First full inspection of the year

[Monkey]

The temperature is supposed to be in low-mid teens round here this weekend. The bees have been active from my two hives during much lower temperatures, snow apart, lately.

Do you think I could, or should, do the first proper inspection of the year now, or is it still too soon?

If it's too soon, could you please explain why? Are there specific signs I should be looking for, before I open the hive fully?

Many thanks.

 

[Angry_Mob]

I was taught that you should be able to wear a t shirt comfortably.

You could maybe do a very quick inspection but Id leave it until the weather is at least 15 degrees before doing a full inspection.

This might be a worth while read: www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=512

 

[Beefriendly]

I was taught that you should be able to wear a t shirt comfortably.

And what if you are a fat barsteward and it don,t fit comfortably?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It depends what you aim to achieve. If the bees have plenty of food and are flying well to collect pollen they are hardly likely to be running out of space this early in the year so you can leave them well alone. If you want to check stores then fine....go ahead just don't start doing silly stuff like looking for the queen and getting every frame out.
Next time you have to make sure she has room to lay

 

[madasafish]

I was taught that you should be able to wear a t shirt comfortably.

You could maybe do a very quick inspection but Id leave it until the weather is at least 15 degrees before doing a full inspection.

This might be a worth while read: www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=512

If I waited for T shirt weather (seriously) , it would be June ...

 

[Etton]

I'm going in at 12 today, with here in east Yorks a break in the rain and 13c forecast. Just a very quick look under the top coverboard to see if the fondant needs replacing and I intend to put some pollen feed in.

 

[enrico]

Your problem is that if you kill the queen at this time of the year you are stuffed. You probably wont but the possibility is always there.
You should always ask yourself why you are opening the hive and when you have done what you need to to answer the why question then close it up again. Why are you opening it this time of the year? To see if the queen is laying? If she is not then what are you going to do......if there is nothing you can do at this time of the year then why are you looking.
Having said that, sometimes curiosity wins, just be careful!!
E

 

[madasafish]

Your problem is that if you kill the queen at this time of the year you are stuffed. You probably wont but the possibility is always there.
You should always ask yourself why you are opening the hive and when you have done what you need to to answer the why question then close it up again. Why are you opening it this time of the year? To see if the queen is laying? If she is not then what are you going to do......if there is nothing you can do at this time of the year then why are you looking.
Having said that, sometimes curiosity wins, just be careful!!
E

I'll sell anyone an overwintered queen or two: problem solved..

Pity about the cold killing her in the mail...

 

[Eyeman]

Monitor the cappings on the inspection board to identify dead outs ASAP. Open them up to confirm their dead and clear bees off comb ASAP to prevent mould. Close the entrance to stop robbing and decide why they died and if you are going to reuse the comb.
I also record the number of 'lines' of cappings on the inspection board as it is a good estimate of colony size. I check them every 2 weeks at this time of year and I'm looking for a steady rise in the number of capping 'lines' at each visit- this is one of the criteria for keeping that queen.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'll sell anyone an overwintered queen or two: problem solved..

Alternatively if you do inspect early and then find a hive queenless/drone layer etc amalgamate (air freshener) with an adjacent queen-right hive. Shame to waste all those winter bees.
Had to do that with one last March. They all survived fine.

 

[BernardBlack]

Alternatively if you do inspect early and then find a hive queenless/drone layer etc amalgamate (air freshener) with an adjacent queen-right hive. Shame to waste all those winter bees.
Had to do that with one last March. They all survived fine.

So, combining a queenless/laying worker colony with another hive would work fine?

Just asking because I thought if a colony was left long enough with laying worker, they'd be vicious and couldn't do anything with them?

 

[Beefriendly]

Its a judgement call.
If you have active laying workers then I probably wouldn't combine. A lot will depend on when the queen was lost.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Its a judgement call.
If you have active laying workers then I probably wouldn't combine. A lot will depend on when the queen was lost.

And how strong the queen right colony is.
A good strong colony will be fine.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As an aside. How common are laying workers at this time of year?

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Your problem is that if you kill the queen at this time of the year you are stuffed. You probably wont but the possibility is always there.
You should always ask yourself why you are opening the hive and when you have done what you need to to answer the why question then close it up again. Why are you opening it this time of the year? To see if the queen is laying? If she is not then what are you going to do......if there is nothing you can do at this time of the year then why are you looking.
Having said that, sometimes curiosity wins, just be careful!!
E

Proper good advice this. Observe outside the hive entrance and check the varroa tray to deduce what's going on inside. It's too early for any intrusions I reckon.

 

[Teemore]

Get a copy of "At the hive entrance" by Storch and content yourself with external observations about your colony (ies). If you have an open mesh floor, examining what is dropping through it will also tell you lots about your colony.

 

[madasafish]

You do not need to open a hive to see if a queen is laying. IR thermometer aimed at CB will tell you.Or wax cappings on varroa insert

 

[Monkey]

examining what is dropping through it will also tell you lots about your colony.

Both of my hives, one much more than the other, have a straw coloured dusting beneath them. Would that be cappings, showing that they are accessing stores?

 

[Swarm]

Both of my hives, one much more than the other, have a straw coloured dusting beneath them. Would that be cappings, showing that they are accessing stores?

With fresh comb, brood cappings are biscuit coloured, a bit like a jaffa cake and stores cappings are white. If you look carefully you may be able to work out roughly how many combs are brooded by the lines of debris below.

 

[Millet]

With fresh comb, brood cappings are biscuit coloured, a bit like a jaffa cake and stores cappings are white. If you look carefully you may be able to work out roughly how many combs are brooded by the lines of debris below.

With bees i have i have noticed most of the darker brood capping's are mostly concentrated to the front of the hive at this time of the year (warm way) where as the lighter coloured store capping appear randomly around the hive.