see pic. how would u do a inspection on these hives? step by step please..genera

[adamant]

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i want to do a thero inspection today on these hives. can someone walk me through the process?

[mikecva]

Try  : http://www.beemaster.com/site/honeybee/inspection.html   -Mike

[Kathyp]

smoke is essential at this time of the year.  most of us develop our own system for inspecting hives.  it's a matter of finding out what works best for you.

some basics are to remove end frames so that you can have room to slide frames over and not roll/squish lots of bees as you remove the more crowded center frames.

if you have an empty box, it's helpful to put the frames you have inspected into it so that  you can 1. keep them in order and 2. cover them and reduce the number of bees in the air...and robbing.

i believe there are some youtube videos that show inspections.  you might look there for some more help.

[AliciaH]

Like kathyp says, definitely a yes on the smoke and also removing two frames for manipulation room.  But still be careful with those first two frames.  This time of year with the boxes so full, she'll be on that first frame more often than you think.

I generally will remove boxes and start inspecting from the bottom up.  When possible, I will put a cover over the boxes I have removed, as it seems to keep the bees quieter than leaving them exposed.  This has the benefit that if I sense a problem brewing, I have a better chance of finding the queen if the boxes are apart.  It also allows me to manipulate frames if needed, like if one box is getting nectar bound.

If no problems, then I'll put the boxes back one at a time, inspecting as I go.  This also seems to help keep the bees quieter.  At least...most of the time!  :)

But like kathy says, you'll develop your own system that works best for you.  Happy inspecting!