Lesson 31: Before You Open the Hive
Picking the right time, getting ready, and reading the hive from the outside
This chapter is the hands-on part of the course: how to actually work a colony. A good inspection starts before you lift the lid. Choose a good day, have everything ready, and take a minute to read the hive from the outside. Your bees will be calmer, and you'll learn more.
Pick your weather and time
Warm, calm and sunny is best. Bees are gentlest when the weather is warm and sunny and foragers are flying steadily. Then:
- many of the older bees, the ones most likely to sting, are out foraging;
- a steady stream of foragers means flowers are producing, and well-fed bees are less defensive.
Mid-day on a warm, sunny day is usually ideal.
Avoid: - Cold days. Opening the hive lets heat out. Don't do full inspections below about 45–50°F (guides differ on the exact number; your Seasonal Guide uses the local weather). In winter, if you must look, keep it very brief. - Rain, wind and storms. Foragers are home and bees are crankier. - Times when food is scarce (a dearth) or when bees are robbing (lesson 50). Keep inspections short then. - When neighbors are outside nearby (lesson 3).
Get ready before you walk out
- Protective gear on: at least a veil, plus closed-toe shoes; suit or jacket and gloves as you need (lesson 20).
- Smoker lit and smoking well, with extra fuel (lesson 32).
- Hive tool (and a spare), and anything else you'll need: frames, a feeder, syrup.
- Your notebook or inspection sheet and a pen (lesson 41).
- Know why you're opening the hive. Have a goal: checking the queen, food, space, mites or disease. A planned inspection is shorter and calmer.
Things that upset bees: strong perfume, scented soap or shampoo, alcohol, and heavy sweat. Bees react strongly to smells. Avoid dark clothing (lesson 20).
Stay calm and move slowly
The single most useful habit: slow, steady, smooth movements.
- Don't jolt frames, bang boxes or drop things. Vibration and bumps alarm bees.
- Don't swat. If a bee is bothering you, walk away calmly, or give a puff of smoke.
- If the bees get defensive, it's better to slow down or close up and take a break than to rush.
- Work from the side or back of the hive, out of the flight path at the entrance.
Experienced beekeepers get very few stings mainly because of how they move. It takes time to develop, and that's normal.
Read the hive from the outside first
Before you open anything, spend a minute watching the entrance. You can learn a lot:
| What you see | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Lots of bees coming and going, some carrying pollen | A healthy, active colony (in the warm season) |
| Little or no activity on a warm spring day | A dwindling or dead colony; check inside |
| Many dead bees (roughly 50 or more) at the entrance or on the ground in front | The colony may be struggling (pesticides, disease, starvation); look closer |
| Bees fighting at the entrance, bees trying to get in at cracks, seams and around the feeder | Robbing (lesson 50) |
| Bees crawling on the ground, unable to fly | Possible disease or pests (lessons 62–63) |
| Feeder empty | Time to refill |
Activity naturally drops in cooler weather, so compare with what's normal for the season.
What to remember
- Inspect on a warm, sunny, calm day, ideally mid-day, when foragers are out.
- Gear on, smoker lit, tools and notebook ready, and a goal in mind.
- No strong scents; move slowly and smoothly; work from the side or back.
- Watch the entrance first: activity, pollen, dead bees, fighting, crawling bees.
Quick check
- Why are bees usually calmer on a warm, sunny day with lots of foraging?
- Name two things to avoid wearing or doing before an inspection.
- You see bees fighting at the entrance and trying to squeeze in at the lid seams. What's happening?
Show answers
1. Many older bees, which are more likely to sting, are out foraging, and well-fed bees are less defensive. 2. Any two of: perfume, scented soap/shampoo, alcohol, heavy sweat, dark clothing, fast movements. 3. Robbing: bees from another colony trying to steal honey.
Adapted from: Mississippi State University Extension, Beginning Beekeeping in Mississippi (P3594); UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446), "Colony Inspection"; Utah State University Extension, Thriving Hives: The Apiary (2024); UGA Bee Program, Getting Started: Honey Bee Management; UF/IFAS Extension, Overwintering Honey Bee Colonies in Northern Climates (IN1006).
Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.