Working with hives - Need advices?

[Irina]

Every time I work with my hives, I am afraid to damage the queen and it is very stressfull for me.
Usually, I work very carefully and slowly and it seams like I did not have any problems before past weekend.
After, I completed the inspection of one of my hives, I found a queen with the bees on the grass in front of the hive. I was managed to put her back into the hive.
And, I remember I gently shook the inner cover before i closed the hive. She was probably there with bees. That's the only explanation I can think...
What is the best way to handle/work/inspect the colony? How to move the brood bodies? where to put them when you move, switch or inspect them?
I would very much appreciate any advice or tips!!!

I am still new to this.
Irina.

[danno]

I set the cover flat on the ground then carefully ply up the 2nd frame.   The queen is seldom on this frame.   Check it over and lean it against the  hive.   Then work your way across checking frames then putting them back in the now enty space.  When your done slowly useing your tool ply them all back to there there original spot then replace frame #2.     Now pop that full box off the bottom box and stand it on end on your cover and do it all again in the bottom box.  This is the safest way but nothing is fool proof.

[forrestcav]

i second danno. I make sure I hold my frames over the brood box just in case she falls off. I worry about the queen everytime I open the hive. I'm scared I will drop and step on her or crush her during reassembly.

[AliciaH]

If the hive I am inspecting has a telescoping cover, I will often place that cover upside down in the grass.  If I have to remove my top brood box, I'll place it on the upside-down cover going cross-wise.  That way I won't squish any swarm cells I may elect to keep, and I don't squish many bees that way.

Like said above, nothing is full-proof.  It sounds like you are being as careful as you can.  The fact that you saw her on the grass and put her back shows how observant you are being, and that is awesome!  Stuff like that just happens sometimes.

[VolunteerK9]

First, determine what you are actually inspecting for and when you find what you are looking for, close it all back up as carefully as you can. Im not real sure, but Im assuming you are doing a frame by frame inspection each time you go in. (Im assuming and we all know what happens when you do that  ) You can determine real quick if you have a queen-when you see larvae or capped brood you know shes there. Stores can be determined by just hefting the hive up without opening the hive.