The Quick & Dirty

Sometimes you're in a hurry. It might be because you have a lot of hives and need to work efficiently. It might be because you fly away on vacation tomorrow and you still haven't started packing. Whatever the reason, the Quick & Dirty is a good technique to have in your toolbox.

In a nutshell, the Q&D involves cracking into the middle of the two brood boxes.

You can use smoke to move the bees up into the top box and down into the bottom box to give you a clear view into the centre of the brood nest.

Looking at the bottom of the top box, it is very easy to see swarm cells this way and to gauge the coverage of the frames in the top box to help you determine when they're ready for a honey super.

Please note: The Q&D is a good technique for when you need to be quick. This should NOT replace regular, thorough hive inspections!

Watch this vlog of me doing Q&D inspections on 3 hives to see the technique in action.