First Inspection of the Year

[Dusty Rhodes]

At our local BKA meeting the other day, our RBI rattled off a whole list of things to be done at the first proper inspection of the year. Unfortunately I was too slow to write any down!

What do experienced beeks do?

When do you do the first inspection?
For what do you look?
Do you 'rearrange' things - as he seemed to advise?
Does everyone change floor etc - and how do you do it?
Anything to beware of, or avoid?

Let's make this a good thread, guys. Could be a sticky if you perform well!

Dusty

 

[Chris B]

Rough guideline 1st April, but depends on the year. Started early in 2012 as March was more summer-like than what followed.

Check queenright, and if so find her and clip.
Shake out if queenless or drone layer.

Close look for signs of disease.

And all the stuff you do at most inspections.

 

[richardbees]

good question

My first inspection is when the thermometer at my apiary reads 12c or, at a pinch, 11c if the hive's in full sun.

I go through the frames until I find the Q where I slow down and assess the brood area. Then quickly go through the rest to compile an inventory of stores and checking for any signs of disease. Then close up.

 

[itma]

Two different things -
- first lid-off and some frames out check (whenever the weather warms up, so its not 'cold', maybe 12c, still and sunny) -- early warning of externally un-noticed problems and if possible, any quick fixes, like rearranging frames (empty ones to the outside)
and
- "First Inspection" (when it is officially warm enough to be opening up without really worrying about the weather) - the time for Spring Cleaning of hives.

 

[Mike a]

a basic list on top of what has already been said

check levels of stores, if colony strong and they need more space then remove a frame or two of capped stores (not pollen) or if low and required feed a small amount of 1:2 (no more than 1-2 pints) high water content useful for consuming any stores which have crystallised

check for signs of disease
check brood pattern
probably not first inspection but when applicable grab the drone uncapping fork and check varroa levels
start planning for the next few months based on colony size and strength.

 

[Finman]

-
I look, do they have enough food to continue

.

 

[Moggs]

Change floor, especially if in need of a deep clean. Change hive boxes if any in need of repair. Move old frames to outside for replacement. Tidy up any brace comb. If ample brood, check carefully for disease. Not necessarily all at first inspection of course (though disease check important ASAP).

 

[BeeJayBee]

At our local BKA meeting the other day, our RBI rattled off a whole list of things to be done at the first proper inspection of the year.

He might have been referring to this FERA leaflet "Best Practice Guideline No. 6. Spring Checks" https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=512 It's 5 pages long, but this bit might help

‘Golden Questions’
During spring inspections you need to ask the following:

• Food - Have the bees got enough honey and pollen until the next visit?
• Room - Have the bees got enough room to expand the brood nest? Do the colonies need supers put on? Will they need supers at the next visit?
• Queen - Is the colony Queen-right and headed by a young prolific Queen?
• Queen cells - Are there any? Is the colony trying to swarm? Has it swarmed?
• Health - Are there signs of pests and diseases?
• Comb Condition - Do I need to change some or all of the frames and combs?
• Spring Clean – Do I need to clean up the hive?
• Apiary - If in an overwintering apiary site do I need to move all or some of the colonies to a crop such as oil seed rape or other productive location?

 

[MuswellMetro]

He might have been referring to this FERA leaflet "Best Practice Guideline No. 6. Spring Checks" https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=512 It's 5 pages long, but this bit might help

‘Golden Questions’
During spring inspections you need to ask the following:

• Food - Have the bees got enough honey and pollen until the next visit?
• Room - Have the bees got enough room to expand the brood nest? Do the colonies need supers put on? Will they need supers at the next visit?
• Queen - Is the colony Queen-right and headed by a young prolific Queen?
• Queen cells - Are there any? Is the colony trying to swarm? Has it swarmed?
• Health - Are there signs of pests and diseases?
• Comb Condition - Do I need to change some or all of the frames and combs?
• Spring Clean – Do I need to clean up the hive?
• Apiary - If in an overwintering apiary site do I need to move all or some of the colonies to a crop such as oil seed rape or other productive location?

yep ,he is a civil servent, he would tow the line, thats what they are paid for

our RBI current preaches that you should obtain your oxalic acid from a VET under the cascade prescription process....Tows the official line...so i can see 20,000 beekeepers paying £50 vet consulation to buy oxalic dihydrate worth 10p...but that is the DEFRA official line

 

[Finman]

‘Golden Questions’
During spring inspections you need to ask the following:

• Food - Have the bees got enough honey and pollen until the next visit?
• Room - Have the bees got enough room to expand the brood nest? Do the colonies need supers put on? Will they need supers at the next visit?
• Queen cells - Are there any? Is the colony trying to swarm? Has it swarmed?

If we speank NOW about inspection, we propabley speak about inspection after winter.

- There is now expanding needs for 2 months
- there is no swarming cells for next 2 months
- pollen stores- what then?


