1) Observe before opening (without intervention)

Objective Gather reliable information without disturbing the colony.

Entrance observation and hive floor debris check

• Intensity and regularity of flight activity
• Bees returning with pollen (strong indication of open brood)
• General behaviour (calm, agitated, defensive behaviour)
• Crawling bees, deformed wings, excessive bee mortality
• Unusual odours
• Hive debris and other residues observed on the varroa insert board provide valuable information on colony dynamics and health.

Interpretation

In the vast majority of situations, careful observation already allows you to deduce:

• the probable presence of brood,
• the general vitality of the colony,
• any nutritional or health stress.

⇒ Very often, this step is sufficient and makes opening unnecessary.

Learn more:
► Entrance observation
► The fascinating secrets of reading hive debris
► Practical Guide: 4.8.1 Entrance observation
► Real-time observations

2) Decide whether to open the hive

Fundamental principle No clear objective = no opening.

Every opening carries a biological cost for the colony. Opening too frequently increases stress, disturbs the microclimate of the brood nest, and unnecessarily ties up internal resources for several dozen hours.

Good reasons to open

• Check for laying
• Assess the brood pattern
• Check food stores
• Add or remove a frame or a super
• Diagnose a suspected problem
• Carry out a planned manipulation (treatment, division, requeening)

Poor reasons

• "To see how things are going"
• "Because the weather is nice"
• "Because the hive hasn't been opened for a long time"

Learn more:
► Ten tips for a good colony inspection
► Colony inspections: Points of attention
► Setting up and inspecting the hive

3) Prepare the inspection (safety and biosecurity)

Objective Ensure an efficient, safe, and disease-free inspection.

Minimum conditions

• Temperature ≥ 15 °C
• Dry, windless weather
• Visible flight activity

Equipment

• Appropriate personal protection
• Smoker with cool, moderate smoke
• Clean hive tool
• Bee brush
• Frame holder
• Notebook or tracking app (Hive record card)

Biosecurity

The beekeeper is the primary vector for disease transmission within an apiary.

• Inspect healthy colonies before suspect ones
• Disinfect tools when disease is suspected
• Change gloves if necessary
• Never exchange frames without absolute certainty about health status

Learn more:
► Practical Guide: 4.1 Hygiene
► Beekeeping equipment
► Hive record card
► Maintaining beekeeping equipment

4) Open the hive correctly

Objective Minimise stress and chilling of the brood.

Procedure

• Calm intervention, without vibrations
• Light smoking at the entrance (or just water)
• Remove the roof and crown board
• Very sparing smoke over the tops of the frames
• Remove the division board or an outer frame to create space

⏱️ Target duration: 10 to 15 minutes maximum.

Smoke or water?

Smoke remains the standard tool for masking alarm pheromones.
In certain situations (calm colonies, very brief inspections, high temperatures), a light water spray can be a situational, less invasive alternative: it triggers grooming behaviour in the bees without strongly disrupting chemical communication.

This option should remain contextual, measured, and consistent with the objective of the inspection.

Learn more:
► Colony inspections: Points of attention
► Beekeeping equipment

5) Examine the brood (core of the diagnosis)

Objective Assess the vitality and regularity of development.

Check points

• Presence of eggs, larvae, and capped brood
• Brood pattern (compact, uniform colour)
• Appearance of larvae (pearly white, shiny, well-segmented on their side, bathed in royal jelly)
• Appearance of cappings (slightly domed (convex), light brown to ochre, intact, not perforated and not sunken)
• Neutral odour
• Presence of queen cells

Warning signs

• Very patchy brood (> 15% empty cells)
• Complete absence of eggs
• Sunken or perforated cappings
• Discoloured or brownish larvae, poorly positioned, without visible segmentation or slimy, without royal jelly

Learn more:
► Brood volume
► From egg to adult
► Sacbrood

6) Assess the queen (without searching systematically)

Key principle You are not looking for the queen — you are looking for proof of her presence by observing her laying. In the vast majority of cases, the presence of correctly laid eggs is a reliable indicator of a functional queen. Systematically searching for the queen is, for most inspections, an unnecessary practice: it increases the risk of crushing her, prolongs the opening, and usually provides no additional information.

Caution when interpreting eggs

Less commonly, particularly in drone-laying colonies, eggs may also be observed. They are then often multiple in the same cell, sometimes attached to the cell walls rather than the base. This situation is generally accompanied by a very patchy and predominantly male brood pattern. In addition, a greater number of drones than usual is observed.

