Systematic Colony Health Surveillance

Hive inspections in Kora provide systematic health monitoring. Document inspection purposes. Assess colony condition. Monitor for pests and diseases. Evaluate queen performance. Implement biosecurity measures. Schedule follow-up actions. Regular inspections are the foundation of successful beekeeping. Detect problems early before colonies decline. Enable timely interventions preventing losses. Detailed inspection records create colony health histories supporting evidence-based management decisions.

This section explains how hive inspections are documented. What health information is tracked. How systematic surveillance supports colony success.

What is a Hive Inspection?

A hive inspection is a systematic health check documenting colony condition:

• Inspection purpose: Why the hive was inspected (routine, health check, pre-harvest, emergency)
• Colony assessment: Strength, brood pattern, food stores, population estimate
• Pest and disease monitoring: Varroa mites, small hive beetles, diseases (see Chapter 4 Knowledge Hub for bee disease details)
• Queen evaluation: Queen presence, eggs, larvae, brood quality
• Environmental conditions: Weather, temperature, seasonal factors affecting colony
• Actions taken: Interventions performed during inspection
• Follow-up needs: Whether additional inspections or treatments required

Why regular inspections matter: Early problem detection. Queen performance verification. Pest control. Swarm prevention. Resource management assessment. Documentation of permanent colony health records.

Inspection frequency:

Spring Build-Up (March-May):
  Frequency: Every 7-10 days
  Purpose: Monitor rapid growth, add supers, prevent swarming
  Focus: Queen laying, brood pattern, swarm cells, food stores

Summer Nectar Flow (June-August):
  Frequency: Every 10-14 days
  Purpose: Harvest management, pest monitoring, queen assessment
  Focus: Honey production, super capacity, varroa mite counts, strength

Fall Preparation (September-October):
  Frequency: Every 14-21 days
  Purpose: Winter preparation, feeding monitoring, pest treatment
  Focus: Winter store adequacy (20kg+ honey), varroa treatment
          effectiveness, cluster size

Winter Minimal Intervention (November-February):
  Frequency: Monthly external checks (minimal hive opening)
  Purpose: Survival confirmation, emergency feeding if needed
  Focus: Entrance activity (bees alive), weight check (stores remaining)

Inspection frequency adapts to seasonal colony needs. Frequent during active growth, minimal during winter clustering.

Inspection Purposes

Different inspection types focus on specific goals:

Routine Inspection: Regular scheduled health checks. General colony condition assessment. Preventive monitoring. Standard management procedures.

Health Check (Disease/Pest Focus): Targeted disease or pest assessment. Follow-up after suspected health problems. Systematic pest monitoring (varroa mite counts). Disease symptom verification (see Knowledge Hub Chapter 4 for bee disease profiles).

Pre-Harvest Inspection: Assessing honey ripeness (moisture content). Determining harvest timing. Verifying bees not brood-rearing in honey supers. Planning harvest logistics.

Post-Treatment Inspection: Evaluating treatment effectiveness. Monitoring colony recovery. Assessing treatment side effects. Determining if additional treatment needed.

Emergency Inspection: Responding to suspected problems. Investigating unusual behaviour or signs. Assessing disaster impact (weather damage, predator attack). Emergency intervention planning.

Example inspection purpose documentation:

Routine Spring Inspection (April 15):
  Purpose: Routine
  Context: Weekly check during spring build-up. Assessing colony growth
           and space needs. Monitoring for swarm preparation.

Health Check (June 20):
  Purpose: Health Check
  Context: Follow-up inspection after varroa mite count concerning
           (8 mites per 100 bees). Assessing whether treatment needed.

Pre-Harvest (July 25):
  Purpose: Pre-Harvest
  Context: Checking honey capping percentage. Determining if supers ready
           for harvest or need additional time to ripen honey.

Emergency Inspection (August 10):
  Purpose: Emergency
  Context: Bees exhibiting unusual defensive behaviour and reduced foraging.
           Investigating potential queenlessness or disease.

Clear purpose documentation provides context for inspection findings and management actions.

Colony Assessment

Systematic colony evaluation documents overall hive condition:

Colony Strength (see 17.2 for detailed classifications): Very Weak, Weak, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Population estimate (number of frames covered with bees). Comparison to previous inspections (growing, stable, declining).

Brood Pattern: Quality of queen's laying pattern. Solid brood (healthy pattern) vs. spotty brood (potential queen or disease issues). Presence of eggs, larvae, capped brood (confirming reproductive cycle active).

