The beekeeper's year month by month
An overview of what is happening in the hive and what you need to do. The app automatically creates tasks from this.
January and February
The bees are in their winter cluster, living on their stores. Disturb them as little as possible. After storms, check that lids and roofs are in place and that the entrance is not blocked by dead bees. Prepare equipment and check your registration in CBR.
March
The queen is stepping up her laying. Do the spring inspection on a mild day above about 12 degrees: are there eggs, brood and enough stores? Close up and remove dead colonies so robbing and disease do not spread.
April
Colonies are growing fast. Put a drone frame in the brood box and cut out the capped drone brood every 3 weeks. Give space in good time.
May and June
Swarming season. Go through the brood box every 7 days for queen cells. Add honey supers when the bees fill the brood box. Count the natural mite drop in week 25. The first harvest can often be taken in June.
July
Main flow from e.g. lime, clover and field crops. Keep an eye on the supers and harvest capped frames.
August
Take off the last supers in early August and start the varroa treatment. Start autumn feeding when the treatment allows.
September
Autumn feeding must be finished by mid-September. Check the mite drop after the summer treatment. If more than 1,000 mites dropped, you should treat again.
October and November
Fit mouse guards and storm-proof the hives. The bees are clustering.
December
Oxalic acid trickling when the colony is broodless. This is the most important treatment for starting spring with few mites.