Lesson 41: Keeping Hive Records
Write it down: what to record at every inspection, and why it pays off
After a few inspections of a few hives, the details blur together. Was it Hive 1 or Hive 2 that had queen cells? When did you last see eggs? When did you treat for mites? Records answer those questions. They help you remember what you did, judge whether it worked, and avoid making the same mistake twice. They also track the time and money your beekeeping costs.
How to keep them
Use whatever you'll actually keep up with: a notebook, a binder of printed sheets, or an app on your phone. What matters is that you:
- give each hive a number or name, and label it on the hive itself;
- write notes during or right after each inspection, while it's fresh;
- keep all your records in one place.
Your FORGE inspection form follows this lesson. Fill one in for each hive at each inspection, and send it back: your weekly issue uses it to tailor advice to what's actually happening in your hives.
What to record at every inspection
A simple inspection sheet, based on one used by the University of Florida, covers the essentials:
| Item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Date, hive ID, weather | e.g. "Hive 2, sunny, 78°F" |
| Worker population | Low (about 20% of the brood frames covered with bees), Moderate (about 40%), High (about 80%) |
| Egg-laying pattern | Good: solid and uniform (a few empty cells is still good). Okay: irregular, but more cells filled than not. Bad: spotty; frames mostly empty (lesson 34) |
| Eggs present? | Yes / No |
| Larvae present? | Yes / No |
| Capped brood present? | Yes / No |
| Queen seen? | Yes / No (not required if eggs are present; lesson 36) |
| Queen cells present? | Yes / No, and what kind and where (lesson 37) |
| Temperament | Calm / Nervous / Defensive |
| Honey stores | Low / Normal / High |
| Pollen stores | Low / Normal / High |
| Pests seen | Small hive beetles (none / a few / many), wax moths, other |
| Notes | Anything else: signs of disease, mite count, what you added or removed, feeding, repairs, questions to ask |
Other records worth keeping
- Mite counts and treatments: date, method, count, product used, and a follow-up count after treatment to see if it worked (lessons 55–57). Record any treatment exactly as the product label requires.
- Queens: where each queen came from, the date she was introduced, and her marking color (lesson 36). An unmarked queen where you had a marked one means the colony replaced her.
- Feeding: date, type (1:1, 2:1, patty) and amount (lesson 39).
- Boxes added and removed; honey harvested (how many frames or pounds, and from which hive).
- Losses: if a colony dies, note when and what you found. It helps you learn what went wrong.
- Money and time: purchases, receipts, sales. Useful if you ever sell honey (lesson 77).
Using your records
Look back over your notes before each inspection. Patterns jump out that you'd never notice otherwise: a colony whose population keeps falling, a queen whose pattern is getting spottier, mites climbing between counts, a hive that always needs feeding. Good records turn a pile of observations into decisions.
What to remember
- Number every hive; record every inspection, right away, in one place.
- Record population, brood pattern, eggs/larvae/capped brood, queen and queen cells, temperament, honey, pollen, pests, and notes.
- Also keep mite counts and treatments, queen history, feeding, harvests and losses.
- Read your records before you inspect; look for trends.
Quick check
- Name three reasons records are worth keeping.
- How would you rate a colony whose brood frames are about 40% covered with bees?
- What should you record whenever you treat for mites?
Show answers
1. Any three of: remembering what you did, judging whether it worked, avoiding repeated mistakes, spotting trends, tracking time and money, knowing queen ages. 2. Moderate population. 3. The date, method/product used (and as the label requires), the mite count before, and a follow-up count after.
Adapted from: UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446), "Hive Inspection" activity and Table 7 Hive Inspection Sheet; Purdue Extension, Advanced Beekeeping (4-H-1059-W), "Records" and "Taking Care of Your Queens".
Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.