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YEAR ONE : SPRING AND <br /> SUMMER MANAGEMENT S <br /> INSPECTIONS <br /> Newly hived colonies should not be disturbed unnecessarily. Use smoke during each inspection, and always <br /> move slowly and smoothly. <br /> You will need to check your bees every 7-10 days in spring and early summer and similarly in late summer <br /> (mid-August to October). During the summer months, you can check them less frequently. <br /> Spring Inspections <br /> While bees are drawing comb, here is your checklist for hive inspections: <br /> • Check bees and brood every 7-10 days. If you see eggs, it is not necessary to see the queen since <br /> eggs mean she is present. <br /> • Look for unsealed and sealed brood. Check for diseased (not healthy) brood. <br /> • The number of bees will dwindle for the first 21 days after hiving a package until new workers emerge. <br /> A nuc will have less bee loss since older bees will be replaced with young bees that emerge from the <br /> brood. <br /> • Look for stored food. Pollen can be various colors based on the floral source. Fresh pollen will have a <br /> shiny look, while older pollen will look duller. Bees tend to consume the fresher pollen first. Nectar is • <br /> shiny and clear in the comb. Unlike honey, it does not have a wax cap. Honey is nectar that has been <br /> dehydrated down by the bees to <18.6% moisture to prevent fermentation. Once the nectar is dried <br /> out, the bees put a wax cap over the cell like putting a lid on a jar, although in this case the wax cap is <br /> porous. <br /> • Look for the presence of drone brood. The production of drone brood means that the colony has <br /> enough resources to spend on these relatively expensive bees and is a good sign that the colony is <br /> healthy. A prospering summer colony will be around 10% drones.An excess of drones can mean that <br /> there is an issue with the queen (either she is failing to lay fertilized (female) eggs or is not present in <br /> the colony). <br /> • Look for queen cells. It is unlikely that a colony started from package or nuc will swarm, but it is <br /> possible. Bees swarm when they run out of room to grow in a hive. If a colony has many frames of <br /> foundation and little drawn comb, the bees may perceive that there is no room to grow, and may swarm. <br /> It is important to feed sugar syrup to help the bees produce wax, and to ensure they have ample combs <br /> to grow their population. <br /> • If you see queen cells and suspect your colony might be trying to swarm, see the section called <br /> "Swarms" to learn about swarm management. <br /> • Another reason you might see queen cells is if the colony is trying to replace or supersede the queen <br /> (see the section called "Queen Cells" for more information). Do not remove the queen cells. The bees <br /> know more than the beekeeper, so it is best to respect their decision to raise a new queen. Study up on <br /> how long it will take before you can expect a new laying queen to be present in the colony (see Figure <br /> 15). <br /> • If you see queen cells and no eggs in the combs, it means the colony has no queen (she was likely <br /> killed inadvertently during a previous inspection).Again, do not remove the queen cells. The bees are <br /> trying to replace the queen and they know exactly what to do. Leave them be. Study up on how long it • <br /> will take before a new laying queen will be present in the colony (see Figure 15). <br /> • Refer to Appendix B on troubleshooting queen problems for additional information about queen cells <br /> and finding eggs. <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 40 <br />