If you wish to have a strong, healthy colony, you must perform routine beehive inspections. We've put together this comprehensive guide on inspecting a hive to help you get started. You'll discover an easy, step-by-step method to guarantee the bees' success.
Eight steps to inspecting a beehive.
Problem identification is made easier for beekeepers with a well-thought-out hive inspection plan. For effective hive inspections that don't miss anything, adhere to these eight steps.
1. Make ready
The inspection process will go more smoothly if you prepare well. Before heading out to check hives, make a list of the essential tools and go over it.
You should have the bare minimum of the following prepared:
A smoker with enough fuel to last through the examination.
gloves, a veil, and protective clothes or a suit.
Additional apparatus, such as supers, to create more room.
A refractometer for honey, in case harvesting is underway.
Hive tool, bee brush, and any other handy implements or devices.
Although not necessary, a frame holder is nice to have.
supplies for relief in the event that you are stung.
Use your cell phone in an emergency.
After everything is set up, it's time to concentrate on the goals of the hive checkup.
2. Make a detailed plan.
Bees can get hurt or killed every time a hive is disturbed by beekeepers. It at least creates a great deal of disruption. Making a thorough plan for checking the hive will help you stay focused on the important things.
Eight key items to check for when conducting an inspection are as follows:
Do you see any evidence of animal invasion or robbery?
Do bees carry pollen back to the colony?
Does the brood pattern seem appropriate?
Looks like the eggs and larvae are healthy?
Do you see any evidence of ants or wax moths?
Do you smell bad or have dead bees around?
Are they nearly filled up?
Are there any swarm signals or signs of queen cells?
3. Let the hive smoke
Start by blowing smoke into the beehive's entrance and under the cover. Bees will become calmer as a result of this practice disrupting the alarm pheromones. Instead of stinging, they switch to emergency mode and gorge on honey.
Remove the outer cover from the hive and carefully position it so that any bees clinging to it won't suffer any harm.
Use a hive tool to pry the lid off the hive box as propolis tends to glue it shut. There's no need to use force; it will just pop loose.
After removing the inner cover, lightly smoke the hive before replacing it. After giving the smoke five seconds to do its work, take off the cover entirely and gently set it aside.
4. Start taking boxes out.
Early in the season, one deep box is usually the norm, which simplifies the work. If you have more than one brood box, start with the bottom one after setting aside the boxes above it. Next, proceed upwards, replacing and examining each box as you go.
The boxes can be separated with the aid of a hive tool. The burr comb, wax, or propolis that binds them can be broken off by its blade. Use these tools sparingly as they cause disturbance to bees due to their vibrations.
When filled with honey, supers become heavy, so it's easier to lift them if you place them on wood or cinder blocks. To keep the bees, calm and outsiders out, cover any open boxes with the inner cover or a hive manipulation cloth.
5. Begin examining an end frame.
Since end frames are the easiest to remove and have fewer bees on them, it is usually best to start with one. To pry it from the surrounding frame, use hive tools. Keep in mind that the frames are near to one another; avoid squeezing them together. Worker bees will be put in danger, and the queen might even perish.
After removal, carefully set the frame on the ground or, if you have one, hang it from a frame holder.
Start by examining the exterior frame, searching for any issues or anomalies. They don't often have brood, so if you do, the colony is probably too small. Adding an extra box is the best course of action.
6. Examine the remaining frames.
One by one, take out the extra frames. Turn the edge slowly in your hands to check each side.
Removing every frame would severely disturb the bees. The presence of capped brood, fresh eggs, and larvae indicates that the queen is in good health and is functioning as intended. Usually, you can find the queen without having to search every nook and cranny of the hive.
Check the lowest box first, then go through the other boxes in the same manner.
7. Make thorough notes
You may be required by law to keep records in your place of residence, and thorough notes help you become a better beekeeper. Over the course of the season, you can accurately evaluate the colony's behavior, health, and performance.
Records let you identify patterns in the colonies and determine, based on past observations, what equipment needs to be inspected next.
Always write down the date and any observations you have, such as the strength of each hive inside the apiary. Record illnesses or pests as well as any actions taken.
Honey testing, swarming indications, and hive numbers are additional important records. Information on feeding and specifics of newly introduced bees are also beneficial.
8. Shut the hive.
Replace all of the frames and boxes in the same sequence after the inspection is over, and then cover the hive. When you return the boxes, you will need to remove the bees from the edges using a bee brush or a puff of smoke.
