How do I plan for each hive?

Some beekeepers plan ahead how they will set up and work their hives.  I am one of those.  Sometimes things don't go according to those plans, but the effort is made.

When I first install bees into a hive, based on the type of hive I place them into, I create an inspection plan for each hive.  For example, I will usually plan to inspect one of my Modified Warre hives about once every four weeks.  However, I will set horizontal top bar hives to be inspected about every two weeks. 

HTBH's require more attention to comb drawing and growth management, especially at the beginning.  The MW's are meant to be left to their own devices as much as possible especially since the management plan calls for giving them most of what they need to succeed from the beginning.

Now, I might have anywhere from 1 to 6 hives in a given location.  If I inspect the MW's about once every four weeks, I will only inspect maybe one or two each week, moving to the next one the following week.  Yes, I do visit each of my bee yards once a week, checking a different hive each time, cycling back to the first one(s) on that 4 week schedule.

Of course, just because I only open the hive about once every four weeks doesn't mean I am not paying attention to them in the meantime.  At every bee yard visit, I observe each hive for entrance activity and other environmental indicators such as odor and signs of pests and predators.  If something indicates a problem, I may very well open that hive to inspect further.

Now I will say that I don't really consider adding a new box to the stack one of my MW's to count as opening the hive because I nadir the boxes.   I add all new boxes to the bottom of the stack.  The heat and nest scent are mostly retained in the upper boxes as they are lifted up to make room for the new box(es) being added to the bottom of that stack.  No harm, no foul.

During the Spring especially, I might add a new box every week to a given hive because the bees in that hive are drawing comb like champs and need the extra room to expand the nest.  Once the heat of Summer really kicks in and the bees stop drawing comb on a rapid scale, then no more boxes are added to the stack for the remainder of the season.

Somewhere between the third week of July and the end of August, I begin to harvest the upper boxes of the MW's as they fill up.  By the end of August, the bees should be down to maybe 2 or 3 boxes on the stack.  Two boxes is what they will overwinter in as they backfill the top box of the two with winter stores.

Do you plan your bee yard visits and inspections?  Do you find it makes a difference in your beekeeping if you do compared to if you don't?