The 7-Point Hive Inspection Checklist for Every Visit

A good inspection isn't about opening the hive longer — it's about knowing exactly what you're looking for. Run the same seven checks every visit and nothing important slips past you.

During the active season, aim to inspect roughly every 7–10 days. That cadence matches the colony's swarm cycle and lets you catch problems while they're still small.

The 7-point checklist

1. Is the colony queenright? Look for eggs and young larvae. Their presence means a laying queen was here within days — you rarely need to find her in person.
2. Is the brood pattern healthy? Look for solid, concentric brood. A scattered, patchy pattern is an early warning of a failing queen or disease.
3. Are there enough stores? Check for arcs of capped honey and bands of pollen around the brood. A colony that's light on food in a dearth may need feeding.
4. Does the colony have room to grow? If the brood box is filling up, add a super or more space before the bees feel crowded — crowding drives swarming.
5. Any signs of pests or disease? Scan for varroa, sunken or greasy cappings and a foul odour (possible foulbrood), chalkbrood mummies, small hive beetles, or wax moth trails. Investigate anything unusual.
6. Are there queen cells? Cups are normal; charged cells are not. Cells along the bottom bars often mean swarm preparations; cells on the comb face often mean supersedure.
7. How's the temperament and activity? A sudden change in mood or a quiet, low-traffic entrance can be the first hint something's wrong.

Write it down — every time

The single habit that separates struggling beekeepers from confident ones is recording. Memory blurs across a dozen hives and a busy season. Note what you saw — queenright, stores, any treatments — so next visit you're comparing against fact, not a guess.

That's exactly what HiveDash is built for: each of these seven checks becomes a quick tap in the apiary, building a timeline you can actually act on.

This article is general educational content for beekeepers. Colonies, climate, pests and local regulations vary by region — always cross-check with your local beekeeping association or agricultural extension before acting.