Not That Bryan

This Feisty Hive Didn’t Want Me There… But What I Found Inside Matters You can usually tell within seconds what kind of inspection it’s going to be. This one made it clear early. A couple of bees right up close, letting me know I wasn’t exactly welcome. Not aggressive, but definitely alert. That usually means one thing. Pay attention. Watch This Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about inspecting a defensive hive and checking brood and honey stores For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why This Hive Feels Different Some colonies are naturally more reactive. They respond faster to disturbance, move quicker across frames, and let you know they are paying attention. This hive has always had that personality. The Reason for This Inspection Recently, frames of brood and honey were removed from this hive to create a new nucleus colony. That changes the balance inside. Less brood, fewer resources, and a te...

Why I Feed My Bees Before Winter… (Most People Get This Wrong) Feeding bees can feel controversial. Some beekeepers avoid it completely. Others rely on it every season. For me, it comes down to one simple question. Will this hive have enough food to survive what’s coming? If the answer is uncertain, I step in early. Watch This Backyard Apiary Walkaround ';"> ▶ See this video about feeding bees before winter and managing a backyard apiary For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Feeding Before Winter Matters Winter changes everything for a hive. Nectar flow slows or stops completely. Foraging becomes limited. The colony relies almost entirely on stored resources. If those stores are not strong enough, survival becomes difficult. Not Every Location Is the Same Where you keep bees matters. In cooler areas with shorter summers, colonies simply have less time to build honey reserves. Even strong hives ca...

This Long Hive Started Acting Different… So I Took a Closer Look Some hives just feel different. Not necessarily bad. Not obviously good. Just… different. That’s usually enough reason to open them up and see what’s really going on inside. This one has become one of my favourite hives to work with, but it hasn’t always been that way. Watch This Long Langstroth Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about inspecting a long Langstroth hive and reading hive behaviour For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Long Langstroth Hives Feel Different This setup changes how you work with bees. Instead of lifting stacked boxes, everything runs horizontally. Frames sit side by side, making inspections smoother and less physically demanding. It creates a more controlled, relaxed way to move through the hive. This Hive Didn’t Always Perform Well When this hive was first set up, it struggled. Just a basic pine box, minimal in...

My Baby Hive Is Waking Up… But Did the New Queen Survive? This is one of the most important stages in a hive’s life. Everything up to this point has been preparation. The split, the move, the waiting. Now it all comes down to one question. Did the new queen make it? And as tempting as it is to check… this is where patience matters most. Watch This Baby Hive Update ';"> ▶ See this video about checking a nucleus hive after a queen has emerged For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward How This Baby Hive Started This colony began as a split. Frames of brood, bees, and resources were moved from a strong hive into a smaller nucleus hive. The goal was twofold. Reduce swarm pressure in the original hive and give this new colony a chance to grow. From that point on, everything depended on the bees raising a new queen. Why This Stage Is So Delicate A newly emerged queen is vulnerable. She needs time to mature, orien...

There’s a New Queen in This Hive… But I’m Not Opening It (Here’s Why) This goes against instinct. You know something important has happened inside the hive. You want to confirm it. You want to see it with your own eyes. But sometimes… the best decision is to leave the lid exactly where it is. This is one of those moments. Watch This Baby Hive Update ';"> ▶ See this video about managing a new queen and when not to inspect a hive For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward What It Means When a New Queen Emerges A new queen changes everything for a hive. She is the future of the colony. Every worker bee that will exist depends on what happens in the next few days. But right now, she is at her most vulnerable. Why This Is a Critical Window After emerging, a queen needs time. She needs to move freely, orient herself, and eventually take mating flights. Only after that will she begin laying eggs. Interrupting th...