As the time approaches for spring hive inspections, I thought I would share a step-by-step guide specific to spring. For my complete general hive inspection, click here.
Spring inspections often are the difference between life and death for a colony. You can assess if the hive needs food, and prevent starvation, and observe if there are any needed interventions from pests, or other problems that may have occurred during the winter when you were not able to open the hive because of the cold temps. This article will give you the exact steps beginner beekeepers need to take to complete a successful spring hive inspection.
Why spring hive inspections matter
A spring hive inspection is often the first time beekeepers in any cold region, and especially in the Pacific Northwest, get to lay eyes on what is actually happening inside their hives. You can look at this inspection as your overwinter survival check. It is a time to detect weak colonies, early enough that you can give them whatever boost they need to survive. It also allows you to feed the bees if necessary, preventing starvation during this critical time of year. And it will also give you a jump on knowing which hives to watch for swarming, since the healthier, larger colonies are the ones most likely to swarm.
When to do a spring hive inspection
You want to do a spring hive inspection as early as possible, without chilling the bees. The first day that it is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit is your perfect opportunity to inspect your colonies for the first time. You want to avoid cold snaps so that you don’t chill the bees, break the cluster apart, or chill any brood they may be raising. If you are located in a cold climate, this will be later for you than for some beekeepers who might experience these temps far earlier in the year. You will know it is the right time to inspect once you have a window of 55 degrees.
Tools you will need
You will want your hive tool, smoker with fuel (if you plan to use one), gloves, jacket, suit, or veil, and a notebook to document your findings. Because the weather is still somewhat cold, you will want all of your supplies easy to access so that you don’t have to leave the hive open longer than necessary.
Step-by-step spring hive inspection
Step 1- Approach the hive
While approaching, you will want to carfully observe the bee activity at the enterance. How many bees are coming and going compared to your other hives? Are they bringing in pollen? If so, this likely means they are raising brood.
Step 2- Check food stores
Gently lift the frames to check for honey reserves. If they have any less than two frames, I would feed them. Two frames gives you a small margin to ensure they don’t starve. If they are low, and the temps are consistently above freezing, you can give them 1:2 sugar syrup, and if it is still freezing at night, then you will want to feed solid food, either sugar bricks, dry sugar, or fondant. This post shares exactly how to feed your bees. Make sure that whatever food they do have is next to the main body of bees, not off by itself. Move the frames if necessary so that the food is near the bees.
Step 3- Assess brood pattern
If the queen has begun laying, look at the brood pattern. Look for eggs, larvae, and capped brood. Here your main goal is to ensure you see queen activity, and that she is healthy. For more specifics, see my post about How to Read a Brood Frame, and Signs Your Queen Is Failing.
Step 4- Inspect for pests and diseases
Check for signs of varroa (deformed wing virus, excessive varroa droppings in the bottom of the hive, if you have a slide out tray), chalkbrood (where brood looks chalky instead of white and pearly), and nosema (bee diarrhea, you can see lots of brown streaks all over the hive inside and out).
Step 5- Evaluate colony strength
Count the frames covered with bees, and decide if they are strong enough on their own, or if you will need to combine them with another weak colony. See my post here for how to combine colonies using the newspaper method.
Common mistakes to avoid
Don’t inspect too early in the cold weather. This chills the bees, and they have to start all the way over to reheat the inside of their hive.
Don’t break unneccessary propolis seals. Propolis is antimoicrobial, and helps them stay healthy in crowed environments. They will feel the need to rebuild these seals, which takes them away from other valuable tasks.
Don’t over-smoke the hive. It can be easy to feel a bit nervous during your first inspection of the season, but you should not use too much smoke. A few puffs at the front of your hive, and a few once you open the lid is perfect. Too much smoke confuses the bees, and makes them think there is a forest fire and they will begin gorging themselves with honey and prepare to leave. This creates unneccessary work for them and panicks them. Panicked bees are hard to inspect and see what is actually going on.
Next steps after inspection
Take some time to record your findings in a hive log. You want to make sure that you remeber your findings and document them so you can compare future inspections and see if they are progressing normally.
Plan for swarm prevention. Prepare additional equipment to make preventative splits so you don’t lose half your colony and them fly away, because of swarming. See my series about how to make simple splits. A Simple Way to Make Splits An Even Easier Way to Make Splits
It is very important to inspect your hives as soon as it is warm enough to safely do so. Spring inspections are often the difference between a colony’s survival and it starving out. Now you should be able to confidently make that first inspection of the season.
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