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Routine Hive Inspection

• Only inspect when you have a reason
• Not for idle curiosity
• Plan ahead
• Have a definite aim in mind.
• Make a list of the tools you will need
• Make a list of hive parts you need
• Make a list of anything else you need
• Collect together all you need:
• Anything extra from the list above
• Bee suit, hat and sweat band
• Boots, gloves and disposable gloves
• Smoker and fuel and lighter
• Hive tool
• Waste tub
• Tub of washing soda solution
• Note book and ball point/pencil
• Mobile phone
• First aid kit with anti-histamine tablets
• Water - to swallow tablet?

• Light the smoker
• Put on your beesuit etc.
• Put phone in your bee suit pocket

• Approach from behind or the side
• That way the guard bees don't see you.
• Are the bees active?
• Are they bringing back pollen?
• Pollen is a sign they need protein for the brood.
• Is their Asian Hornet hawking?
• Are there many dead or dying bees outside the hive?
• Suspect insecticides.
• Are their new stains on the front of the hive?
• This is a sign of possible Nosema
• Is there fighting on the landing board?
• Could be a sign of robbing.
• Restrict hive entrance.
• Ask yourself why there is robbing.
• Have you recently fed them at the wrong time of day?
• Is the colony weak? Why?

• Puff smoke a couple of times into hive entrance.
• Stand behind or to one side of the hive.
• If frames are warm way stand behind the hive
• If frames are cold way stand to side of hive
• In warm way frames parallel with entrance.
• It is said to make the hive warmer.
• In cold way frames run front to back.
• Said to make hive colder as wind whistles through.
• Lift of the lid, invert and put on ground.
• Sniff in the hive - smell good?
• Listen are they active or angry?
• If sound level rises they are angry.
• Best to withdraw and come back later.
• Lift up crown board
• Shake any bees into the hive.
• Invert crown board and put on roof on ground.
• Best to put crown board at angle so it is on the roof not in it.

• Remove spacer board from end of super
• Place this on the roof you removed.
• Ease the first frame away from the other frames.
• Lift it out and look at the bees.
• Looking for Deformed Wing Virus
• Appears as shrivelled wings.
• Looking for Chronic Bee Paralysis
• Appears as black hairless bees.
• Shake off the bees
• Short, sharp shake over the hive.
• Is there any brood present?
• If there is the queen is in the super!
• Are there food stores?
• Is there room for more stores?
• If not then add a super.
• Repeat this for several of the frames.
• There is no need to check all frames
• Remove the super and place on the crown board you previously removed.

• Lift of the Queen excluder.
• Shake the bees onto the top of the frames
• Remove the first frame
• Check the bees as above.
• Inspect the brood.
• Are their eggs in any cells?
• If there are eggs then there is probably a laying queen
• Are there more than one in any cells?
• Many eggs near top of cell suggests laying workers.
• Two or three eggs at base of cell suggests a new queen.
• Are there brood cells with sunken, greasy cappings?



• Suspect American Foul Brood
• You must contact your bee inspector.
• Are there uncapped larvae with no segmentation?



• Suspect European Foul Brood
• You must contact your bee inspector.
• Are there larvae which are hard chalky pellets?



• Suspect Chalkbrood
• Are there larval remains which are yellow to dark brown?



• Suspect Sacbrood
• Look for the queen
• If she is not marked then mark her.
• Are there any queen cells present?
• If they are in the centre of a frame suspect "supersedure".
• If they are at the edge of a frame suspect swarm preparation.