Testing Honey Moisture Content

Testing Honey Moisture Content
Here is the link to where I purchased the refractometer, it is pricey but very convenient:

https://www.itm.com/product/atago-pal-22s-digital-handheld-honey-refractometer?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpuC-s9Hf4wIVjpOzCh1zZwOyEAYYAiABEgKfS_D_BwE


Checking Mini Nucs and final Queen Graft

I have had a bear of a time getting the Styrofoam mating nucs going in early spring with the cool weather, cut and assembled these mini nucs so I can multi level them, they are half length medium frames.
The plan is that with brood already in them, I can split them back to single depth to get a head start on early queen rearing.
I think there are about 75 of them, the plan is to sell local queen in larger numbers than we have been, with more consistency next season.


Dealing With a Failed production Double Nuc

In this video I identify a double nuc where one queen has failed, and show/discuss how we deal with the remaining colony.

We run our double nucs through the honey season to maximize growth and honey production in our beekeeping operation. I love this method, and for the past 7 years have run 85-90% of my colonies in similar configuration, over time identifying ways to maximize growth and honey profits at the same time, while building my awareness on how these units grow and react to our climate, and location.

I would love to hear your ways of maximizing sideliner operation growth and profits at the same time!


Mother & Daughter Queen in the Same Hive

Have you ever found a hive with 2 queens in it at once?

I identified this colony about 5 weeks for queen replacement later in the season due to the age of the queen, she was still laying strong and let her live to harvest resources and brood for nucs, when I came back to harvest more brood today, I found mother and daughter on the same frame. It appears the hive went ahead and superseded the old queen, and either the were OK with ruling the hive together for a short time, or the young queen just had not yet found the old queen.

what are your thoughts or expert and amateur opinions?