A hive inspection sheet can do more than track colony health — it can also reinforce regenerative principles like observing ecosystem interactions, soil health, forage diversity, and colony resilience.
Below are some suggestions for what you may want to keep in mind while checking your bees and things you may want to track over time. These vary depending on beekeeper goals.
Hive Inspection Sheet
1. Apiary InformationBasic information to orient the inspection.
- Beekeeper Name
- Apiary Location / Site Name
- Hive ID or Number
- Date of Inspection
- Time of Day
- Weather (temp, wind, sun/clouds)
- Recent Rainfall (past week)
- Nectar Flow Status
- ☐ Strong
- ☐ Moderate
- ☐ Light
- ☐ Dearth
2. Colony StrengthQuick indicators of colony population and activity.
- Frames of Bees
- Frames of Brood
- Frames of Honey
- Frames of Pollen
- Bee Temperament
- ☐ Calm
- ☐ Alert
- ☐ Defensive
- Flight Activity at Entrance
- ☐ High
- ☐ Moderate
- ☐ Low
3. Queen StatusKey reproductive indicators.
- Queen Seen? ☐ Yes ☐ No
- Eggs Present? ☐ Yes ☐ No
- Larvae Present? ☐ Yes ☐ No
- Brood Pattern
- ☐ Solid
- ☐ Spotty
- Queen Cells Present
- ☐ None
- ☐ Swarm Cells
- ☐ Supersedure Cells
- ☐ Emergency Cells
4. Brood HealthImportant for disease awareness.
- Brood Pattern Quality
- Cappings Appearance
- ☐ Normal
- ☐ Sunken
- ☐ Perforated
- Signs of Disease
- ☐ Chalkbrood
- ☐ Deformed Wing Virus
- ☐ Sacbrood
- ☐ AFB Symptoms
- Drone Brood Amount
- ☐ Normal
- ☐ Excessive
5. Pest & Pressure MonitoringTracking pressures helps with regenerative IPM.
- Varroa Monitoring Method
- ☐ Sticky Board
- ☐ Alcohol Wash
- ☐ Sugar Roll
- ☐ Visual Estimate
- Varroa Count
- Small Hive Beetles
- ☐ None
- ☐ Few
- ☐ Moderate
- ☐ Heavy
- Wax Moths
- Ants / Other Pests
6. Stores & NutritionObserving whether bees have sufficient food.
- Honey Stores
- ☐ Abundant
- ☐ Adequate
- ☐ Low
- Pollen Diversity Observed
- ☐ Multiple Colors
- ☐ Limited Variety
- Supplemental Feeding?
- ☐ None
- ☐ Sugar Syrup
- ☐ Pollen Patty
7. Comb ConditionImportant for long-term hive health.
- Comb Age
- ☐ New
- ☐ Mixed
- ☐ Old/Dark
- Comb Condition
- ☐ Straight
- ☐ Cross Comb
- ☐ Damaged
8. Regenerative Observations This is where RBA can differentiate your inspection mindset.
Forage Conditions- Major Blooming Plants Nearby
- Diversity of flowering plants
- Evidence of native plants
Landscape Health- Soil Moisture
- Ground Cover %
- Signs of pesticide exposure
- Grazing animals present nearby
Pollinator Activity- Native bees observed
- Butterflies
- Other pollinators
9. Management DecisionsRecord what you did or plan to do.
- Boxes Added / Removed
- Split Made
- Queen Replacement Planned
- Pest Management Action
- Harvest Planned
10. Notes & ObservationsFree-form notes about:
- Behavior changes
- Nectar source notes
- Weather impacts
- Interesting bee behavior
