Bee Health

Carrying out your first detailed inspection of the year is important and will help inform your plans for the rest of the year.

 

Make a plan before you leave home and make sure you have all the kit you are likely to need with you.

 

Be clear what you are looking for:

•   Queen present & laying?

•   Brood at all stages? Good brood pattern with biscuit-coloured cappings?

•   Bees looking normal & healthy?

•   Acting normally?

•   Can you see pollen coming in?

•   Can you see drones or drone cells on the way?

•   Any sign of disease or varroa mites (be sure to check floor inserts)?

•   Are there enough stores to last the bees to your next inspection?

•   Has the colony got enough room?

•   Check the queen’s mark and renew if indistinct.

•   Add a queen excluder and super when the brood box is filling with new bees & brood, not stores.

•   Replace any dirty, mouldy, or damaged comb with frames of sterilised comb or new foundation or move these dirty frames to the outside of the brood box to replace later.

•   Keep the appropriate records – memories aren’t what they could be…