Beekeeping Hive Inspection Log
A beekeeping hive inspection log — apiary + hive ID, weather, queen status, brood pattern, population, stores, varroa count, disease signs, treatments, supers + boxes, notes.
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BEEKEEPING HIVE INSPECTION LOG Apiary: Home Yard — Springfield IL Hive: Hive 03 — "Maple" Beekeeper: Morgan Lee Inspection: 2026-06-15 · 1:30 PM Weather: 82°F sunny, light breeze, good flying weather QUEEN STATUS seen laying BROOD PATTERN solid POPULATION Strong — 8 deep frames mostly covered, 4 medium frames moderate HONEY + POLLEN STORES Honey: 3 medium frames capped in upper box; pollen: 2 frames in brood box; nectar incoming from clover bloom VARROA COUNT (alcohol wash / sugar shake per 300 bees) 4 mites / 300 bees (1.3%) — at threshold; planned treatment if next count higher Action threshold: typical 3% spring/early summer; 1-2% before winter bees mature DISEASE / PEST SIGNS No AFB (no rope test positive, no sunken capped cells, no foul odor) No EFB (no twisted larvae) No chalkbrood No deformed-wing virus visible No small hive beetles in beetle blaster No wax moth signs Mites at 1.3% — below 3% action threshold BOXES / CONFIGURATION 2 deep brood boxes + 1 medium super (honey); queen excluder between brood and super; entrance reduced to medium gap ACTIONS TAKEN THIS INSPECTION Added second medium super (filled 80% of first); reversed brood boxes (lower was nearly empty, upper full); cleared one cross-comb from gap between boxes; refilled feeder removed (strong nectar flow no longer needs supplement). PENDING TREATMENTS / MANAGEMENT Plan late August: Apiguard or Formic Pro varroa treatment post-honey-pull, BEFORE winter bees mature. Late fall: oxalic acid dribble at broodless period. Winter prep: insulated cover + reduced entrance + mouse guard by 2026-10-15. INSPECTION CHECKLIST [ ] Queen seen OR eggs (1-3 days old) confirmed [ ] Brood pattern noted [ ] Population estimated [ ] Honey + pollen stores adequate for season [ ] Varroa count done (every 2-4 weeks active season) [ ] Disease check: AFB rope test on suspicious capped cells [ ] Pest check: small hive beetle, wax moth, mice (fall) [ ] Box configuration appropriate (room for laying / nectar) [ ] Adequate ventilation + entrance size [ ] Photos of brood frame + any concern VET / INSPECTOR / RESOURCES • State apiary inspector: ____________________________ • AFB / EFB confirmation: state apiary inspector (NOT homeowner) • Bee club / mentor: ____________________________
About this template
**Beekeeping is queen + bees + disease + varroa management** — and the inspection log is the single document that makes the next inspection useful. **Queen status** is the first question: queen seen, or eggs (1-3 days old) seen confirming a queen was there recently. A hive with no eggs for >7 days is queenless and needs immediate intervention — introduce a new queen, combine with a queenright hive, or let them raise an emergency queen if eggs/young larvae present. **Brood pattern** is the queen's report card — **solid** (>90% capped in a tight pattern) = good queen; **spotty / shotgun** = aging queen, disease, mite load, or inbreeding. **Population** is the workforce — strong colonies overwinter; weak colonies should be combined or boosted. **Honey + pollen stores** are seasonal — spring colony needs incoming nectar to expand; summer colony fills supers; **fall** the hive needs **60-80 pounds of capped honey** to survive a northern winter (less in the South). **Varroa destructor** is the single largest cause of colony losses in the modern US — a hive with mites untreated through late summer dies in the first winter. **Count varroa every 2-4 weeks** during the active season via alcohol wash or sugar shake of 300 bees; **action thresholds**: ~3% in spring/early summer, **1-2% before winter bees mature** (mid-August), 0% after winter treatment. **Treatments** rotate to prevent resistance: **formic acid** (Formic Pro — works through caps), **thymol** (Apiguard — temperature sensitive), **oxalic acid** (dribble during broodless period — most effective), **synthetic** miticides (Apivar — last resort, rotate). **Diseases** — **American Foulbrood (AFB)** is the regulatory disease, often requires destruction of the hive in many US states, and **state apiary inspectors** confirm (NOT the beekeeper — a positive call triggers state response). **European Foulbrood (EFB)** is less severe; **chalkbrood** is a fungal annoyance. **Pests** — **small hive beetles** (SE + South US), **wax moths** (weak colonies + stored comb), **mice** in fall (mouse guard at entrance by October). **Box management** — add supers before the existing super is 80% full to prevent crowding-induced swarming; reverse brood boxes in spring; consolidate in fall. **State rules** vary — many US states require **hive registration** (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, others), some require **inspection certificates** before moving hives across county or state lines. Find a **local mentor or bee club** before the first hive — beekeeping is regional + seasonal and the YouTube standard is not always the local standard.
When to use it
- Routine 2-4 week inspection during active season.
- Post-treatment varroa count documentation.
- Pre-overwintering colony assessment.
- Apiary-inspector visit or AFB workup.
- Sale or transfer of hives + bees.
What to include
- Apiary + hive + beekeeper + date + weather.
- Queen status (seen / eggs only / queenless / queen cells).
- Brood pattern (solid / spotty / drone-laying).
- Population estimate.
- Honey + pollen stores.
- Varroa count + action threshold.
- Disease + pest signs.
- Boxes / configuration.
- Actions taken + pending treatments.