How to chek hives during dearth?

I use sugar syrup with NO scent, helps prevent robbing hives being fed.

How long are your inspections? I am comfortable enough looking through hives now that I pull frames 2 and 3 only, tells me everything I need to know. During a dearth, I'm actually only concerned that their stores in the brood nest are too low, so I'm not working as hard to see eggs/larvae - if I don't see honey/nectar above the brood on frame 2, I would want to feed.

+++ robbing screens - I'm a hick so I use 3 nails and metal screen kind of bent around the entrance.
And.... maybe time your nuc production so they are pretty strong, 6 weeks old, by this time next year. A dearth is a challenging hive to try to start nucs, if that's what you're doing.

I have found when the robbing instinct is triggered, it stays until those bees age out and die. It's better not to trigger it, but sometimes can't be helped. When I pull honey supers off, I first put a wet super with drawn comb (robbing magnet, covered until time to deploy) below the target super to be removed, then I put target super on, then I put fume board on... then I pull super and remove each frame to brush bees off. I really don't want bees in the basement. This is hard to do with robbing going on! I keep the frames of honey (or honey with bees) covered with a triangular escape, unless I'm pulling a frame out to brush bees off (or putting back into different box).

One thing I do that might help - minimal crushed comb or comb chunks accessible to bees. I put comb chunks that have to be peeled off into a 2 gal bucket with lid.

Thank you everyone, again this is the problem
Some of my big hives don't appear to have a queen. It has been a while, I need to inspect them and re-queen them, I have pirchased queens, on their way. it is hard during dearth to work the hives.


Plan ging forward:
I am going to reduce entrances. Nucs have anti-robbing screen.

Going to open feed 200 yards away and waite till it is mobed, before inspection.
Use cloth to cover when opening and checking hives.

question:
How do you open feed? I usually put straw over the syrup, in a big tub like container. I get some dead ones in there, that is why I don't like doing this!

deepster said:

I like to hear experience of anyone who has ten or more hives in a row, after the flow is over and how they go about their inspection.

Click to expand...

Make yourself an Inspection Cage, and then take your time when carrying out inspections:


(graphic above, ex. Laidlaw)

I made mine using 6 panels: 3 in each pair connected by hinges, with the wooden frames covered in wind-break mesh. 3 panels meant each would be self-standing, and yet still light enough to carry (as I used already available wood - which was a little heavier than ideal) in 'flat-pack' form.

Such a cage only needs to be used - even in a crowded single-yard apiary - during a dearth, and can be used in at least two ways. When inspecting a non-removable hive such as a horizontal hive or tall vertical stack - remove as much of the woodwork as possible BEFORE erecting the screen, as space within the cage is seriously limited. Try and create a 'platform' next to the hive at a reasonable working height onto which to place tools, frame stand etc., cause bending down inside a cage risks collapsing the lot. (ask me how I know this ...)

Inspecting nucs and other movable boxes is SO much easier. Erect the cage in a central position within the apiary, with a small table or similar inside - then take boxes to the cage. Only return them to their original stands after they've been fully re-assembled and with their own anti-robbing screens attached.
LJ