Are you still inspecting? November?

[drdrday]

I've been really surprised over the last few weeks by how many keepers are still inspecting their hives.
I haven't inspected any of my hives since the very end of August. I haven't even opened any of the hives since then, except for very very briefly taking out the Apivar strips last week. I certainly didn't hang around to inspect any frames.

I know that timings vary across the country (let alone the rest of the world!), but I'm in the south of the UK where weather is generally warmer for longer.
For me the day job tends to sway my timings, so that the last of the honey has to be off and extracted before the new school year starts. Without this my timings might be a couple of weeks later, but as soon as the honey is off, any varroa treatments go in, and the hives are left sealed with all that lovely propolis to look after themselves.
I don't see any benefit in inspecting beyond the end of the summer. I'm far more likely to cause an issue, such as losing a queen, than having any chance at that point in the season to be able to fix any problems.

My only concern at this point in the year is that the hives have a good enough weight, and I don't need to go 'in' to find that out. Am I being misguided??

 

[pargyle]

Too late to be doing inspections ... what can you achieve apart from disturbing the hive winter preps which are now well underway and in some areas complete ! I also know people who are still poking around in their hives - misguided curiosity I assume ?

 

[JamezF]

I haven't opened my hives since around the same time. Irritatingly, in one case, as I meant to nadir a super with some frames of honey that had crystallised in the comb, but forgot. I vaped the colonies through a hole in the floor, so they didn't even have to be opened up for that.

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

I last did a few inspections three weeks ago might be two, temp was 18c I had reasons, imo if there is a good reason and the weather permits then what is the problem.
Inspections were briefly done no messing about.

 

[Eyeman]

Will be going in to remove the Apivar strips next week. I’ve always done the full 10 week treatment so they went in at the beginning of September when the supers came off. Will be doing the OAV at the same time as the hole is in the deep side of my reversible crown board.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No...not been in since end of August
If there is a good reason then you should.
I have one colony that's light which now has fondant on top. I suspect they are light because they are dwindling with a failed queen poorly mated but It's only a guess. I'm leaving them to it

 

[The Poot]

I also stopped inspecting towards the end of August and removed the final super on 9th September.
All colonies were queen right and ivy pollen by then, was noticeable going in, so the bees have been left to themselves.
Beekeeping duties have been feeding, vaping and wasp control only, since then, nothing intrusive.

 

[SWEET]

Plenty of folk stop inspections in April ha ha - depends on what you're doing, but for standard hobby beekeeping prob when the supers came off start of August.

 

[enrico]

If there is a reason to inspect at any time of the year then do do. If not then don't. There is a difference between inspecting for a reason and inspecting just in case something is wrong. The latter is not necessary

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Apart from the DASH audit That was sprung on me late September I've opened very few hives since the end of July.
There seems to be an obsession on the dark side with clattering away in the hives, at least weekly until the first frosts!

 

[Garry R]

If there is a reason to inspect at any time of the year then do do. If not then don't. There is a difference between inspecting for a reason and inspecting just in case something is wrong. The latter is not necessary

I think that I VERY occasionally have a peek under the crownboard to check fondant stocks and cluster size if I think it is much smaller than I was expecting. On colony size there really is not a lot you can do in mid-winter. Hold tight and wait until spring. Fondant - if the pack is empty give them more and I don't mean a silly half pound in a tub fed through a hole in the crown board. Take off the crown board. Place a 2inch eke on the brood box and put a couple of 1kg packs of fondant flattened on the frames the cluster is covering. That way you guarantee they will get it. Crownboard back on, a slab of insulation on top of it and they will be fine. Then a very occasional peek thereafter. You will have done your best by them.

 

[Murox]

Well this year and it can vary if I have any heather to deal with, I took off the last honey at the end of August, made a final inspection for queen-rightness and put in Apivar for 10 weeks. When I removed it I assessed stores and fed accordingly via an adapted tall sided crown board with a hole in it, and with insulation above. I shan't be cracking any boxes probably until late March or April next year (weather dependant). Hefting and feeding as needed.

 

[Moobee]

Too late to be doing inspections ... what can you achieve apart from disturbing the hive winter preps which are now well underway and in some areas complete ! I also know people who are still poking around in their hives - misguided curiosity I assume ?

I’ve only been checking for fondant stores as they’re burning through it with all this mild weather.
Had good reason to check a hive today. All others flying (14 degrees here), this one dead quiet. Believe they’ve been decimated by some sort of rodent predation as piles of eviscerated dead bees behind the hive which I suspected was the case a few weeks ago so they’ve had a mouseguard on since then (I don’t usually need them at home).
Feraing the worst, I opened up to find the queen, a small cluster of bees, a little patch of brood but loads of stores, so not robbed out. Not many dead bees on the floor, no sign of varroa or other disease. Have moved them to one side of a 2x3 nuc with stores and added a small block of candipoline in the feeder to see if that helps. Not overly hopeful of their chances.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Looking at responses above I could be guilty of over-inspection and messing them about.

Inspections about once every 2 weeks since end August. My last inspection of the year was 2 weeks ago, mid-October. That was just a heft of their super and 2-3 frames in the BB. (brood and a half)
Since end of August with all the supers off I have;

Swapped in and out Apiguard treatments.​

Taken brood frames from 3 colonies to boost a 5 frame nuc with a bought-in queen to a full BB.​

Checked a late supercedure and found laying queen.​

Checked the same colony and found same queen had failed and QCs.​

United this colony with another and distributed the brood frames to other colonies that were dummied down with insulation. Gave super to boosted colony above.​

So to 'sort out' 2 colonies I've disturbed the other 4. And if I'd done just the Apiguard treatment;

The bought-in queen would have overwintered in the nuc, (probably successfully).​

I'd have discovered the late failed supercedure next April.​

But where's the fun in that.

My overwinter survival rate has been good. (apart from last year when I messed about buying queens in September)

. .. . Ben

 

[pargyle]

I last did a few inspections three weeks ago might be two, temp was 18c I had reasons, imo if there is a good reason and the weather permits then what is the problem.
Inspections were briefly done no messing about.

So what's a good reason at this time of year and what can you do about anything you found ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

So what's a good reason at this time of year and what can you do about anything you found ?

Well three weeks ago I could of put a mated queen in a colony even United colony’s, the ivy flow has been ok up here, this exact time of year so like this week nowt!
We are in November - all-though these last few mild autumns a lot of my bees have been pretty active even in December, I’ve seen gorse and late ivy pollen,mahonia being foraged on in December

 

[Curly green finger's]

Apart from the DASH audit That was sprung on me late September I've opened very few hives since the end of July.
There seems to be an obsession on the dark side with clattering away in the hives, at least weekly until the first frosts!

No there’s not fgs - dark side sounds like luke sky walker is going to walk out the entrance of a hive saying “let there bee force with you “ waving a hive tool

 

[JamezF]

luke sky walker is going to walk out the entrance of a hive saying “let there bee force with you “ waving a hive tool

You have to say "wommmm" at the same time.

James

 

[pargyle]

Well three weeks ago I could of put a mated queen in a colony even United colony’s, the ivy flow has been ok up here, this exact time of year so like this week nowt!
We are in November - all-though these last few mild autumns a lot of my bees have been pretty active even in December, I’ve seen gorse and late ivy pollen,mahonia being foraged on in December

So ...bit late for uniting prior to winter ? Bit late for requeening ? I'm just a hobbyist but if these things were necessary this late then IMHO they were necessary much earlier ? No matter how mild it is the bees are getting sorted for winter and fiddling of this sort is just unnecessary disturbance ..

Let's not encourage those with less experience than you to indulge in antics of this sort ...