Beekeeper “year” General guide of what to do and when to do it (adapted for areas around Bryan-College Station, TX)

January Queens often start laying eggs again after not doing so for the past few weeks. Want to avoid opening hives on cold days, and even then, do it QUICK. Continued tasks from previous months: If there is no brood, this is still a good time to do OA mite treatments Get ready for next year: order new equipment, repair/repaint old equipment, check bee suit for holes, read beekeeping books, etc. Last chance to order queens (if splitting), packages, or nucs for spring delivery New this month: First brood inspection (nice day over 60°). Queens should start laying eggs again after taking a break from Nov-Dec. Hive inspections need to be QUICK – see what you need see and get out! Check hives for sufficient food (honey & pollen). Supplement feed if necessary If multiple boxes, bees are likely going to be located in upper box – with bottom box empty of both bees and resources. Think about reversing the boxes (good time to discard brood comb older than 3 years).

February Activity increases for the beekeeper (and bees) this month. The trees should be starting to bloom providing pollen, but not nectar. Pollen stores coming into the hive is a sign that brood rearing is taking place. As a result of increased activity and brood, food USE increases. More hives starve from lack of food in Feb & Mar than any other month. Continued tasks from previous months: Check hives for sufficient food (honey & pollen). Supplement feed if necessary If multiple boxes, bees are likely going to be located in upper box – with bottom box empty of both bees and resources. Think about reversing the boxes (good time to discard brood comb older than 3 years). New this month: Remove entrance reducers on hives w/ strong populations (end of month) This is a good time to move hives (they weigh less). Move intact, at night or on a cold day.

March The bees should be VERY active now. Brood production should be in high gear with lots of pollen coming in (but still no nectar, so be ready to feed sugar syrup). More hives starve from lack of food in Feb & Mar than any other month. Continued tasks from previous months: Remove entrance reducers on hives w/ strong populations (end of month) This is a good time to move hives (they weigh less). Move intact, at night or on a cold day New this month: Do in-depth hive inspections. Look especially for good brood patterns. Should see drone brood in high production as well. Be on the look out for queen cells or other signs of swarming activity. If ordered queens arrive, now is time to replace queens or split hives. If drones (or drone cells) are present, can do walk-away splits. If ordered queens are on-hand, can do those splits. Have supers ready to go (to used next month).

April This is the traditional start of the nectar/honey flow. It is also when queens, packages, & ordered Nucs should be available. Continued tasks from previous months: This is the time to do splits with new queens. New this month: On hives which were not split, keep a keen eye out for queen cells – be ready to split if they are spotted (removing queen cells is generally a bad idea). Be ready to add a 2nd deep brood box or honey supers as needed. Do not let the hives run out of room! This is the one time where having too much room for the hive is acceptable. Only feed hives that do NOT have honey supers in place. Do not treat (medicate) hives with honey supers.

May The nectar/honey flow gets into high gear – as does swarm season. Strong hives can fill a super box in a week. New this month: Do at least quick hive inspections WEEKLY (checking to make sure they have not run out of space). If hives are making honey, leave brood chamber alone. Be ready to add a 2nd deep brood box or honey supers as needed. Do not let the hives run out of room! This is the one time where having too much room for the hive is acceptable. Shouldn’t have to feed hives at all right now (except newly caught swarms or packages). Supers which are full of honey can be extracted and immediately returned to the hive (saves the bees from having to build comb again)

June Our area tends to get a couple of extra nectar flows in June (at least, during the first couple of weeks), but starts to wind down by the end of the month Brood laying may slow down a bit as the weather gets warmer. Continued tasks from previous months: Continue to do at least quick hive inspections WEEKLY (checking to make sure they have not run out of space). Shouldn’t have to feed hives at all right now (except newly caught swarms or packages). Supers which are full of honey can be extracted and immediately returned to the hive (saves the bees from having to build comb again) New this month: June/July is when I like to harvest (spin) honey. Warm temps makes honey flow through the extractor easier… Let the bees clean up the wax cappings from your extractions.

July Nectar flow is pretty much over and the “summer dearth” begins. Make sure the bees have a good water source. Continued tasks from previous months: June/July is when I like to harvest (spin) honey. Warm temps makes honey flow through the extractor easier… New this month: Consider replacing solid inner covers with screened inner covers (or other way to ventilate hot air through the top of the hive). Some hives may have put all the honey in the supers (and none in the brood boxes). Check them to see which ones you need to feed sugar-water. Reduce hive space back down to what the bees are actually using (SHB and moth preventative measures).

August The “summer dearth” is in full swing – there is very little nectar or pollen for the bees to gather. They will use up some of their food stores that they built up in the spring. Make sure the bees have a good water source. Continued tasks from previous month: If you have a solar wax melter – this is the time to render down the wax from the cappings that the bees have cleaned up. Consider replacing solid inner covers with screened inner covers (or other way to ventilate hot air through the top of the hive). Some hives may have put all the honey in the supers (and none in the brood boxes). Check them to see which ones you need to feed sugar-water. Reduce hive space back down to what the bees are actually using (SHB and moth preventative measures). New this month: Good time to do Varroa checks and/or treatments. If you re-queen in the fall, now is the time to do it (before the fall nectar flows start)

September This is a “transition month” – finishing up the summer dearth and beginning the fall flows. Note that many people consider the nectar/pollen sources in the fall to make “strong/bitter” honey – so most will leave everything they make in the fall for the bees to get through the winter months. Continued tasks from previous month: Good time to do Varroa checks and/or treatments. If you re-queen in the fall, now is the time to do it (before the fall nectar flows start) Continue to make a water source available New this month: Plan on attending (and working) the BVBeeks Fall Beeschool. Look critically at which hives are weak and might have to be combined before winter.

October The fall nectar flow should be full swing and continue up until the first hard frost. Let the bees fill up the brood boxes with honey before worrying about adding a honey super. Each brood box should have at least 2 solid frames of honey. Continued tasks from previous month: Varroa checks and/or treatments should be done by now. New this month: Switch from screened top inner covers back to solid ones. Look critically at which hives are weak and might have to be combined before winter. Reduce space to what the bees are using. Wax moths tend to be very active now.

November The fall nectar flow should be winding down. Begin feeding sugar-water to those hives that have not yet built up enough honey supplies. Each brood box should have at least 2 solid frames of honey. The queen will begin slowing down her egg laying (do NOT get fooled into thinking you have a queenless hive!) Continued tasks from previous month: Switch from screened top inner covers back to solid ones. Look critically at which hives are weak and might have to be combined before winter. Reduce space to what the bees are actually using. New this month: If you use screened bottom boards, install the plywood/cardboard to block the wind from coming in the bottom. Now is the time to combine those weak hives before winter.

December The bees should be in full “winter mode”. The queen will begin slowing down her egg laying (do NOT get fooled into thinking you have a queenless hive!) New this month: LEAVE THE HIVES ALONE. There is no reason to open a hive right now. None. You CAN do OA vaporizer treatments on a warmish day. Get ready for next year: order new equipment, repair/repaint old equipment, check bee suit for holes, read beekeeping books, etc.