April in the Apiary - Spring Hive Inspections and Colony Growth

Spring Hive Inspections – Timing It Right

In the last post, I mentioned the importance of holding back early in the season. But there does come a point where inspections are necessary—timing needs to be practical, and there needs to be a clear reason to go in.

When Is the Right Time to Inspect?

This is my beekeeping—not textbook—and every beekeeper will tell you something different.

Before I go into any hive, I want to be sure of a few things:

• Consistent temperatures (rough guide: around 15°C and settled)

• Bees flying well throughout the day

• Plenty of forage coming in

• The colony looks active and stable from the outside

It’s not about one warm day—I'm looking for a pattern.

What You’re Actually Looking For

I’ve worked with a lot of new beekeepers over the years, and we were all new once. My first bit of advice before entering any hive is simple:

Hive inspections

What’s the plan?

What are you actually looking for, and why?

If there’s no clear reason to go into a hive, then  there’s no need to open the hive.

When I do go in, I’m keeping it simple:

• Is the queen laying (eggs or a good brood pattern)?

• Do they have enough food stores?

• What’s the general colony strength like?

• Are there any obvious signs of problems?

  That's it.

First inspections don’t need to be long or intrusive.

Common Mistakes

A lot of mistakes happen before the hive is even opened.

Start at the entrance:

• Are bees flying with purpose?

• Any dead bees?

• Is the entrance blocked?

You can learn a lot just by watching.

Other common ones:

• Going in too early → risk of chilling brood

• Staying in too long → over-handling frames

• Opening in poor weather → sets colonies back

• Doing too much too soon → adding space unnecessarily

• Looking for the queen when you don’t need to

• Not checking food properly → starvation is still a risk

A Queen bee and bees on a frame

My Approach

I always start from the outside.

Watch the entrance. Watch the movement.

Then I heft the hive—does it still have weight, or is it getting light?

After that, I look at what’s coming in. Pollen is key this time of year—it tells you brood is developing.

If I need to go in, I keep it quick.

I’m checking for:

• Eggs or brood

• Food stores

• Anything unusual

If everything looks right, I close it up.

Eggs and young brood tell you the queen is there—you don’t need to go hunting for her.

A clean, calm hive usually tells you everything you need to know

If everything looks good, I close the hive.

Young brood is a strong sign the colony is healthy. Eggs and larvae tell you the queen is there—you don’t need to go searching for her.

My honest verdict

Spring is about timing, not rushing.

Healthy looking brood

Good beekeeping is often about restraint and observation.

Inspections are important—but only when conditions are right.

Get the timing right, and you set your colonies up for the whole season ahead.

Everything we do in the apiary—from careful spring build-up to healthy colonies—feeds directly into the quality of the honey and beeswax products we produce at Stax Of Wax Ltd.

This Week in the Apiary

This week in the apiary, we’re not inspecting hives—we’re observing, clearing access, and getting everything in place for the season ahead.