See if there's a local beekeeping club you can join. They usually have classes, mentors, and loaner extraction equipment. Don't fall for the all natural beekeeping methods that doom beginners to failure. Learn from experienced beekeepers that use traditional equipment and methods, later on...
Bees aren't aggressive they become more defensive. I think in the case of large colonies they seem more defensive. But the reality is the larger the colony the more guard bees they have to defend the healthy colony.
Honeybees for sure. The learning curve is steep, but the rewards are great. Honey, wax, propolis, royal jelly, pollen, apitherapy, mead, pollination, selling nucs/queens, and much more.
I just put about a 1/4" pitch foward on the hive. The only time you get a lot of condensation is in the winter.
Yes. You can buy queens until fall. Packages and nucs are generally early season.
There's burr, bridge, and brace comb. The wax between the frames is bridge comb so they can walk to the next hive body. They will sometimes fill it will honey, other times drone brood. Burr comb is wax that they fill areas that are larger than 3/8" or just random comb like on the inner cover...
Ants are unsightly and bother the beekeeper more than the bees. You could put some ant bait traps under cans and cups, the ants will get under them and get to the bait. When a hive dies out and ants move in new beekeepers assume the ants caused the hive to fail.
Looking at the video the ants...
Did you have a smoker lit? I would seriously look into a local beekeeping club or beekeeper that will inspect your hive with you. Or maybe allow you to watch them inspect and work a hive in their apiary. You can pour a bucket of soapy water on the ants. You'll see different color workers...
Wax moths, ants, and hive beetle damage are common when a colony gets weak and dies out. If I had to guess the hive swarmed and the new queen didnt make it back from mating flights or the original queen failed and wasn't successfully superceded. Weekly or biweekly quick checks for eggs, larva...
I ran 70 feet of insulated steel lead out from my barn, and I must be having a ground issue now. Just not getting the power for some reason. I have 3 galvanized rods 10 feet apart in damp sandy soil near the charger. I did have the charger next to the fence originally and it worked great...
Can you run a lead out wire from a ac fence charger in your barn underground to the area you want to fence in? Or does the fence charger have to be next to the start of the fence?
Shes right, you can leave them in until fall. I get a few hive beetles but not enough to put traps in the hives. The few that I do see get the hive tool treatment. It's a good idea to get into your hives every 2 to 3 weeks to check for eggs and once a month mite count.
I had screened bottom...
The more I overwinter in 3 deeps the more I like it. All my hives looked good this spring, but the 3 deep hives always look amazing. It could just be coincidence. One thing that is nice about 3 deeps is the lower box is mostly empty comb by spring and it gives you lots of splitting options...
Great, its sounds like they're doing fine. I have no idea what its like to keep bees in WV. Wasn't sure if beekeepers use 1 or 2 deeps to overwinter in W, Virginia.