1.0 MANIPULATION OF A HONEYBEE COLONY
The candidate will be aware of:
1.4 the reasons for opening a colony;
NOTES
The vital questions to ask when inspecting a colony are often quoted :-
1. Is the queen present and laying satisfactorily?
2. Does the colony have enough space for expansion?
3. Are there any signs of disease in the colony?
4a. (early season) Is the colony building up in size as fast as other colonies?
4b. (mid season) Are there queen cells present?
5. Does the colony have enough food stores to last until the next inspection?
Finding the answers to these questions should be the reason for opening a colony.