Have you checked your Bee Board?

What is a Bee Board? In the hive structures at GreenFriends we use a screened bottom “sticky board,” which is at the lower structure of the hive. In the pictures below you will notice where the board is relative to the structure.

There is a small tool used to remove the cover and pull out the board.

How often should the board be checked?

At GreenFriends we inspect the board weekly. And we take a video of the hive. These images and the video is sent to our “beekeepers” to review. Below is an example of the “bee board.” What are we looking for?

The Beekeepers do a thorough inspection of the hive every 2-3 weeks. The “bee board” will always be checked first, because it reveals much about the hive health.

The board will show predator insects or evidence of predator insects, hive activity and how much flower pollen is rejected or not being used.

The video (example below) is additional evidence of the hive health and reviewed by the offsite Beekeepers. The video will show activity and possible robber bees.