How to use this checklist
This checklist follows the order of a typical inspection: before you open the hive, at the entrance, inside the box, and afterward. You do not need to complete every line on every visit. Choose a purpose for the inspection first (for example, “check that the queen is laying” or “look for swarm cells”) and use the sections that fit.
To print it, copy the lists below into a document, or draw boxes by hand. Many beekeepers use one sheet per colony, laminate it or slip it into a plastic sleeve, and write on it with a dry-erase marker, then photograph the sheet to keep a record. For background on why each item matters, see our guide to bee hive inspections.
Before you open the hive
- Weather is warm, calm and dry (commonly suggested: above about 60°F / 15°C, little wind)
- Time is mid-day, when many foragers are out
- Veil and any other protective gear on
- Smoker lit and producing cool, white smoke
- Hive tool, frame perch, notebook or sheet ready
- Purpose of this inspection written down
- Notes from last visit reviewed
At the entrance
Watch for a minute or two before smoking.
- Normal flight traffic for the time of day and season
- Pollen on returning foragers (often a sign of brood rearing)
- Dead bees in unusual numbers
- Fighting, robbing behaviour or bees wandering and unable to fly
- Entrance clear of debris
Inside the hive: five core questions
1. Is the queen present and laying?
- Fresh eggs, one per cell, standing up at the bottom of cells
- Queen seen (optional; marked queens are easier to find)
- More than one egg per cell or eggs on cell walls (note it and seek advice)
2. Is the brood healthy?
- Solid, compact pattern of capped worker brood
- Larvae pearly white and curled in their cells
- Few gaps; if the pattern is very spotty, note which frames
- Drone brood (domed cappings) present only in modest amounts
- No sunken, darkened or perforated cappings, no foul smell
3. Are food stores adequate?
- Capped honey toward the top and outer frames
- Nectar present during a flow
- Pollen stored near the brood
- Estimate of stores: low / adequate / plentiful
4. Does the colony have enough space?
- Roughly how full is the box with bees, brood and stores? A common rule of thumb is to add space at about 70 to 80 percent full
- Comb drawn on most frames
- Queen cups or queen cells, and where on the frame (bottom edges vs mid-frame)
5. Are there pests or disease?
- Varroa mites seen on bees, or monitoring done (a mite count or wash is more reliable than looking)
- Bees with deformed wings
- Small hive beetles, wax moth webbing
- Abnormal brood or smell (if suspected, contact an apiary inspector or experienced beekeeper)
Temperament and general condition
- Bees calm / nervous / defensive
- Estimated strength: weak / medium / strong
- Burr comb or excess propolis cleaned up
- Equipment in good repair
- Signs of damp or condensation
Closing up
- Frames returned in the same order, spaced evenly
- Boxes and covers replaced gently, no crushed bees
- Entrance reducer or feeders set as needed
- Smoker extinguished safely
- Notes written while still fresh
Record sheet to copy
Colony / hive ID:
Date and time:
Weather and temperature:
Purpose of inspection:
Temperament (calm / nervous / defensive):
Strength (low / medium / high):
Queen: seen / eggs seen / neither Marked? Y / N
Brood: pattern (solid / spotty), stages seen
Stores: honey / pollen / nectar (low, ok, high)
Space: boxes on, frames drawn, space added?
Queen cells: none / cups / charged cells (position)
Pests and disease: mites (method, result) / beetles / other
Feeding or treatments applied (product, date):
Actions for next visit:
Next inspection planned for:Adapting the checklist
- Spring: emphasise stores, queen laying, space and swarm cells.
- Summer: focus on the queen, space for nectar, and pest monitoring.
- Autumn: assess stores, colony strength and mite levels before winter.
- New colonies: check that the queen is accepted and laying, and that bees are drawing comb.
- Winter: avoid opening the hive in cold weather; observe from outside (see winter hive temperature).
How often to run through the list depends on the season and the colony. See how often you should inspect your bee hive, and for what the results mean, what a healthy bee hive looks like.