Presence of queen cells In practice, the position and number of queen cells can provide additional indications:

• The presence of several queen cells, often located at the edges or bottom of frames, is frequently associated with preparation for swarming, particularly during periods of strong colony dynamics.
• Conversely, the presence of one or very few isolated queen cells within the brood is more often observed during requeening, when the colony is replacing an ageing or failing queen.

These elements must, however, always be interpreted in combination with the state of the brood, the season, and the general behaviour of the colony, and not as isolated decision criteria.

Associated behaviours

Pronounced and persistent roaring inside the hive or at the entrance can be observed in various situations. Most often, it corresponds to normal regulation of temperature, humidity, or nectar. Only in combination with other abnormal signals (absence of brood, agitation, irregular laying, more drones than usual) can it take on diagnostic value.

Marking the queen

Marking the queen is not essential for diagnosis. However, in certain targeted contexts (colony monitoring, requeening, queen rearing, teaching), it can facilitate identification and help reduce opening time during specific inspections.

Learn more:
► Practical Guide: 4.5.1 Finding the queen
► Swarming impulse
► The drone-laying colony
► Ten tips for a good colony inspection

7) Assess colony strength and available space

Objective Adapt the hive volume to colony dynamics.

Indicators

• Number of occupied frames
• Bee density (one side of a Dadant brood frame completely covered with workers totals approximately 1,400 bees)
• Internal movement

Possible actions

• Add a super
• Add a frame fitted with foundation
• Reduce space with a division board
• Divide the colony

Learn more:
► Colony division
► Summer nuclei from super bees
► Frame construction

8) Check food stores (honey and pollen)

Mentally divide the brood frame surface into 20 sections of 100 g. Total per side = 2 kg Total for both sides = 4 kg

Objective Prevent starvation, which can halt laying.

What to observe

• Quantity of honey (see calculation under the image on the left)
• Presence of pollen and uncapped honey (indicating recent foraging) near the brood
• Accessibility of food stores

Possible actions

• Feeding appropriate to the season
• Reorganisation of frames
• Adding or removing honey frames (caution: foulbrood risk!)

Learn more:
► Everything about feeding
► Principles of bee feeding
► Food quantity is decisive

9) Detect diseases and parasites

Objective Identify health problems early.

Overall assessment of colony health

The precise identification of bee diseases can be complex. In practice, it is often more useful to start with a simpler and more robust question:

⇒ Is the colony overall healthy or not?

A healthy colony generally shows:

• a regular and homogeneous brood pattern,
• a sufficient and dynamic population,
• calm and coherent behaviour,
• accessible food stores,
• the absence of obvious signs of stress or abnormal bee mortality.

When these criteria are met, there is no need to actively search for a specific pathology.
In cases of persistent doubt or unusual signs, it is recommended to seek advice from an experienced beekeeper or to contact a bee inspector, rather than interpreting uncertain symptoms alone.

Key points Varroosis cannot be diagnosed by the naked eye Regular, quantified varroa monitoring is essential Visual indicators alone are insufficient

What to watch for

• Varroa destructor
• Foulbrood (American / European foulbrood)
• Fungal diseases
• Nosema
• Predators (Asian hornet)

If in doubt, take note and seek advice before acting, or notify the bee inspector.

Learn more:
► Varroa destructor
► Practical Guide: 2.1 American foulbrood
► Bee health guide

10) Close the hive correctly

Objective Allow the colony to restore its equilibrium quickly.

Good practice

• Replace frames in the same order
• Check that no queen is trapped at the edges
• Close without crushing bees
• Clean tools after the inspection

11) Record and interpret the inspection

What to record systematically   Date and weather Presence of eggs Brood condition Food stores Actions taken

An undocumented inspection is, from a disease management perspective, an incomplete inspection.

Learn more:
► Hive record card
► Apiary management: Beekeeping management plan

12) Conclusion – The key principle to remember

1. Inspecting a hive well does not mean inspecting it often. Every opening can disrupt the colony for 24 to 48 hours. It is therefore essential to limit interventions to those that are genuinely necessary. ⇒ As little as possible, and as much as necessary.

2. Two structured major inspections are ideal:

• in spring (after overwintering),
• in autumn (preparing for winter).

⇒ The rest of the time, observe first at the entrance.

3. Open only when a clear objective justifies it.

This approach respects bee welfare, reduces disease risks, and enables a more precise, more sustainable, and more confident approach to beekeeping.