Inspect Frames for Brood and Food Stores

What happens here

Use your hive tool to gently pry apart the frames. Carefully lift out one frame, preferably a center frame, and inspect both sides. Look for signs of a good brood pattern, which includes eggs (tiny white specks at the bottom of cells), larvae (small white worms in various stages of growth), and capped brood (cells with a darker, uniform cap). You should also identify honey (shiny, translucent liquid) and pollen (colorful grains, usually yellow or orange) stored in cells. A healthy hive will have brood in all stages and sufficient food stores.

Goal: Assess the health and population growth of the hive by checking frames for brood and food.