First inspection, advice

[chrisg]

Hi all,
Going to do my inspection this weekend, however having read books, advice from BKA, what are the key points to look out for?

Is there any recommended texts? website links?

Advice appreciated...

Beginner
Chris

 

[Poly Hive]

Look for eggs, open brood and sealed brood.

Stores.

Space to lay in.

Lack of space use your hive tool to bruise combs to create it.

PH

 

[freethorpe bees]

I went to a brilliant lecture recently by Clive de Bruyn. He advised There are five points to look for.

1. Are there enough stores. Pollen very important as it feeds baby bees. Carbohydrates(honey)feeds larvae.
2. Is the colony queenright, ie can you see eggs/ young larvae.
3. Does the colony look healthy, check for signs of disease.
4. Queen cells present? If so you need to decide your next course of action depending on the circumstances.
5. Space. How much room has the queen got to lay and consider putting on a super.

There, I almost sound like I know what I'm doing!

Welcome to the forum.

FB

 

[biglongdarren]

is this your first inspection ever? am in no position to give advice as i know very little myself but from what i do know if it is your first ever inspection is to do it all nice and slow and take it all very cool....oh and what polyhive said above;o)

 

[snoop]

Take off mouse guards if they are still on , clear the debris from the floors, you will be surprised what stayed inside the open mesh floors if you have them , Put in a tray for a week & check for mite droppings & all of the above. Don't leave the tray in there for two long it will draw wax moth.

 

[drstitson]

"check for mite droppings"

you must have good eyesight.

many people have problems spotting adult mites. their droppings must be tiny!!!!!

 

[Skyhook]

do it all nice and slow and take it all very cool)

plus:

Be very careful not to squash any bees or roll them between the frame and the wall- they don't like it- lift the first frame vertically and carefully. Inspect this carefully, and WHEN YOU'RE SURE THE QUEEN ISN'T ON IT, put it to one side, eg propped up in the upside-down roof if you don't have a nuc box. This will give you a bit more room. Inspect each frame OVER THE BROOD BOX IN CASE THE QUEEN FALLS OFF IT. Key things are- are there eggs, larvae and brood, showing the queen is laying properly; and have they got any space, or do they need a super to stop them getting frustrated. I wouldn't worry too much about disease this time, you'll have too much else to think about. Look for that next week when you've got your head around what was going on this week.

Enjoy

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Very similar to Freethorpes list, but this from the Hooper book

1. Has the colony sufficient room?
2. Is the queen present and laying the expected quantity of eggs
3. a) (early in season) Is the colony building up in size as fast as other colonies in the apiary b) (mid season) Are there any queen cells present in the colony
4. Are there any signs of disease or abnormality
5. Has the colony sufficient stores to last until the next inspection?

If its your first inspection you will most likely be slightly overwhelmed by it all, but its important to remain calm and note what you can - it'll be your basis for the necessary comaprisons in the colonies development. Especially at this time of year count the frames with brood and with stores and pollen, try and identify the existance of eggs and grubs, and start to look out for queen cells.
Oh, and dont forget to zip up your suit!

 

[margob99]

When I did my first inspection, I remember looking at the frames while still loaded with bees, so it was incredibly hard to spot all the signs you're meant to be looking for. My mentor showed me how to give each frame a very gentle single shake while it's halfway out the box, just to free the majority of the bees off the frame, so the comb is easier to see and can be inspected more quickly and efficiently.

Hope this doesn't sound like a daft piece of advice ...

 

[greatbritishhoney]

My biggest problem as a total newbie was that everything I had learned seemed to go out of my head as soon as I opened up my own hive.
So, it pays to maybe have one of your books to hand. Maybe not right by the hive, but if you get stuck walk out of range of the bees, sit down and have a quick recap with your book, then come back and start again. Don't feel you have to rush through all in one go.
And take notes or write everything up as soon as possible after the inspection. Keeping good records will make your life much easier for your next inspection.

 

[iball]

Look for eggs, open brood and sealed brood.

Stores.

Space to lay in.

Lack of space use your hive tool to bruise combs to create it.

PH

 

[BBK]

Rather than trying to remember the condition of the hive (how many frames of stores, eggs, brood, drawn/undrawn foundation et.) I like to make a voice recording as I go through. For those with an i-phone (other phones are available ;o)) the Voice memo app is perfect. Tuck the phone in top pocket of my bee suit, talk away and transfer the info onto my paper log at my leisure.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Rather than trying to remember the condition of the hive (how many frames of stores, eggs, brood, drawn/undrawn foundation et.) I like to make a voice recording as I go through. For those with an i-phone (other phones are available ;o)) the Voice memo app is perfect. Tuck the phone in top pocket of my bee suit, talk away and transfer the info onto my paper log at my leisure.

Or a pad and pencil near by as I always finish off an inspection and then think was that 8 frames of brood and 6 of stores or the other way round ??

 

[snoop]

Mites dropped through the open mesh floor on to the tray is what I meant

 

[Gardenbees]

GreatBritishHoney is right about forgetting the textbooks when you're actually faced with a buzzing hive full of your own bees and you're trying to remember everything By far the best thing to take with you if you're inexperienced is an experienced beekeeper! They are more likely to remember stuff as they won't be phased or distracted by the busy confusion of all the bees and their different stages. They are less likely to worry about "red herrings" such as bits-of-comb-that-look-a-bit-like-queen-cells. Plus, if the bees get annoyed (and even great bees can have off days) then a bit of calm help with replacing boxes, lids etc. is always reassuring. It can make the difference between a nerve-wracking experience and an interesting and rewarding one - and the difference between a minor mess and a complete nightmare if anything does actually go wrong!

 

[Poly Hive]

I am for hire....

£150 per hour.... lol

PH