> A old beekeeping friend once told me he thought that him and  his crews were in the hives too often, to the point it probably did more harm than good.

I think people underestimate the resilience of honey bee colonies. Steve Taber used to say a hive was messed up for a couple of days after you worked it.  Think about queen cell builders, which often get worked over several times every day. They still produce hundreds of queen cells per week. 

I think honey bee colonies get back to work very quickly after a routine inspection. Last year I had an apprentice and we checked hives weekly, more than I usually tend to do. I usually sort of spot check and do a lot of guess work. Nothing like a reality check once in a while to sharpen your senses.

P 🐝

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