Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Choose the middle of the morning on a bright sunny day to open the hive, when many of the bees are out seeking nectar. This way there are fewer bees in the hive to deal with and less likelihood that rogue bees from another hive will try to attack and rob your hive while it is exposed.
Always put on protective clothing first. Make sure that it is secure and that there are no gaps that bees can crawl into. Ignore this step at your own peril.
Light the smoker a little ways away from the hive and downwind of it. Make sure it is solidly lit and producing smoke. Try a few puffs so you know the smoker is in working order. It is essential equipment for managing the bees because smoke confuses the bees' alarm mechanisms. No smoke equals angry bees---not good. Keep matches and extra fuel with you in case you need to restart the smoker.
Smoke the bees while standing beside the hive. Direct the smoke straight at the bees and give them five or six puffs. If you under or over-smoke bees, they become hard to control. You want them compliant and not alarmed or reactive. That protects them from getting hurt and you from getting stung.
Open the hive carefully. Set the smoker down where you can reach it. Use the hive tool to pry up the top lid and remove it with the other hand. The tool is important because the wax and honey build-up inside the hive will make the lid hard to remove. When the top is off, smoke the bees you find there again. Two or three puffs will do it.
To break down the sections that the bees will have cemented together with wax, you can use a "super cracker." The cracker is a bent metal bar that provides leverage to break the seal the bees create at the seams of the hive sections.
When examining sections for possible repair or when removing honey, use a bee brush or a bee blower to gently push bees out of the way. Continue to apply puffs of smoke as needed to keep the bees from becoming disturbed or aggressive.
Close the hive by restoring all sections to their appropriate places in the order you removed them, constantly checking to be sure you are not injuring or squashing any bees. Use more smoke and the bee brush if necessary.