, including leadership and real world thinking: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Not All Hives Need Feeding Each hive is at a different stage. Some are strong and self sufficient. Some are stable but not growing quickly. Others may need support. Feeding every hive the same way ignores these differences. Targeted feeding is more effective. The Idea Behind a Buffer Hive This approach turns one hive into a resource. Instead of harvesting from it, the focus is on build...