Beekeeping Year

Find out what beekeepers do throughout the year with this handy beekeeping calendar…

January
  • Don’t inspect the hive
  • Prepare frames and supers for new season
  • Clean old equipment
February
  • Don’t inspect the hive
March
  • On a warm day inspect all colonies
  • Feed any weak colonies
  • Remove dead colonies
April
  • Check varroa levels and treat if needed
  • Feed any weak colonies
  • Examine all the hives – checking for:
    • Sufficient space
    • Laying queen
    • Any queen cells
    • Signs of disease
    • Sufficient stores
    • Examine the hive every 7-10 days
May
  • Add a super if the colony is building up fast
  • Check for signs of swarming
  • Examine the hive every 7-10 days
swarm-beekeeping
June
  • Check for signs of swarming
  • Examine the hive every 7-10 days
July
  • Examine the hive every 7-10 days
drbeekeeper-beekeeping
August
  • Beginning August – extract honey from full supers
    • Store extracted honey in buckets
    • Fill jars, label, and distribute or sell honey
  • End August – prepare the colonies for optimum conditions during winter
    • Ensure the bees have sufficient stores by feeding
    • Ensure there is no disease and treat for varroa
    • Ensure the queen is healthy and replace if necessary.
pouringhoney-beekeeping
September
  •  Protect the hive against mice with a mouse guard
  • Buy jars for next year
October
  • Don’t inspect the hive
November
  • Don’t inspect the hive
  • Prepare frames and supers for new season
  • Clean old equipment
 Super-beekeeping
December
  • Don’t inspect the hive
  • Prepare frames and supers for new season
  • Clean old equipment