Not That Bryan

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....

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...