Clean the hive tool and any other soiled equipment after the inspection and put everything away until the next time.
How can I tell if the brood is doing well?
The area of the comb that contains the eggs, larvae, and capped pupae is called the brood. During an inspection, the beekeeper should concentrate mostly on thriving brood as this is a sign of a healthy colony.
All of the brood stages will be present in a healthy brood pattern, and there won't be many empty cells. During the honey flow, look for cells that have bees in them at every stage of development.
Verify that the capped brood, pupae, and eggs are grouped together closely rather than dispersed widely.
A queen that is not functioning well may be indicated by low brood levels, and a deficiency of eggs may indicate a major issue. In order to determine whether worker bees are currently constructing a new queen, look for queen cups and queen cells.
The queen isn't always to blame for her lack of brood. Brood levels are also impacted by external factors such as mites or unfavorable foraging conditions.
An excessive amount of drone brooding is bad. Drone capping's are mostly visible on the exterior of the brood and protrude from the cell walls. Although it is quite normal during the warmer months, you will probably have a queen issue if it begins to rule the brood.
Issue indicators to watch out for in honeycomb.
A beehive inspection would not be complete if the comb's condition was not examined. Scrape off any structures you notice if they appear in strange places, as this burr comb typically makes moving parts of the hive more difficult.
In their hive, new colonies ought to exhibit comb building. If not, worker bees might not find enough foliage to gather. Give them some sugar water feeders if that's the case.
Bees occasionally construct comb sheets in the incorrect location. If construction is taking place in areas that are not in line with the foundation, remove it right away. If left unchecked, the queen's laying in the cells will make cleanup difficult.
When is the ideal time for inspecting a colony of bees?
When bees are out foraging around midday on a sunny, calm day is the best time to inspect a hive. The ideal temperature range is between 60°F (15.6°C) and 90°F (32.2°C). This time of year will minimize disturbance to the colony and lessen the possibility of any bees being harmed. Additionally, removing frames and boxes will be a lot simpler.
A hive should not be inspected at night as there is poor visibility, and the bees may become more defensive.
Don't open a hive in the rain or during extremely cold temperatures unless it's an emergency.
Inspecting the hive in the event that robbery is detected exposes your colony to outsiders.
How often should I check the hive of bees?
Check hives every two weeks for new colonies and once a month for established hives during the spring and summer seasons. Maintaining the best possible condition for a colony requires careful consideration to avoid upsetting it with excessive inspections.
Never open the hive in the winter in cold climates. Making sure there isn't any snow obstructing the hive entrance is a smart idea.
8 guidelines for a fruitful hive inspection
Inspections get easier and faster as beekeepers get more experience. Take a look at these pointers and strategies to help accelerate your learning.
The bees will stay more tranquil the more composed you are during inspections.
If the bees start to get hostile, blow a little smoke around you.
Bees will only become more excited if you aggressively swipe them away.
Protect bees by approaching hives from the sides or back whenever possible.
If you remove any wax from the hive, it will draw pests.
Move slowly away if the bees seem disturbed by your presence. If they insist on following you, come back another day when they're more relaxed.
Don't make a point of seeing the queen each time you go.
Keep a pencil handy to indicate areas of interest that require further examination.
How to visually inspect a beehive from the outside
It's best practice to open the hive during inspections, but you can also watch from outside. Here are some low-disturbance methods for studying honeybees:
1. Check for bee deaths.
In order to slow the spread of illness, colonies remove dead bees from the hive. Look for evidence of bee removal at the entrance.
2. Look for theft
When there are limited food supplies and you are feeding the colony, robbing is more likely to occur. When there is crazy activity at the hive's entrance, you can usually tell the hive is being robbed. Wasps, bumblebees, or even other bees could be the intruders.
A feeble colony could be overrun by robbers, so strengthen the hive's defenses as soon as possible. Using whatever materials you have on hand, reduce the size of the hive's entrance. Better defense against invaders is provided by taking this action.
3. Check out the bees
Observe the behavior of the bees from one side of the hive. Many forager bees will be taking off and landing from a growing colony. Check to see if the worker bees that are returning are full of pollen.
4. Check the temperature inside the hive.
Bee fanning will help cool their home's interior on hot days. Although they control the temperature, beekeepers can increase ventilation by taking off the bottom board's screening. Creating a tiny opening by modifying the outer cover permits refreshing air to enter the hive.
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