Summer Inspections

[Poly Hive]

How long does it take you to inspect and how long would you like it to?

The commercial boys take about 2-4 minutes.

So?

 

[Markbee]

I dont think you can and should compair the big boys with us?

Like in all bussiness cases time is money, I think must of us will agree that we are not in it for the money?

But I would say that the hight of last summer when I was up to 10 hives, I was spending upto 2 hrs going through my hives / other bits and bobs so about 12 mins per hive.

But the pleasure of inspecting the hive must also be considered.

I sure I could have done it in 2 - 4 mins but that would take the fun out of it!

 

[BKF Admin]

My time was about the same as Enzyme around 10-15 minutes.

Any longer and the bees asked me to put the roof back on.

 

[doorman]

My hives are only about 25 yards from the back door and I have to pass them to feed the chickens and tend the veggies. Today the little black bees in one WBC think summer is here as there are loads flying, the other hives have a few venturing out.

 

[BKF Admin]

My hives are only about 25 yards from the back door and I have to pass them to feed the chickens and tend the veggies. Today the little black bees in one WBC think summer is here as there are loads flying, the other hives have a few venturing out.

I have a WBC hive of Italians and have not seen them for weeks.

 

[Poly Hive]

I was not doing any comparing Enzyme. However I was quoting a benchmark that the pros have.

Time in the case of a colony inspection is disturbance to the colony and the longer it takes the higher the risk, especially with beginners that the Q is either lost off a comb or crushed.

It's amazing when you are selling queens how many people call up for one when in reality they have no need of one at all. But there is no brood they cry. And? But that is another story.

Taking half an hour to plough through every comb is not good beekeeping and in fact is a waste of time.

 

[Bcrazy]

In my opinion when doing an inspection I always have a reason.
Check for brood disease
Check for queen cells
brood pattern
change frames etc

Read the records before going to do an inspection and that should tell you what needs to be done for that particular hive. Then you turn up with the extra equipment you need instead of forgetting something.
With ref to time, I feel that's down to the individual and experience of the beekeeper.
I remember when I first started it was hard for me not to be in them every day, but now I do what has to be done and try as little to disturb them.

Taking half an hour to plough through every comb is not good beekeeping and in fact is a waste of time.

No it is not.
As an instructor teaching beginners and explaining what I am doing takes at least 20-30 mins. With every frame there is something different going on and to explain whats happening takes time.
Once a member is confident then the time does come down, but to begin with time does not matter.

Regards;

 

[Poly Hive]

Bcrazy.

As an instructor... tut.

Yes in a teaching situation one has to take time. But to deliberately keep a colony open for longer than necessary is self defeating.

PH

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Polyhive

Yes I do agree with you once a person has experience then as I explained I only carry out what needs to be done. The less time the bees are disturbed the better.

Regards;

 

[iombeeman]

i can go through mine in a few minutes,it depends what your doing ie:
spring inspections take a while.
i saw a beekeeper once trying to find a queen,he spent ages looking and
in the end it turned in to battle of wills,he ended up with all the frames
out and his head IN the brood box trying to find her.
he never did,she was there alright you could see eggs and larva!
i nearly burst out laughing.
ps. what about checking for stores,bcrazy.i quite agree with you, people who
are learning need time to take it all in, you can`t rush these things

 

[BKF Admin]

I think the old adage is very true that I learned last year that you should always know what you are about to do or look for before you lift the crown board.

If you are looking for a Queen then thats what you should be doing,not looking for disease amount of stores etc.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi iombeeman,

With every inspection we must read the last entry on the hive record.

When carrying out an inspection there are certain salient points to remember.

1, Is there sufficient stores to last until the next inspection?
2. Is the queen present and is she laying normally?
3. Is there any sign of disease?
4. Is there sufficient comb space for the queen to lay and for the bees? (remember that the foragers will be out and about).
5. Has the colony built up since the last inspection and are there any preparations for swarming?

The above questions can be used in conjunction with any type of inspection being carried out.
After a while you will be doing this subconsciously.

Regards;

 

[Poly Hive]

Hmm lost my reply here.... must be some odd key strokes that kick stuff off.

Every inspection has a focus but on every inspection all needs to be observed.

Having taken off five sups stores are ok, and there are no suspicious cappings, and so finding the queen is the main aim.

Many beginners want to see the queen. Many beginners have NOT memorised the table of development which is the key to what they are looking at. Really the times the queen NEEDS to be found are actually few. Queen rearing is one.

A/S is another. And in reality actually handling her is not needed. Even seeing her is not essential. Reassuring yes but not essential. I have had prolific queens not much bigger than workers. One was small enough to slip through excluders at will.

Bees do nothing according to your plans but they certainly know there's?


PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Hi PH,

I must admit that as a beginer I found it impossible to look for the queen unless that was the only thing I planned to do.

I just looked for eggs, capped and uncapped brood and decided she must be in there somewhere and was fine?

 

[Poly Hive]

That is being a beginner.

Far too much emphasis is put on Cherche la queen.

I suppose it would actually be possible to never find her and do well.

 

[Poly Hive]

Not finding the queen....

Let's suppose....

YOU cannot find the queen, ever. Do you actually need to?

On a practical level the answer I put to you is no. Split a colony in two and with in three days you should see where she is.

Agreed supercedure tendencies would be disguised but that is something one could live with.

Thoughts all?

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

I was going to reply regards the Queen but maybe if I shut up for 10 minutes I might learn something

 

[Polyanwood]

I want to find my queens and mark and clip them.

Once marked they are easy to find. So when father christmas, an angel or some superbeek in tights who flies through the air, rescues me by bringing me a gentle, perhaps British bred queen, I will be able to locate the queen whose daughters are so mean we barely go outside in the Summer, and replace her.

The evil queen must go.

 

[Bcrazy]

The Queen!

YOU cannot find the queen, ever. Do you actually need to?

I am in full agreement with Poly Hive the answer is NO.

With experience and knowledge there are certain observations that tell us the queen is laying well, she is not laying well, there are no eggs. No eggs doesn't mean the queen is lost, she could be resting.
There are certain methods one can use to locate the queen, from simple looking on every frame to a drastic shaking the whole colony onto the ground and placing the QE beneath the brood chamber. All the bees except drones and the queen will return into the brood chamber and hopefully the queen will be trying to get into the main body of the hive. She should be found under the QE. I did say drastic.

If a beginner then ask for help in the different methods that can be use to find the queen. Some beeks can find her quickly while others need to go through the hive two or three times.
As mentioned before experience will enable you to find her.

Regards;

 

[BKF Admin]

I have found the easiest to find a queen is to look for her in somone elses hive.