Prepare Smoker, Veil, and Inspection Log
10 minutesLight smoker with cool white smoke fuel, don veil and gloves, and open inspection notebook before approaching hive.
Field context
This workflow is part of 3 niche fields
Complete guide for bee health inspection — step-by-step workflow, tools, checklist, and expert tips to get started.
Light smoker with cool white smoke fuel, don veil and gloves, and open inspection notebook before approaching hive.
Scan frames for solid compact brood, eggs standing upright, larva swimming in royal jelly, and appropriate drone ratio.
Run alcohol wash or powdered sugar roll on 300 bees from brood frame; record mites per 100 bees against treatment threshold.
Record brood quality, stores, mite count, and queen status; schedule treatment, feeding, or queen replacement as needed.
Calculate brood frame coverage percentage to assess queen productivity and colony expansion rate.
Compare mite count results against seasonal treatment thresholds for your region and colony size.
Maintain inspection log with brood quality, mite counts, and queen status for trend analysis.
Estimate smoker fuel needed for full inspection to avoid running out mid-hive.
Visual indicators during routine inspections.
| Sign | Healthy | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Brood pattern | Solid compact arc | Spotty pepperbox |
| Egg orientation | Standing upright | Absent or sunken |
| Capped brood | Tan flat cappings | Sunken perforated cappings |
| Mite count | < 2 per 100 bees spring | > 3 per 100 — treat |
Fresh eggs confirm queen presence without finding her — saves time on every inspection.
Alcohol wash is more accurate than sugar roll — sacrifice 300 bees for reliable mite data.
Blast of hot smoke kills bees on contact and enrages the colony — puff cool smoke only.