Frames of Brood and Honey: How many frames contain brood (indicates queen productivity). How many frames contain honey/nectar (assessing food stores). Balance between brood space and food storage.

Pollen Presence: Pollen stores visible (protein source for brood rearing). Pollen foraging activity (sufficient nutrition available).

Example colony assessment:

Inspection: Hive MV-003, June 15, 2024

Colony Strength: Strong
  Population: Covering 10-11 frames across brood chamber and first super
  Assessment: Strong population, excellent build-up since spring

Brood Pattern: Solid
  Frames of Brood: 7 frames
  Brood Quality: Excellent solid brood pattern. Eggs, larvae, and capped
                  brood all present. No skipped cells. Queen performing well.

Food Stores:
  Frames of Honey: 4 frames (nectar and capped honey)
  Pollen Present: Yes (2 frames with significant pollen stores)
  Assessment: Adequate stores, strong nectar flow ongoing. No feeding needed.

Overall: Healthy, productive colony. Population at capacity, first super
         being filled. Second super should be added within week.

Pest and Disease Monitoring

Regular health surveillance detects problems early:

Common Bee Pests and Diseases (see Knowledge Hub Chapter 4 for comprehensive disease profiles): Varroa mites (Varroa destructor), small hive beetles (Aethina tumida), wax moths (Galleria mellonella), American foulbrood (bacterial brood disease), European foulbrood (bacterial brood disease), Nosema (fungal gut disease), Chalkbrood (fungal brood disease), and others documented in Knowledge Hub disease database.

Pest Monitoring Methods:

Varroa Mite Counts:
  Method: Alcohol wash or sugar shake (count mites on sample of bees)
  Frequency: Monthly during active season
  Threshold: >3 mites per 100 bees indicates treatment needed
  Documentation: "Mite count: 2 mites per 100 bees (acceptable, below
                  treatment threshold). Continue monitoring monthly."

Small Hive Beetle Counts:
  Method: Visual inspection, count beetles on frames
  Threshold: >10 beetles indicates problem, control measures needed
  Documentation: "3 small hive beetles observed, typical low-level presence.
                  No beetle larvae in combs. Colony strong enough to control."

Visual Disease Signs:
  Method: Observe brood for abnormal appearance or odour
  Signs: Sunken cappings, discoloured larvae, ropiness, foul odour
  Action: If suspected, reference Knowledge Hub disease profiles
  Documentation: "No disease signs observed. Brood healthy, normal colour
                  and appearance. No unusual odours."

Disease Reference Integration: When disease suspected, Kora's Knowledge Hub (Chapter 4) provides detailed disease profiles including symptoms, transmission, treatment options, and notification requirements. Inspectors can reference American foulbrood, European foulbrood, Nosema, and other bee diseases directly from inspection records.

Queen Assessment

Verifying queen presence and performance:

Queen Indicators: Queen Seen (directly observed during inspection). Eggs Present (fresh eggs visible in cells). Larvae Present (young larvae indicate queen productive). Capped Brood Present (sealed brood cells show queen active ~10 days prior).

Queen Status Options (see 17.2 for detailed queen tracking): Marked (located and identified). Unmarked (present but not specifically seen). Virgin (young queen not yet mated). Missing (not found, no eggs/larvae present). Failed (queen present but poor performance).

Example queen assessment:

Ideal Assessment:
  Queen Seen: Yes (marked queen located on frame 4)
  Eggs Present: Yes (abundant fresh eggs in cells)
  Larvae Present: Yes (all larval stages present)
  Capped Brood Present: Yes (6 frames capped brood)
  Queen Status: Marked (yellow dot, 2024 queen)
  Notes: Queen healthy, excellent laying pattern. Colony thriving.

Problem Detection:
  Queen Seen: No
  Eggs Present: No (no eggs observed)
  Larvae Present: Yes (larvae present but aging, no fresh eggs)
  Capped Brood Present: Yes
  Queen Status: Missing
  Notes: No eggs, no queen found. Larvae present are ~5-7 days old.
          URGENT: Introduce new queen or provide queen cell within
          7-10 days before colony becomes hopelessly queenless.

Queen assessment prevents colony losses from undetected queenlessness.

