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Shared May 14, 2026
Join me at ForestBeehive apiary in central Maine as I inspect one of my purebred Russian (Primorsky) winter survivor honey bee colonies in a horizontal Layens hive during spring buildup.
In this video I talk about:
• Russian bees and their adaptation to varroa mites
• Why “swarmy” behavior is normal honey bee reproduction on a colony level
• Early spring brood expansion and swarm control
• Long hive or Layens horizontal hive management and inspections starting from the follower-board (divider board)
• Rounded brood nests (as opposed to elongated oval ones) in deep horizontal Layens frames
• Red maple and dandelion pollen flows in Maine
• Gentle no-smoke essential oil vaporizer beekeeping
• Why strong Russian queens can build colonies extremely fast
This colony is a 2025 winter survivor, and I’m checking brood development and available space to stay ahead of congestion before swarm season accelerates.
My bees are treatment-free and winter entirely on their own honey here in a secluded woodland apiary in central Maine.
#RussianBees #LayensHive #TreatmentFree #HoneyBees #SwarmControl #HorizontalHive #NaturalBeekeeping #Primors #BeeKeepingLife #HoneyBee #Apiary #horchoff #sharashkin #drleo
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