There are a lot of questions related to the winter hive inspection. Beekeepers, especially beginners, are anxious when the winter period is close. The reason for this is that they often do not know how to deal with their beehives during winter. Beginner beekeepers usually do not know what to look for in general. They have trouble estimating whether and how often should they open the beehives during the winter hive inspection.
In general, we can say that it is enough to walk from beehive to beehive and have a look at the situation with each hive. If something seems suspicious to you, then a need for opening the hive appears.
Opening the beehive during a winter hive inspection
When you identify that there is something wrong, you may take a quick peek into the beehive. However, note that you should avoid this, and let it be the last measure you take. We are saying this because of the fact that you may face a false-alarm situation. Maybe everything will be good and there was no need for opening the hive.
However, if you see the bees clustered on the top frames, perceive this as a signal for something happening. Additionally, if the bees lack supplemental feed, then you should continue with a more profound inspection. In this sense, you will maybe have to add supplemental food, move honey-filled frames closer to the clustered bees, etc.
Moreover, additional fact in favor of the beehive opening is to help them not to starve. This, of course, depends from situation to situation, and mostly it is better not to open the beehive. But, in some cases, it is unreasonable not to open the hive because of the cold weather, because otherwise, if waiting for warmer days, you may leave your bees foodless and they may starve. In other words, some things can be postponed and wait for warmer days, and some cannot.
The most important thing to remember is to accept the fact that some of your bees will probably die. If you make some decisions that will result in some bees dying, you should not get demotivated. This often happens and it does not happen only to you.
The importance of water
Going further, if you have made the decision for opening the hive, you should also check the moisture situation within. Only dry bees can manage to get through the winter and survive it.
The bees living in our beehives will definitely need our help. In that sense, there are several things that you can do. Many beekeepers will add extra ventilation. Some of them will tip a condensation board with the purpose of the water not dripping on the bees. All of these measures depend on your location, how harsh the winter is, etc. Because of this, a piece of good advice from a fellow beekeeper who has more experience will come in handy.