What you'll learn
- When and how often to inspect
- Reading brood patterns
- Identifying the queen
- Signs of a healthy colony
- Documenting your observations
1When and how often to inspect
In Florida's warm climate, inspect every 7–10 days during spring swarm season (February–May) and every 2–3 weeks the rest of the year. Choose a warm, sunny day between 10 am and 2 pm when foragers are out and the colony is calmer. Avoid inspecting before a storm or during a dearth when bees are more defensive. Always light your smoker before opening the hive.
2Reading brood patterns
A healthy brood pattern is compact and consistent — capped cells should be slightly domed and cover most of the frame with few gaps. Scattered, sunken, or discolored cappings can indicate disease. Open brood (eggs and larvae) should be pearly white and glistening. A single egg standing upright in the center of each cell confirms a recently laying queen. Multiple eggs per cell or eggs on the cell walls suggest a laying worker — a problem requiring intervention.
3Identifying the queen
The queen is longer and more slender than workers, with a larger abdomen and shorter wings relative to her body. She moves deliberately across the comb while workers part around her. Many beekeepers mark their queen with a paint pen (international color code by year) to make finding her faster. If you cannot locate her, look for fresh eggs — if eggs are present, the queen was there within the last three days.
4Signs of a healthy colony
A thriving colony has a calm, even temperament; a solid laying pattern; adequate stores of honey and pollen; and a population that fills most frames. You should see bees of all ages — foragers returning with pollen, nurse bees tending brood, and house bees building comb. A strong floral scent and the low hum of a working colony are good signs. Foul odors, excessive dead bees at the entrance, or unusual aggression warrant closer investigation.
5Documenting your observations
Record the date, weather, colony temperament, queen status, brood pattern quality, estimated population, honey and pollen stores, and any concerns after every inspection. A simple notebook works fine. Consistent records let you spot trends — a colony that has been queenless for two inspections needs action, and a pattern of low stores in August tells you to start fall feeding earlier next year.