1st Hive Inspection Of 2020, Frame By Frame

First hive inspection of 2020, frame by frame. Learn how my bees did overwinter and what I look for while making inspections. Also hear my thoughts on mite treatments, aggressive behavior and making splits.
This Weeks Q&A: / 35912497
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[@timlewis9873]

Nice looking hjve Jason.

[@nurseratchet89]

You won't belive this our hives are very docile calm and abundant! The bees actually follow us around the yard. I am also in Ohio

[@nurseratchet89]

Our bees are mutts not pedigreed, I took them off of a hickory tree in our yard last fall when they swarmed.

[@JCsBees]

I think most all bees are mutt anymore to be honest. Nice job though!

[@trichard5106]

Thanks !!

[@jeffsea6490]

Excellent Bees and your smooth beekeeping frame examination was impressive ! 👍

[@beckieeldred5816]

Your the best

[@gary5172]

only 6 stings with such a strong, large hive-nice to have a hive that will defend their colony. Excellent Queen.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

I think we have to accept that survivor bees are a little more feisty and put up with a few stings for the sake of bees that can look after themselves. Good to see healthy hives.

[@JCsBees]

I checked my queen-less cell starter yesterday. Usually after they go queen-less their attitude changes but not with these bees, they were still very pissy. Took another sting. lol

[@hockinghillshoneyfarm9273]

Looking good

[@linr7342]

Sharing! Thanks, our bees do not like cold weather. We never re-queen we love our strong bees. Never lost one in the winter or to robbers. Also better on keeping mite numbers down. We still do our counts always. We change ourselves not our bees. Triple layer vent suits are wonderful :)

[@HothamsApiary]

Hi Jason. I think it's awesome seeing how different beekeepers deal with the same problems. I'm beekeeping in Germany and have also started a channel to share my experiences. That is a super strong colony. Have fun beekeeping

[@Digger927]

Looking good Jason, I think I saw the queen at about 10:33 on the first side of that frame a bit over halfway down headed towards the bottom of the frame. I don't worry about aggressive bees unless they are head hunting before I even step foot into the bee yard. Most of the time if they are doing that then they have some issue anyway. They also start getting pissy when the colonies get big and they start thinking about making queen cells to swarm.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks Brent, I am pretty impressed with all the hive this year. I figure right when it's time to make splits the cows will start calving and screw up my plans completely. Isn't that how it works for you? lol I did figure the queen-less cell starter I made up when I made this video would calm down after a few days but when I peeked in 2 days ago they were still very pissy. Took 2 more stings to forearms. lol

[@SergeantMajorH]

Nice video. I've already split 3 hives into 2 new hives, 2 x 5 frames nucs, and 4 x 2 frame nucs. Walkaways, all of them. I have 8 new queens as of thursday - saturday mating now. No mites, already treated. Very successful year last year & winter thanks to yours and Kaymon's videos. Now to finish making my new supers. Goal is to have 10-15 colonies going into winter 2020. I have to expand based on my health, not the apiaries' health. Essential oils work in all foods. E. Tennessee.

[@MrHoneybeeScratcher]

Hi Jason, great hive inspection!! You are right about the population, all my hives are just booming with population early March. So far, 5 of my hives swarmed and I have been able to retrieve all 5 swarms. Got in my Honey B Healthy and I'm only feeding the swarms that I caught, since my other hives are doing fine on their own.

[@charlieandpattisplace]

Thanks again for taking the time to share...I have found mine to be a little aggressive this spring too! Also, we have had a fairly mild winter...might bee on to something Jason.

[@scottpfeiffer6405]

That is the best hive tool.

[@JCsBees]

Totally agree! I have a few of them now and can't see me ever changing. It's perfect with the hive tool holder I have too.

[@goodwuns5481]

@@JCsBees I love that hive tool too. Where did you get it?

[@hootervillehoneybees8664]

Alot pollen huge for April

[@paulawaldrep3760]

Great tutorial! Thanks! Love strong hives! :)

[@russellkoopman3004]

Last week here in MN I did a full hive inspection and I felt I had more bees than I did this fall. But they are not as pissy as they were last fall. In about 2 weeks I'll be in the same position of deciding supers or nuc boxes. First I'll have to let the 4" of snow we got today. I have taken my 4th sting this year and each one seems to hurt less and swell less. Take care.

