For any beekeeper, novice or experienced, opening a beehive creates in most cases some magic and is very enjoyable.
Whilst opening the hive helps the beekeeper to relax from the stress of daily modern life, it has the opposite effect on the bees.
An intrusion into the bees’ home increases their stress level and every time the hive is closed again they need hours, or sometimes days to recover. This does not help the bees’ health and productivity.
Imagine someone would come to your house and search through it, emptying wardrobes, drawers, shelfs etc. Then, take some of your belongings away and leave and let you clean up the mess.
Once you have settled in again and everything is back to normal they come again for a new search, week after week – one can only imagine that this increases everyone’s stress level.
So, how often should you open the hive?
