Not That Bryan

Wasps Took Over This Hive… But What I Found Inside Was Worse Sometimes you know something is wrong before you even open the hive. This was one of those moments. Wasps moving in and out like they owned the place. No hesitation. No resistance. That’s never a good sign. Watch This Nuc Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about wasp pressure on a weak nuc hive and what to look for inside For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Wasps Are a Red Flag Wasps don’t waste energy on strong hives. They look for weakness. Once they find it, they keep coming back. This hive had clearly been targeted. What You Can Tell From the Entrance At first glance, the hive looks active. Bees are moving. Wasps are moving. But activity does not always mean strength. It can mean pressure. The Big Question Before Opening There are a few possibilities. The hive has lost its queen The colony is too small to defend itsel...

What Bees Taught Me About Teamwork… (It’s Not What You Think) Every now and then, the bees teach you something you weren’t expecting. Not about honey. Not about inspections. Something bigger. Watch This Baby Hive Update ';"> ▶ See this video about how a new hive forms and how bees work together instinctively For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward How This Baby Hive Started This colony didn’t come from one hive. It came from three. Nurse bees, eggs, and honey were brought together to give this small nucleus hive a chance to grow. Different sources. Different roles. One outcome. What You Expect to Happen If humans were put into the same situation, it would probably look very different. There would be competition. Disagreement. Maybe even conflict. But that’s not what happens here. What Actually Happens Instead The moment these bees come together, they start working. Some care for eggs and larvae ...

Why Your Smoker Keeps Going Out… (And How to Fix It Properly) Lighting a smoker sounds simple… until it isn’t. You get it going, it looks fine, you walk over to the hive… and suddenly it’s out. That’s one of the most frustrating parts of learning beekeeping. And it usually comes down to a few small details. Watch How I Light My Smoker ';"> ▶ See this video about lighting a smoker that stays lit during hive inspections For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why a Good Smoker Matters A working smoker changes everything. It helps keep bees calm, reduces defensive behaviour, and allows you to inspect the hive safely and efficiently. When your smoker goes out mid inspection, things get harder very quickly. The Biggest Reason Smokers Fail Most smoker problems are not about the smoker itself. They come down to three things: Fuel that is not dry enough Poor airflow Rushing the setup Fix those, and most pr...

How I Prepare My Beehives for Winter (Most Hives Fail Without This) Winter is where a lot of hives are lost. Not because something suddenly goes wrong… but because preparation wasn’t done early enough. This is where small decisions make a big difference. For me, it comes down to two things. Food… and temperature. Watch How I Prepare My Hives for Winter ';"> ▶ See this video about feeding bees and insulating hives for winter survival For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why Winter Is the Hardest Season Once temperatures drop, everything changes. Nectar flow slows or stops completely. Bees rely entirely on what they have already stored. If reserves are not strong enough, the colony will not make it through to spring. The Two Things That Matter Most There are many parts to beekeeping, but winter survival comes down to two fundamentals. Enough stored food Stable internal temperature If both are manag...

This Hive Was NOT Happy With Me… But What I Found Matters You know within seconds how an inspection is going to go. This one didn’t take long. A couple of guard bees straight to the face, persistent, focused, and very clear about one thing. I’d pushed my luck for the day. Fair enough… I had already been through a few hives that morning. Watch This POV Hive Inspection ';"> ▶ See this video about handling a defensive hive and checking brood and honey levels For more content beyond beekeeping: https://linktr.ee/thelongwayforward Why This Hive Was On Edge Timing matters. This was the third hive of the morning, and bees notice disruption. Guard bees were already alert, and this colony made it clear it was paying attention from the start. Not aggressive, but definitely not relaxed. The Purpose of This Inspection This hive has recently given up brood and honey to support a new nucleus colony. That kind of split changes the internal balance....

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...

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...

How to Check Queen Cells in a New Nucleus Hive Inspecting a newly split nucleus hive can feel intense because the colony is still fragile, unfinished and dependent on one critical outcome. The bees need to raise a queen successfully. If they manage that, the hive has a future. If they fail, the colony may slowly weaken unless the beekeeper steps in at the right time. If you are beginning to learn beekeeping , checking queen cells in a new nuc is one of those moments where patience, gentle handling and careful observation matter more than rushing for answers. Why This Baby Hive Inspection Matters When a hive is split, a new colony is created from part of an existing hive. That new colony may not have a laying queen yet. Instead, it may need to raise one from suitable eggs or young larvae. That makes the first inspections after a split especially important because they help confirm whether the nuc is moving in the right direction. In a small five frame hive...