3D interactive

Hive Inspection Simulator

Open a virtual hive, work through the inspection sequence and read the colony.

Step 1 / 7Drag · scroll

Step 1 — Approach and observe

Watch the entrance before you touch anything.

The static inspection sequence

This model needs WebGL and a wider screen. The seven-step sequence below, the colony figures and the health scoring all still work.

Educational model — proportions are indicative

About this model

What the simulator does and does not do

It walks the inspection sequence in the order an experienced beekeeper would work it, and it shows how the colony's condition changes with season and strength. That is a genuinely useful thing to rehearse before your first season.

It cannot teach you the weight of a full deep box, the sound of a colony that is about to swarm, or how it feels when a frame is propolised shut. Those are learned in person, with a mentor, at a real hive.

Before you open a real hive

Wear a sealed veil and a full suit. Light the smoker before you start. Take any suspected venom allergy seriously and speak to a doctor first. Check the weather — below about 15 °C, leave the colony alone.

How the score is calculated

Three weighted factors: how well brood and stores balance for the season, how strong the colony is, and how thoroughly the frames were examined. The weights are stated in the source, not hidden.

Keep going

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