[@garethpattinson2099]

I had the same very mild winter and every frame covered in bees on my first inspection. Flow just starting here so will be making splits soon. My 2 nucs had to go into bigger boxes.

[@scottpierson7495]

Nice hive Jason!!! Holy cow that thing is swarm ready in couple weeks, good thing your splitting, hope the itches from stings aren’t to bad.

[@badassbees3680]

Mine are usually a lil aggressive when it's still cool, I got gentle bees normally..or they need facial recognition programming updated

[@jimmcgee8725]

Hi i’m here in Ohio also and My Bees are doing the same thing that yours is that’s pretty cool because my hives are looking exactly the way that yours is

[@iceddevil205]

Great video Jason. My hives are exploding also, and VERY aggressive too!. Going to make splits very soon, i see our weather is colder this coming week. I'll probably wait until next weekend.

[@richardkuhn8115]

Thanks for sharing Jason. You and your family have a Blessed Easter. Bee Safe!

[@JCsBees]

Thanks Richard, I hope you had a great Easter too.

[@jpthedelawarebeeman6239]

Hi Jason, I think I saw the queen on the 2nd box 4th or 5th frame towards the bottom. I didn't see a mark on her.

[@CoastalGardening]

Still getting snowy weather in Nova Scotia , first thing I noticed was you have green grass lol . Spring is in the air though , the maple buds are opening =)

[@JCsBees]

Oh yes, the grass has been greening up for a couple weeks now. Actually about to start grazing my cows very soon. I sick of feeding hay so I can't wait. lol Hopefully you see warmer weather soon.

[@fixeshousestuff9159]

My bees made it through the Northern VT winter. I am so excited. Do you not use a queen excluder for your honey super?

[@JCsBees]

Awesome! I did not have an excluder on when I broke the hive apart but did install on when I put it back together.

[@437AlBig]

So you're grafting already? Wow. I need to split some of mine, but I also want a honey crop as well. My hives are booming just like yours.

[@JCsBees]

Sure did! I grafted 30 cells then the temps dropped here. Checked them the other day and have 20 cells so far. Glad you hear yours are doing well too!

[@pacanoeist]

Good video as usual. With the hive so full of bees any estimate when you'd expect they would start building swarm cells?

[@EnergyhillsBees]

Noticed similar tetchy behaviour with a couple of my colonies too. They are generally speaking easy going. I put it down to some brood frames being dry, a knock on effect of mild winter, despite a nectar flow already here in UK. So smoking them and them eating stores to chill out while I inspect, was a dead loss! Spring honey is coming in good now though. The strongest colonies are rockin' and I will defo need to make myself some splits soon or live to regret it later. Turning into monster colonies! Already have 2nd supers on those! I have to consider neighbours with kids where I am, so 6 strikes would be a definite No No! Also my darker local variety of bees more tetchy than the gentler carniolan colonies.

[@bikesbees9392]

Hi. Good start of your season! Jason are you going to use sumac again? Thanks for all your videos! My bees are still very quiet, we have a foot of snow on the ground....

[@brentdemille8043]

I am fighting the same issue in Northern Utah. Now I can't keep up with the swarming. I thought I had it in control, not even close.

[@JCsBees]

Best of luck getting that under control.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

I had a huge loss this season. 32 down to one. Mites. The one that made it was a late split I made off a package from Barnyard bee's. Both packages dead out. I took my best large Q-cell and put her in a 5 frame nuc. Not very strong. Open mated. One Beekeeper within a mile me. Overwinter with one 5frm deep and 1 med 5frame o honey. They burned up stores and I have been feeding since Feb. Now very strong and nice. Only one sting since Feb. Never thought I would say this but I need to be stung. All this said we need to get Sting's. I was told if not I could develop an alergy. Any truth in that?? Anyone. Please let me know. Happy Easter from the Kentucky mountains USA.... Thanks J.C.Bees for being honest with us about this. 👍👍

[@russellkoopman3004]

That's what Micheal Palmer says. Studies of family members of Beek are much more likely to be allergic.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

@@russellkoopman3004 do you know where to find those studies?? Thank you. Hello from Kentucky USA

[@JCsBees]

Sorry to hear of your trouble with your packages but glad you were able to save a nuc. As far as the stings, I am not sure but it does seem like the first couple stings per year are the worst. After that the body seems to react very little. My first stings always itch a little the next day. If I avoid scratching it goes away, if I scratch it seems to make itch worse. Sorry I can not be of more help.

