What to look for: eggs, brood, stores and space
A practical observation list for colony condition, without trying to diagnose disease from one sign.
A useful frame-by-frame scan
Look for food stores, room for the colony, eggs, larvae and sealed brood, and the pattern and condition of brood. Record what is present rather than writing a conclusion you cannot support. A queen may be difficult to find; eggs and young brood can provide useful evidence of recent laying, but absence on one frame does not prove the queen is absent.
Note queen cells and their location, adult-bee coverage, unusual odour or appearance, and any signs that concern you. Foulbrood and other brood conditions require competent assessment. Do not diagnose or apply a treatment based on a web checklist. Contact the NBU or local bee inspector promptly if foulbrood is suspected.
Check stores and available space in context: colony size, weather and forage all matter. Record the frame position and date so you can compare later. For disease concerns, avoid moving bees or equipment until you have official advice.
Write notes you can compare
Use the same frame-counting convention each time. For example, distinguish a frame with a small patch of brood from one mostly covered with brood; a bare number without that convention is hard to compare. Record eggs as “seen”, “not seen” or “not checked”, rather than using a blank box for all three.
For stores and space, describe where you looked and what you found. “Stores visible on two outer frames; centre not checked” is a more useful handover than “food OK”. Record any action separately from the observation so a mentor can follow your reasoning. If you cannot interpret a finding, make that your next question instead of guessing.
See NBU handling and examining guidance and NBU beekeeper advice.
Sting safety: A sting can happen even with protective clothing. Scrape a visible sting out promptly. If you have had a strong reaction, speak with your GP before beekeeping and do not inspect alone. BBKA getting started.
Sources and further reading
Editorial review: 2026-10-25. Follow the original guidance if it changes.
NBU guidance was reviewed using indexed official source text. Direct access to the NBU website was unavailable during review; check its current guidance before acting.