What should you look for during your very first hive inspection? 🐝 Blake breaks it all down in this quick guide—whether you're starting with a full hive, a nuc, or a package. Learn exactly what to check for to ensure your bees are healthy, your queen is thriving, and your hive is off to a strong start!
Queenless or Seasonal Slow Down?
In late fall, queens often stop laying—but if one hive lags behind others or shows weak brood, it may be failing or queenless. Strong hives can be saved, but weak ones need attention to prevent loosing them over winter.
There are a variety of ways to tell if your hive has lost its queen, and at some point, each hive will eventually lose its queen. At times, they requeen themselves and we never know it, (which isn’t ideal) and...
First, verify they are actually queenless. Depending on what part of the country you are from, queens either completely stop laying in the fall or at least dramatically reduce laying. If you are in an area that typically remains above...