If you check all those things, brood will catch cold.

.

 

[itma]

If we speank NOW about inspection, we propabley speak about inspection after winter.

- There is now expanding needs for 2 months
- there is no swarming cells for next 2 months
- pollen stores- what then?


If you check all those things, brood will catch cold.

.

Finman, the thing is that official advice is that one does a "First Inspection" only around the end of March or early April (UK remember) and at that time, declares Winter to be newly over, Spring started, and so one should do everything to begin the season.
Part of this orthodoxy is that one waits until it is warm enough to do everything (like moving frames into a clean hive, or at least onto a clean floor) before doing anything.

I'd rather look in earlier, deal with any immediate worries, note what needs to be done 'next time', and assess the general state of the colony, so as to decide my plans for their future.
But unless it is urgent or emergency work, I probably won't try to do anything about it until later.

The time of the official "First Inspection" isn't my first check.
I make a reconnaissance beforehand.

 

[drstitson]

Our RBI suggested that the traditional late mar/early april T-shirt inspection is too late.

A quick peek on a "warm" day in feb was suggested - not a full inspection.

A later inspection might end up having to either add supers or perform swarm prevention activity.

Remember - flowing cherry and blackthorn should be out any day now if last year is anything to go by.

 

[alanf]

‘Golden Questions’...

• Apiary - If in an overwintering apiary site do I need to move all or some of the colonies to a crop such as oil seed rape or other productive location?

That's a question that should be asked before placing them on an 'overwintering' apiary. It might be relevant to work out which colonies are fit to move, but that depends on answers to the other questions.

 

[alanf]

Our RBI suggested that the traditional late mar/early april T-shirt inspection is too late.

A quick peek on a "warm" day in feb was suggested - not a full inspection.

A later inspection might end up having to either add supers or perform swarm prevention activity.

Remember - flowing cherry and blackthorn should be out any day now if last year is anything to go by.

That's becoming the local advice, an early check late Feb or early March whenever milder weather permits is a good precaution before a "full" inspection later.

In sheltered spots there are flowering ornamental prunus already around here. Last year colonies had swarm cells before the end of March. There's a suspicion that many others were fortunate that the abrupt change in weather prevented their colonies actually swarming.

 

[m100]

Last year colonies had swarm cells before the end of March.

Last year wasn't typical by any stretch of the imagination.

OK I'm 200 miles North but If the current weather and temperatures continue I'll certainly not inspect until mid April, maybe later, that is at least seven weeks away. There is currently next to bugger all pollen about and zero nectar, hive weights are dropping and other than checking fondant levels there is no point in disturbing the bees. They have to expand the brood nest and reach foraging age before they can start backfilling with nectar. If they swarm on say five frames of brood then so be it. Let them.

 

[Mike a]

If they swarm on say five frames of brood then so be it. Let them.

Very unlikely but stranger things have happened like the glorious week of sun shine we had last year in March which caught out lots of bee keepers who didn't open their hives until mid April and wondered why they were about to swarm or in a few cases found they had already swarmed.

 

[Ely]

Our RBI suggested that the traditional late mar/early april T-shirt inspection is too late.

A quick peek on a "warm" day in feb was suggested - not a full inspection.

A later inspection might end up having to either add supers or perform swarm prevention activity.

Remember - flowing cherry and blackthorn should be out any day now if last year is anything to go by.

I had a quick 'peek' on a warm sunny day this feb to lift a few frames to check stores. They had plenty of Ivy honey to last til Spring. As long as this peek doesn't last long and is warm, lots of bees flying, I feel it can prevent many losses.

Sent from my XT615 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Cazza]

Last two years first proper inspection 19th and 21st March weather 16c!!

Ten years before that not until 18th April. All very seasonal dependant.

Cazza

 

[Graham40]

Even if your not doing a full inspection i.e. opening the crown board you should at least lift the broodbox and clean the floor.
This lets you see how much dead bees are on the floor if a huge amount and it feels light then intervention is required. I'll do that if they are flying no matter what the temperature gauge says if its warm enough to fly its good enough to open up a hive although i would never bust the nest open just manipulate the bars around them so that they are situated under the food hole and that any additional food bars are moved closer, these would be raked with a fork to get them eating their own food.
Lifting the broodbox from the floor allows you to judge where the colony is by the detritus on the floor, wax cappings.
If they are light I feed syrup in small doses don't over feed syrup or you fill up the brood nest area and they wont develop quickly enough, if heavy with food start feeding small amounts of pollen substitute, once started don't stop until there is a natural pollen flow on, no pollen no food for brood.

 

[Cazza]

Lifting the broodbox from the floor allows you to judge where the colony is by the detritus on the floor, wax cappings.

If you are on OMF then of course this isn't necessary as you can pop in an inspection tray for a day and see without disturbance at any time of the year whatever the weather.
Cazza