The time of year passionate beekeepers have been waiting for is here in some locations and soon to bee in all of the US. Beekeepers closely watch the weather and monitor daily all the buds and blooms within sight. Patiently (or not) men and women keeper of the bees are waiting out those final moments of winter to reach an ideal sunny, warm with 65° F or higher to open the hives and inspect.
Inspecting colonies in the spring is important! Knowing what is going on inside to make an informed decision for the next best steps in order for your colony thrive! Bee sure you have your smoker lit and are organized with tools, extra supplies, and have protective gear on. Popping the top, lifting boxes, pulling each frame tells the trained eye so much about the health and strength of the colony. Assuming you've come through winter with your colony you'll determine their health.
A short list of what to look for - Do you see stages of the life cycle including eggs, larvae, pupae? It's great to find the queen, but if you see eggs, you can bee pretty sure you are queen right.
Check the brood pattern?
Does your colony have stores?
There is always cleaning, probably re-arranging boxes in order to add boxes.
When the conditions are right, spring splits are an important part of swarm prevention.
Do you need to do a mite wash? Signs of disease, pest, parasites?
Do not take too much time - stay on task and close up as quickly as possible.
Most cannot remember the details past one inspection so it's ideal to take a quick picture and a few notes. Try not to keep your hive open longer than necessary - they likely will not bee happy for disturbing them after fall and winter. My suggestion is to expand on your notes or thoughts once you've closed your colony back up.
Swarm Trap Photos https://spreadingthebuzz.com/swarm-trap
Overview https://spreadingthebuzz.com/better-beelieve-it