Spring is the most critical time in the beekeeping calendar. After a long winter, your colonies need careful attention to ensure they're healthy, well-provisioned, and ready to build up for the season ahead. Getting your first spring inspection right sets the tone for the entire year.

This checklist is designed for UK hobby beekeepers and covers everything you need to assess during your first thorough inspection of the season.

When to Do Your First Spring Inspection

Timing your first full inspection is crucial. Go too early and you risk chilling brood; leave it too late and you might miss early signs of problems.

Temperature: Wait for a day when the air temperature is consistently above 14–15°C. Ideally, choose a calm, sunny afternoon when foragers are flying well.
Timing: In most of England and Wales, this is typically late March to mid-April. Scottish beekeepers and those in northern England may need to wait until late April or early May.
Signs to watch: Bees bringing in pollen is a strong indicator that the queen is laying and the colony is building up. Once you see steady pollen coming in on warm days, it's time to plan your inspection.

Before your first full inspection, a quick heft test (lifting the back of the hive to gauge weight) can tell you whether stores are dangerously low. If the hive feels very light, consider emergency feeding with fondant before opening up.

The Spring Inspection Checklist

Work through these points methodically during your inspection. The goal is to assess the colony's health and readiness for the season without spending too long with the hive open.

1. Queen Presence

Look for the queen herself, or evidence she's present: eggs (tiny white rods standing upright in cells) and young larvae
Eggs confirm the queen was laying within the last 3 days
If you can't find eggs or the queen, don't panic — close up and check again in a week
Note the queen's marking colour if you spot her (2026 is white in the international colour scheme)

2. Brood Pattern

A good queen produces a solid, compact brood pattern with few empty cells
Patchy or scattered brood may indicate a failing queen, disease, or other problems
Check for healthy sealed brood — cappings should be slightly convex and a uniform biscuit colour
Look for sunken, greasy, or perforated cappings, which may indicate disease

3. Stores Assessment

Colonies can starve in spring even when flowers are blooming — the so-called "spring gap" is a real risk in the UK
Aim for the colony to have at least 2–3 frames of stores (honey and pollen)
If stores are low, feed with 1:1 sugar syrup to stimulate build-up
Check pollen availability — a variety of pollen colours suggests diverse forage

4. Disease Signs

Spring is the time to be vigilant about disease. The following are the main concerns for UK beekeepers:

Varroa mites: Check the National Bee Unit (NBU) guidance on monitoring levels. Consider a mite drop count using your varroa board.
European Foulbrood (EFB): Look for twisted, discoloured larvae that appear "melted" in their cells. EFB is a notifiable disease in the UK — if you suspect it, contact your local bee inspector immediately.
American Foulbrood (AFB): Check for dark, sunken cappings with a foul smell. AFB is also notifiable. Perform the "ropiness test" — a matchstick inserted into a suspect cell will draw out a sticky, ropy thread if AFB is present.
Nosema: Look for dysentery marks (brown streaking) on the front of the hive and frames
Chalkbrood: Mummified white or grey larvae on the landing board or in cells

Important: Both EFB and AFB are legally notifiable diseases under the Bee Diseases and Pests Control (England) Order 2006. Report suspected cases to the NBU via BeeBase or by calling your Regional Bee Inspector. The BBKA also recommends all beekeepers register on BeeBase so inspectors can contact you about disease outbreaks in your area.

5. Space and Expansion

Is the colony running out of room? If bees are covering 7+ frames in a National hive, consider adding a super
Remove any mouse guards that were left on over winter
Swap out old, dark brood comb — aim to replace at least 2–3 frames per year (the "Bailey comb change" is a good method for spring)
Check the floor for debris and clean or replace if needed
Ensure the entrance is clear and unobstructed

6. Swarm Preparations

Even in early spring, strong colonies can begin swarm preparations
Check for queen cells — especially along the bottom bars of frames and on the face of comb
A colony with play cups (empty queen cell bases) is normal; charged queen cells containing eggs or larvae require action
Have your swarm management plan ready — artificial swarming, nucleus creation, or other methods

Quick-Reference Checklist

Print this out or save it on your phone for use at the hive:

Check	What to Look For	Action Needed?
Queen present	Queen seen, or eggs/young larvae	Re-check in 7 days if no eggs
Brood pattern	Solid and compact	Monitor if patchy; consider requeening
Stores	2–3+ frames of honey/pollen	Feed 1:1 syrup if low
Disease signs	EFB, AFB, varroa, nosema, chalkbrood	Report notifiable diseases to NBU
Space	Bees on 7+ frames	Add super or extra brood box
Queen cells	Charged cells with eggs/larvae	Implement swarm management
Equipment	Floor, comb condition, entrance	Clean floor, replace old comb
Varroa monitoring	Mite drop count	Plan treatment if levels high

Recording Your Spring Inspections

Good record-keeping is one of the hallmarks of successful beekeeping. Being able to look back at your spring inspections from year to year helps you spot patterns, identify consistently strong or weak colonies, and make better management decisions.

HiveLog makes recording inspections quick and straightforward. You can log your findings in under a minute using structured forms that capture queen status, brood pattern, temperament, stores, and any actions taken. Because everything is digital, you can review your inspection history from anywhere — no more deciphering rain-smudged notes at the kitchen table.

For beekeepers managing multiple hives or apiaries, having all your records in one place is invaluable when it comes to deciding which colonies to split, which queens to replace, and when to add supers.

Spring Inspection Checklist 2026 (UK)