[@houstonsheltonbees814]

@@JCsBees Thanks J.C. for your response and good health to you and your family. Hopefully you will have a great 2020 bee season.

[@allensolomon3517]

where did you buy that hive tool?

[@JCsBees]

It's linked in my videos description.

[@HothamsApiary]

Is your queen marked? If not, I think I saw her at 9:40 on the top right of the frame crawling on capped worker brood. There is a small patch of drone brood in that corner as well.

[@jeffsea6490]

I'd suggest you shake those nurse bees through an excluder and start your cell builder asap.

[@mrniceguys.4209]

I agree 100% I have the exact same situation.. hives boomed and bees got aggressive.. make splits n they chill out for abit. Those aggressive hard working bees are the best in my opinion.. more resistant to mites amd keep robbers away

[@paulschaefer5241]

I have seen one of your videos where you showed a site that listed what plants had which color of pollen. In that it was listing the red pollen as henbit and you showed in that same video what you call dead nettle. I have seen othre videos on other channels that have shown henbit. They are in fact two differnt names for the same plant.

[@JCsBees]

You are correct to a degree. I did call it Henbit but since I have learned it's Dead Nettles that I see in the spring. There are different plants though. Here's a link explaining www.canr.msu.edu/news/purple_deadnettle_and_henbit_two_common_garden_spring_weeds

[@kevinjackson1840]

great video jason . question i was doing an inspection a chemical type smell came thru the air and bee became very aggressive. this hive is 1/2 mile from any home any guesses to the smell maybe from a plant.

[@5hivesohio]

Great video Jason! Anxiously awaiting my nuc and from the looks of it, I better go ahead and get on your mated queens list for when they will be ready.

[@paulcorso2389]

I just started bee keeping Friday brand new everything, they released the queen, but just a little coating on the frames feeding sugar water and your patty recipe, is there any thing else i should be doing?

[@bigsmile542]

How did you get so much drone brood on one frame. Was it drone foundation? Great video

[@JCsBees]

I would guess that frame was from a cut out. Not 100% sure though, I have too many frames to remember where each started. lol

[@MrHoneybeeScratcher]

The other thing I use is called Nectar Gold...hard to get though

[@JamaicaSound]

I'm in Italy, second year of beekeping and I have the exact same problem, bees bump at me constantly and won't leave me until I am about 20 or 30 meters from the hives... i'm watching tens of beekepers around the world and everyone looks like having the same problem with aggressive bees. What the hell is happening???

[@JCsBees]

I wonder if the early bee season has anything to do with it. The weather is warm enough to work bees but not provide a great nectar flow. Maybe once a good flow starts the bees will calm down. Best of luck!

[@JamaicaSound]

@@JCsBees I was thinking the same, the problem is happening to the most populated hive and the next week the main flow will start in my region, I hope this will fix the beehaviour, let's keep in touch.

[@randywashburn377]

No nectar flow most generally they will calm down

[@Villagelife_Yasser]

These bee are not much aggressive, which species are these bees.

[@JCsBees]

They are mutts.

[@rockmon7]

What's that cool hive tool? Where can I get one?

[@JCsBees]

You can find a link to hive tool in all of my video description. It's by far the best tool I have ever used.

[@frankspataro9714]

Busting at the fricking seams lol looking good we had snow a few days this week in pa but gonna try to peek into a few hives today

[@AskTheCarExperts]

Hi JC, That hive looks great! Thanks for sharing. Still waiting for my bees for the end of the month.

[@mark-wn5ek]

All my hives came thru the winter...although a couple were weak....the other hives have exploded while these two weak sisters have sat there. I've already harvested my first round of grafted queen cells, split the monster hives....full of hornets..hehe...really hateful this spring. The weak sisters got pinched and had I been able to do it a month ago, I would have. Hives reversed, split down, behavior modification evident, swarm tendency greatly reduced, feed on to draw frames....they're set to grow. Eight strong nucs were made....I give them plenty of bees and brood..they should all do well. 30 swarm traps out, hopefully we'll bring in more good genetics to the apiary this spring. The wild black bees are small, mean, propolize everything and grow like wild. They'll make twice the honey the Italians do! I'm not that far south of you in eastern Ky....30 miles from Portsmouth. You do have colder weather there...I worked into Columbus for several years, there's an obvious thermal line along about Chillicothe. Thanks for the great video.