Biosecurity Measures

Recording biosecurity compliance during inspections (see Chapter 11 for comprehensive biosecurity features):

Biosecurity Practices Documented: Tools Sterilised (hive tool cleaned between hives). Gloves Used (fresh gloves or gloves changed between apiaries). Suspect Hive Isolated (diseased or suspicious hives inspected last). Cross-Contamination Prevention (equipment disinfection between suspect and healthy colonies).

Example biosecurity documentation:

Routine Inspection (Standard Biosecurity):
  Tools Sterilised: Yes (hive tool flame-sterilised between hives)
  Gloves Used: Yes (fresh nitrile gloves)
  Notes: Standard biosecurity practices followed. No suspected disease.

Health Check Inspection (Enhanced Biosecurity):
  Tools Sterilised: Yes (all tools disinfected with bleach solution)
  Gloves Used: Yes (disposed after inspection of suspect hive)
  Suspect Hive Isolated: Yes (inspected last, kept separate from healthy hives)
  Notes: Suspected American foulbrood. Hive inspected last. Tools and gloves
          disposed. Hive quarantined pending laboratory confirmation.

Biosecurity documentation supports disease prevention and outbreak investigation. For comprehensive biosecurity protocols including quarantine management, contact tracing, and visitor controls, see Chapter 11: Biosecurity & Disease Management.

Environmental Conditions

Recording inspection environment provides context:

Environmental Documentation: Temperature, Humidity (if relevant), Weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy conditions), Seasonal Context (time of year affecting colony behaviour).

Example environmental records:

Optimal Inspection Conditions:
  Temperature: 22°C (72°F)
  Weather: Sunny, calm winds
  Notes: Ideal inspection weather. Bees calm, most foragers out of hive.
          Easy to work colony thoroughly.

Challenging Conditions:
  Temperature: 15°C (59°F)
  Weather: Overcast, threat of rain
  Notes: Cool day, bees more defensive. Quick inspection only. Full
          inspection postponed to warmer weather.

Actions Taken and Follow-Up

Documenting interventions and next steps:

Actions During Inspection: Equipment added (supers, frames). Feeding provided. Queen cells removed (swarm prevention). Samples collected (mite count, disease testing). Repairs performed.

Follow-Up Requirements: Requires Follow-Up (Yes/No flag for priority inspection scheduling). Next Inspection Date (when hive should be checked again). Specific Follow-Up Actions (what needs to be done next visit).

Example action and follow-up:

Inspection: Hive MV-003, June 15, 2024

Actions Taken:
  - Second honey super added (first super 80% full)
  - Queen cells removed (3 play cups destroyed, swarm prevention)
  - Varroa mite sample collected (result: 2 mites/100 bees - acceptable)

Follow-Up Requirements:
  Requires Follow-Up: Yes
  Reason: Monitor for renewed swarm preparation. Strong colony with swarm
          tendency. Additional queen cells may be built.
  Next Inspection Date: 2024-06-22 (7 days - weekly check during swarm season)
  Specific Actions: Check for new queen cells. Add third super if second
                     super filling rapidly. Consider split if swarming
                     tendency continues.

Clear follow-up documentation prevents missed inspections and forgotten interventions.

Sample Collection and Laboratory Testing

Recording diagnostic samples:

Sample Information: Samples Collected (Yes/No). Sample Type (bee sample for varroa count, brood sample for disease testing, honey sample for quality testing). Laboratory Reference (tracking number for submitted samples). Sample Collection Date (when sample taken).

Authority Notification

Recording regulatory reporting:

Notification Documentation: Authorities Notified (Yes/No). Notification Date (when authorities contacted). Notification Reference (case number or reference from authority). Notifiable Disease Context (which disease triggered notification).

Severity Assessment

Rating inspection findings:

Severity Levels (optional, for prioritising follow-up): None (no issues detected). Minor (small problems not affecting colony health significantly). Moderate (issues requiring attention but not urgent). Severe (serious problems requiring immediate intervention). Critical (life-threatening colony condition, emergency action needed).

Example severity assessment:

Routine Inspection - No Issues:
  Severity: None
  Summary: Healthy colony, no problems detected

Moderate Issue:
  Severity: Moderate
  Summary: Varroa mite count 6 per 100 bees. Treatment needed within 2 weeks.

Severe Issue:
  Severity: Severe
  Summary: Queen not found, no eggs present, limited larvae. Queenless
           colony requires immediate requeening (within 7 days).

Critical Situation:
  Severity: Critical
  Summary: Suspected American foulbrood. Immediate quarantine, authority
           notification, sample to lab. Emergency response required.