What happens during a typical inspection

[Hi-Tech]

If possible, could I get some examples of a typical hive inspection? For the first part of the spring, I only had one hive. My problem (I think) is that during my inspections, I get so excited to be doing it that I forget what I am looking for.

I am very new to this and have been here reading as much as I can but I am still a little fuzzy on what to look for. I have read a lot about too many drone cells but I am embarrassed to say I am not sure how to tell the difference between the different types of cells. I usually rush through looking around because I think I need to make it quick. How long should it take? How long can I be in there without causing harm?

Now I have 2 more hives and I feel like a kid with 3 new toys I am not sure how to play with. I am very excited about my bees but I feel like I am not doing well by them. Any help will be greatly appreciated…

[Brian D. Bray]

The focus of inspecting the hives is why are you doing it?  Are you checking for brood production (i.e. queen evaluation), honey stores, pollen, possible disease,  parasites, and on and on?
Sometimes you're checking for specific things other times it's just a general checkup.  But it is always a good idea to be aware of every possibility so that you can more easily avoid missing something critical.
If you're having problems remembering why and what you're doing because you find every thing so interesting try taping a list of objectives to the back of your strong hand glove.

[Finsky]

One hive is not good to learn because hives are so many. But it is more than nothing. You should get hive or two more. To one hive it may happen what ever.

To beginner it is important to follow how hive developes. So you may predict next year, what is going to happen. That is basic of beekeeping: to anticipate how flowering affects to hive's development.

This time of year I look

* how much brood, how I expect the colony grow

* When is time to get more room

* are brood frames even or sporous. If sporous is it disease?

* later in summer : signs of swarming
* diseases

Yield season:

* enough room for honey
* signs of swarming
* when is time to extract
* how fast honey is coming in
* diseases

* are pastures good, did I situate hives in good place.
.

[TREBOR]

I look for brood in all stages and make sure I see some eggs...
so I know the queen is there....!
I look at the capped brood for anything that looks overly old or concave..(( is the larvae or pupa still alive in the cell )
your nose is a real good tool here, I take a big wiff of the hive when
I first open it( if there is a sour smell I know somethings wrong
(unless there is a goldenrod flow) :lol:
I look to see if they have room and I look for queen cells(peanut lookin things kinda hangin down)
I look at the drone cells(they look like little bullets sticking straight out not down), how many are there and where are they at (mostly on the lower edges of the frame) you don't want a bunch in the middle of the frame.
Oh ya, there is clean up too...! (if you choose too) some say it makes it
easyer to work,........other say they'll just put it back
those are things I look for, but I'm still learning too...!

You should get hive or two more

I agree, the more the better, plus you can use them to help each other out........... and you have better comparision(when you have 5 and one is weak you can plainly see the differance) If all I had was 2 and they were
both weak, then that would look normal....besides the benifit of more honey.....

[Understudy]

My inspections I am looking for the following:
When I open the top, are the bees numerous?
Do they appear to be building comb on frames that need it. On combs that don't have laid brood or filled with honey.
How many frames are full?
When I am looking at brood frames are there lots of cells, good pattern, are they worker, drone, queen cells?
Is the queen there? (this question doesn't always get an answer)
Are the pest numbers low? Them darn SHBs are a pain, wax moth, flies, ants.
Do the bees look healthy, are the wings normal, are there any half out dead bees?

As I go futher in I will break burr comb.
Look at the larvae, does it have signs of mites or fungus or something wierd.
How is the comb have the beetles taken over any frames.
As I get near the bottom, how does the bottom look, it is clean has there been signs of dysentary. Is there beetle larvae on the bottom.
If it is screen is the screen clear.

Extensive inspections of each frame happen about every two weeks. Quick peek inspections take place abput every other day.

Sincerely,
Brendhan