Open & Inspect - Step 21 - Beekeeping Supplies Protective Clothing Beekeeping Equipment

Opening and Inspecting the Hive
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Replace the brood frames

After you have finished inspecting the frames, you should replace the missing brood frames, restoring them to their original positions. You may accomplish this by carefully sliding the moved frames over from the empty area toward the brood cluster. Your primary goal is to replace the frames without mashing any bees, either between adjoining frame bars or between the combs.

If many bees are milling in between the two frames where you cannot slide the frames together without killing bees, try smoking down between the frames to drive the bees away, being very careful not to tilt your smoker so much that burning fuel falls into the hive. Try several times if necessary, looking carefully down onto the frames, before pushing frames together. You may also coax some bees away from between the adjoining frame bars by squeezing them between the bars just slightly and then releasing them, without seriously mashing them. They seem to not like this, and will often move out of the way in time for you to finally push the bars together.

Once in a while you will hear a definite, sickening crunch sound as you push frames together. You've just killed a bee. This sometimes happens, but it should be your overriding goal to never do this. Killing a bee releases alarm pheromones into the hive and agitates other bees, causing them to be more likely to sting. And of course, killing the queen could mean disaster for your hive, certainly disaster for your honey productivity at best.

Feeding and Watering
Frame of Brood and Honey
Opening and Feeding the Hive
Opening and Inspecting the Hive
Preparing to Visit the Apiary