Using your hive tool
The hive tool is the Swiss Army knife of the bee world. You can use it to open your hive, remove frames, clean off propolis or even
remove a bee sting. The two most common uses for a hive tool are opening the hive, which the bees seal from the inside with
propolis and freeing a frame for inspection. The Beehaus has a specially designed space between all of the parts that the hive tool
fits into.
Using the curved end to lift a
frame can damage the frame.
Separate the frames by levering
apart with the tool.
Step 5 - Removing a frameHow to open your Beehaus
Slide the flat end of the tool between the cover board and the brood
box. Slowly push down on the tool to lever the cover board up.
How to mix the liquid smoke
Using your liquid smoker
Bees react to the smell of smoke by filling up on honey in preparation for evacuating the hive. A useful side effect is that because
they are so full they become quite docile and calm. You normally give a couple of short sprays at the entrance and through the
mesh floor a couple of minutes before opening the Beehaus to give them a chance to eat some honey.
The liquid smoke arrives in concentrate form and needs to be diluted. The dilution ratio is 1 part smoke 20 parts water. For
example you can mix 30ml of concentrate with 600ml of water.
Pour 30ml of concentrated liquid smoke into the spraying bottle. Fill up to the 600ml mark with cold tap water.
How to setup a feeder
Remove the bee escape from the clearer board. Put the clearer
board on top of the brood box in place of a cover board.
Put an empty super on top of the clearer board.
Place the feeder inside the empty super.
A colony of bees needs 20-30Kg of stored honey to see them through the winter. Some years, the weather might be bad and
they won’t have collected enough stores. Alternatively, you might have taken more honey and have to make up the difference
by feeding them. You can do this by giving your bees the missing amount either in sugar syrup or fondant. The clearer board
can be used to provide an opening for the bees to access the food.
Feeding your bees
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