The spring hive inspection is one of the most important visits you'll make all year. After months of winter, you finally get to see how your colony came through — how many bees survived, whether the queen is laying, how much food they have left, and whether any problems are developing.
When to inspect
Don't open the hive on a cold, grey, wet day — chilling open brood even briefly can kill it, and cold bees are defensive bees. Wait for air temperature above 55°F (10°C), no rain or strong wind, and mid-morning to early afternoon when foragers are out. In the Pacific Northwest this usually means waiting for a weather break — late March to mid-April in most locations.
What you'll need
Lit smoker, hive tool, protective gear (veil, jacket, gloves), a notepad or phone for notes, and spare frames if you're planning to add space.
Step 1: Light your smoker and approach calmly
Give your smoker two or three puffs under the entrance before you start. Wait 30 seconds, then puff a little smoke under the lid before opening. Move slowly and deliberately — sudden movements agitate bees far more than smoke does. A few well-placed puffs of cool smoke go further than a constant cloud.
Step 2: Remove the outer and inner covers
Pry up the inner cover gently with your hive tool, working around the edges before lifting. Set covers aside face-down so you're not setting them on any clustered bees. If you see bees running rapidly across the top bars or hear a rising hiss, add more smoke and wait before proceeding.
Step 3: Assess the cluster size
Before pulling frames, look down between them. A strong spring colony should cover 6–8 frames or more. A cluster on only 3–4 frames came through weakly and may need support. A cluster on 10+ frames means they're crowded and you should plan to add a box soon.
Step 4: Check food stores first
Start with the outermost frames, which typically hold honey stores. Look for capped honey — light tan or white cappings that feel dry to the touch. Each fully capped frame holds roughly 6–8 pounds of honey. A colony needs 20–30 pounds of stores to get through until reliable spring forage arrives. If stores look thin, plan to feed 1:1 sugar syrup until the dandelions are blooming reliably.
Also look for pollen — coloured, packed granules near the brood nest. Fresh pollen coming in is a great sign.
Step 5: Find the brood nest and assess the queen's work
Move inward toward the centre frames, where the brood nest lives.
Eggs — tiny white rice-grain shapes standing upright in the base of cells. Only visible in good light — hold the frame so sunlight shines across it at an angle. If you see eggs, your queen was laying within the last 3 days.
Young larvae — small white grubs curled in the base of cells, floating in royal jelly. They should be pearly white and glistening, not brown or twisted.
Capped brood — healthy capped worker brood has uniform, slightly domed cappings in a solid pattern. Scattered cappings with many empty cells (shotgun brood) can indicate disease.
The queen herself — larger than workers, with a longer tapered abdomen. Don't stress if you can't find her; confirmed eggs are proof enough she was present recently.
Concerns: no eggs and no larvae (possible queenlessness — wait 7 days before intervening); sunken, discoloured, or perforated cappings (possible disease — consult a local mentor); brown or twisted larvae (possible European Foulbrood); sour or rotting smell (serious disease concern).
Step 6: Check for swarm preparations
In spring, colonies preparing to swarm build queen cells — elongated, peanut-shaped cells that often hang from the bottom edges of frames. Finding capped queen cells in a strong, crowded colony means a swarm may be days away. Options include adding a super, performing an artificial swarm split, or removing queen cells to buy time.
Step 7: Assess varroa levels
Spring is a critical time for a baseline varroa reading. An alcohol wash on approximately 300 bees gives a reliable mite count. Below 2 mites per 100 bees is acceptable in early spring; above 3% warrants treatment planning.
Step 8: Close up and take notes
Replace frames in the same order you removed them. Close covers gently. Write down: cluster size, food stores status, brood pattern, queen status, any concerns, and what you plan to do next.
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Strong colony, good brood, adequate stores | Continue 14-day inspections |
| Light stores | Begin 1:1 sugar syrup feeding |
| Crowded colony (8+ frames) | Add a super or prepare a split |
| Queen cells present | Consult a mentor; consider swarm management |
| No eggs, no larvae, no queen | Wait 7 days, inspect again |
| Shotgun brood or foul smell | Contact your state apiarist |
| Varroa above 2–3% | Plan treatment |
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