What would you have done differently?

[Ben Framed]

I would have done things a little differently. What would I have done differently? One is, I would have taken the recommendation of Don The Fat Beeman (as seen in one of his videos when I first started), and melted my wax each year, acquired and used an embossing machine and rolled out my own fresh wax foundation each year.

I would have used wire in my frames instead of going foundation-less, later fishing line, skewers or plastic foundation . All four methods of which I have tried. I would have melted the fresh wax foundation into the wire instead of letting the bees draw their own foundation as in three of the four methods mentioned.

Is there anything you might have done differently in your beekeeping methods?

[Lesgold]

Wow Phillip,

That could be a thick book in my case. I wish that mistakes could be eliminated and that every decision made was correct. Errors in judgement and not understanding what the hives were telling me proved costly in the early days and continue to do so (although not to the same extent) My earliest mistake was jumping in boots and all before I knew what I was doing. I decided to scrounge timber and build 24 boxes and the bases and lids to make up 8 hives. Looked on the internet for dimensions and used non Australian sizes for the first 9 boxes. The boxes were of the correct length but 14mm wider than the standard Aussie ten framer. Wish I?d taken more time with research but it is what it is. I regret buying cheap gear at the start and in hindsight, a bit of patience would have been a smart decision. Quality gear makes the job easier but it was hard to find spare cash when you first start out. Most of my hives sit on a homemade cast concrete base. They are about 300mm off the ground. They are great for keeping pests out but are too high (especially when a hive makes it to 4 deeps in height) I run all deeps for brood and honey. At some point that decision will bite me and I will have to move to shallower honey supers. Phillip, I wish that I had gone foundationless in the brood box and kept foundation for honey supers. This would have reduced the workload in relation to making foundation and kept the bees doing what they enjoy (especially in the spring build up around swarming time)
If I was starting again, I would build a tank for wax dipping components. I just hate painting. That?s probably enough for a start.

[RayMarler]

I would have moved to an area with good bee forage and environment for bees. Constant feeding and treating makes for a not as enjoyable beekeeping experience.

[Ben Framed]

Les, Ray, thank you for your comments!

Phillip

[Bill Murray]

I am consistently changing the way I do things and experimenting, either to make it easier on me or just because it seems better for the bees. But 3 things come to mind off the top of my head: I wish I would have started running my hives all on 2 way pallets instead of singles and 4 ways. As Les stated, dipped all my wooden-ware straight out of the gate instead of painting. Also raised my own queens straight out of the gate, I guess the dipping and queens were the most costly and time consuming mistakes. Also I wish I would have did a little better/more thorough research on the varroa mite when it decimated my colonies and kept plugging along instead of quitting. I really regret that one.

[Michael Bush]

What I would have done is what I'm now doing.  I would have bought eight frame mediums instead of ten frame deeps.  I would have made simple covers instead of all the inner covers and telescopic covers.  I would have bought a bee jacket or suit sooner (I didn't know they existed until several years in).  I would have started seriously raising queens sooner.

[Bill Murray]

I would have made simple covers instead of all the inner covers and telescopic covers.

Yes thats a good one. But on a side note a couple were made into fume boards, and they make really good catch pans when full supers are stacked on them, so not a total waste.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Mr Bush, Bill. Comments like these from experienced beekeepers as yourselves, as well as the comments from previous posters, may very well be of help to the less experienced, or at least give them a different perspective. I hope we hear from others as well.

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

Mine ended up on top of my queen castles, so they weren't a total waste.  I would have bought the taller smoker, they are much easier to keep lit.  I would have bought a better hive tool than the standard one if I had known they existed.  I would have used the queen excluder to better effect if I had known how to use one and I would have used them less, especially at first with bare foundation...

[Bill Murray]

Ive had the same Brushy mountain smoker I started with (the larger one) but the bellows have been replaced multiple times. I think all generic hive tools are basically not what I want, and not practical so I made what I like. But I still have the 1st one I purchased. Also queen excluders are tricky, I failed at that also for quite a few years ( its a learning curve), now I use them all the time and wouldnt be without them.

[Terri Yaki]

Ive had the same Brushy mountain smoker I started with (the larger one) but the bellows have been replaced multiple times. I think all generic hive tools are basically not what I want, and not practical so I made what I like. But I still have the 1st one I purchased. Also queen excluders are tricky, I failed at that also for quite a few years ( its a learning curve), now I use them all the time and wouldnt be without them.

What do you find tricky about queen excluders? Help a newbee learn.    I used mine to clean brood out of a medium that I wanted to convert to a honey super and due to the way I did it, I got unexpectedly rewarded with a new queen.

[Michael Bush]

The typical newbee puts the excluder on before they put the supers on.  The supers, being a newbee, are full of undrawn foundation.  The bees ignore everything above the excluder, fill the bottom boxes and swarm.  It's much easier to get them working the supers when you have drawn comb.  It's also much easier if you have all the same size frames.  If you put drawn comb above an excluder they will likely work it.  It's even more of a sure thing if there is some brood above the excluder.  It also helps to have an entrance above and below the excluder so they don't have to go through it if they don't want to.  It also helps to have smaller bees (natural comb) as it's easier for them to get through the excluder.  It also helps to have nice smooth excluders instead of the punched ones that have sharp edges.  If you wait until bees are working the box you want above the excluder before putting it on, they will continue to use that box.

I also like bound excluders that I paint red so I can remember to get them off for winter.  If you leave an excluder on in winter in Nebraska they are pretty much doomed.  The queen will get left behind and die when the cluster moves to the other side of the excluder.

[Terri Yaki]

Thanks, MB, that is all good information for a newbee.

[jimineycricket]

Now that is something that I would have done, all wood bound queen excluders. I have put thin strips of wood around the edges of all my metal bound ones. (a pain but it works)

[Terri Yaki]

Now that is something that I would have done, all wood bound queen excluders. I have put thin strips of wood around the edges of all my metal bound ones. (a pain but it works)

And what does that do?

[jimineycricket]

     When I used the metal-bound excluders, the bees propolized them a lot, I am assuming there was not enough
space between the top of the bars and the excluder.  When I used wood-bound excluders, this did not happen.
      Of course, this might depend on whether or not your boxes have top or bottom spaces above or below your
frames.