How often should you inspect bee hives (actually open them up)?

Question

How often should you inspect bee hives (actually open them up)?

Answer 1

once a month

(good luck if you can do that without getting stung...)

Answer 2

Because of the incidence of Colony Collapse Disorder, if you are on the North American Continent, you need to have a good relationship with your Agricultural Extension Agent and the closest University with an Agricultural department. Ask them what they suggest and don't wait. By the time you see a problem, it may be too late.

Answer 3

My neighbor who used to raise bees used to check on them about once every two weeks or so.He said any more than that will stress the bees out to much and like mess up their honey production or something and any less than that much and the bees are liable to run out of space plus if you also harvest the honey comb you want to kinda strip off the outside layers of the hive to keep it fresher or it kinda gets a bitter taste to it if you let it sit for too long.

Answer 4

never.  I HATE BEES!!

Answer 5

During swarming season (now until mid July) you need to open the brood box every 10 days max to check for signs of swarming. If queen eggs are found, destroy them and check again every 4 days for the next couple of weeks.

Open the top super every 2 days, in good weather. If there are nectar drops on the outside frames, add another super.

Answer 6

It depends on the time of year, but you should check your hives at least once a month. During the honey flow, you'll probably want to check every two weeks to make sure your bees have enough room for storage.