How-To Guides
Public beekeeping guides from BeehiveTracker. Google and visitors can read these guides without logging in.
How to Know If a New Queen Has Mated
to Know If a New Queen Has Mated You cannot confirm that a new queen has mated simply by seeing her on the comb. The reliable evidence is what she lays. A successfully mated queen should lay single eggs in worker cells,...
Swarm ControlHow to Check for Eggs After a Swarm
to Check for Eggs After a Swarm After a swarm, do not rush to declare the colony queenless. In a newly hived swarm, inspect gently after about 4–7 days if the weather is suitable. If you find eggs or very young larvae, t...
Swarm ControlHow to Rebuild a Colony After Swarming
to Rebuild a Colony After Swarming When a colony has swarmed, the job is not to panic or over-inspect. First establish what is left in the hive: bees, brood, stores, queen cells and any sign of disease. From there you ha...
TroubleshootingHow to Fix a Weak Hive
to Fix a Weak Hive A weak hive needs a calm diagnosis before it needs a dramatic rescue. In most UK apiaries, the cause is one of six things: queen failure, lack of food, Varroa and associated viruses, robbing, cold stre...
TroubleshootingHow to Fix a Honey-Bound Hive
to Fix a Honey-Bound Hive A honey-bound hive is one where the brood box is so full of nectar or capped honey that the queen has little or no empty comb left for laying. The immediate fix is to give her usable brood space...
TroubleshootingHow to Fix a Queenless Hive
to Fix a Queenless Hive A queenless hive is not always an emergency, but it does need a calm, accurate diagnosis. The right remedy depends on what brood stages are present, whether the colony has started queen cells, the...
TroubleshootingHow to Fix a Drone-Laying Queen
to Fix a Drone-Laying Queen A drone-laying queen cannot produce a normal worker population, so the colony will decline unless you act. The most reliable fix is to remove the failing queen and introduce a good mated queen...
TroubleshootingHow to Fix Laying Workers
to Fix Laying Workers A colony with true laying workers should be treated as queenless, difficult to requeen, and time-sensitive. First confirm the diagnosis from the egg pattern, brood pattern and recent colony history....
TroubleshootingHow to Stop Bees Absconding
to Stop Bees Absconding When a honey bee colony absconds, the queen and most of the workers leave the hive and do not return. In the UK it is less common than swarming, but it does happen, particularly with stressed nucs...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Bees Not Drawing Comb
to Deal with Bees Not Drawing Comb Bees usually fail to draw comb because the colony is not strong enough, the weather is too cold, there is no nectar flow or feed coming in, the queen is underperforming, or the frames a...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Bees Ignoring a Super
to Deal with Bees Ignoring a Super If your bees are ignoring a super, start by assuming there is a reason rather than a mystery. In the UK it is usually down to one of six things: no nectar flow, a colony that is not str...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Bees Not Taking Syrup
to Deal with Bees Not Taking Syrup If your bees are not taking syrup, do not assume the feeder is the problem straight away. First ask whether the colony actually needs feeding. A strong nectar flow, plenty of sealed sto...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Bees Not Producing Honey
to Deal with Bees Not Producing Honey When a hive is “not producing honey”, it usually means it is not producing a surplus for you. The colony may still be using nectar as fast as it comes in to feed brood, draw comb, re...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Patchy Brood
to Deal with Patchy Brood ## Short answer Patchy brood is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It may be as simple as a failing queen, a cold spell or lack of stores, but it can also be linked to varroa, viruses or notifiable dis...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Aggressive Bees
to Deal with Aggressive Bees A defensive honey bee colony can usually be managed, but it needs a calm, methodical response. Do not start a long inspection while bees are flying hard, following people, or stinging through...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Robbing
to Deal with Robbing Robbing is a beekeeping emergency. Once honey bees discover an easy source of stores in a weak colony, the attack can escalate quickly and the hive may be stripped in a day or two. Act quickly, but d...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Starving Bees
to Deal with Starving Bees Starving bees need food they can reach quickly, with as little disturbance as possible. First assess the colony from outside: lift the back of the hive to judge weight, watch the entrance, and...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Mouldy Frames
to Deal with Mouldy Frames Mould on beehive frames is usually a sign of damp conditions, poor ventilation, unused comb, or a colony that is too small or weak to keep its space warm and clean. It is not usually a primary...
TroubleshootingHow to Deal with Deadouts
to Deal with Deadouts Finding a deadout is disheartening, but it is also one of the most useful inspections you can do. A quiet, empty hive can tell you a great deal about starvation, queen failure, varroa pressure, dise...
TroubleshootingHow to Find Out Why a Colony Died
to Find Out Why a Colony Died Finding a dead colony is frustrating, but the best response is calm, careful investigation. Most losses leave clues: lack of stores, a dead winter cluster, heavy Varroa pressure, virus signs...
TroubleshootingHow to Clean Up After a Dead Colony
to Clean Up After a Dead Colony A dead colony should be treated as an investigation, not just a tidy-up job. Before moving frames or reusing equipment, work out what is likely to have happened and whether there is any si...