How often to check your hives?

[bwallace23350]

OK I checked my hives this weekend. They have at least 7 empty frames in a deep. When should I add another box and when should I check them again?

[GSF]

A lot of folks go by the 70% rule, if it's 70% filled then add another super.

[bwallace23350]

Ok so it is 30% full on one and 15% full on the other. When should I be thinking about checking again?

[GSF]

I may be misunderstanding you, but if you have 2 supers with 15% drawn out in one and 30% drawn out in the other then you need to reduce the space down to one - if that's the case.

[bwallace23350]

I just added the new boxes two weeks ago. But if I need to reduce I will.

[GSF]

Just making sure I understand, tell me how many frames are in each box, and how many are and are not drawn out in each box.

[bwallace23350]

I have two deep boxes. One is full and I just added the other one on top. They have now moved up and filled up 30% of it 3 frames. They are ten frame deeps.

[GSF]

You're good. I was thinking that maybe only a couple of frames were drawn out in each box.

[iddee]

If this is your first year, I would check them at most, every week. At the least, every two weeks. The first year is for learning. The next years are for the bees.

[Rurification]

I second what Iddee says.   The first year you learn a whole lot by checking them every week or so.  My first year I couldn't wait to get back in there and inspect.  It was awesome [for me, not the bees].  Take a camera if you can because you'll learn a lot from the pics later, too.    Eventually, you'll have enough hives that you can inspect a hive every few weeks and still get the experience of seeing what's going on, but over the year, each hive only gets invaded by you a couple of times.   The bees are happier when we leave them alone. 

Also, you'll get more experience telling how a hive is doing by just watching them come and go from the outside.   You can tell a lot.  Then when it's time to inspect, choose a hive that seems off, go in and figure out what's going on.

[bwallace23350]

Thanks yeah I love going in my hives but have tried to limit it because if not I would go in every day. Often at lunch I sit under a tree read and watch them go in and out.

[GSF]

Good point about the pictures Robin. That's what I did with my first package. Two shots on each side of each frame. Uploaded them and studied them for a long while. Sometimes I wouldn't visually see the queen but would catch her in a picture.