Beekeeping by the Month - Stanwood Camano Beekeepers Association

JANUARY

Assemble and paint new equipment
Clean up old equipment
Check that the colony is still alive (are bees flying?)
Check Candy Board if you are using one
Check that the hive is dry inside
Check honey stores (weight)
Clean dead bees from hive bottom
Order bees if you need to and haven’t yet
Treat for varroa mites at least once per month

FEBRUARY

Check that the colony is still alive (are bees flying?)
Check that the hive is dry inside
Feed Pollen Patty (optional)
Check Candy Board if you are using one
Check honey stores (weight)
Clean dead bees from hive bottom
Order bees if you need to and haven’t yet
Treat for varroa mites at least once per month

MARCH

Remove Candy Boards and Quilt Boxes
Start feeding 1:1 syrup if needed
Once you start feeding, you cannot stop until the honey flow starts
Feed Pollen Patty (optional)
Switch boxes
The bees will be in the upper box and the lower box will be empty
Remove frames that are more than 5 years old or damaged
Change and/or clean the Bottom Boards
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Treat for varroa mites at least once per month

APRIL

Keep feeding 1:1 if necessary
Feed Pollen Patty (optional)
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Check that the queen has enough room
   Add another brood box if needed
Install new packages or Nucs
   Always feed Nucs or new colonies
Watch the honey stores
   Bad weather could cause food shortages
   Too much nectar or 1:1 could cause hive to be “honey bound”
Split strong hives
   Start to watch for signs of swarming (queen cells)
Replace old or failing queens
Treat for varroa mites

MAY

Split strong hives
Add Honey Supers
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Check that the queen has enough room
Add another brood box if needed
Replace old or failing queens
Treat for varroa mites

JUNE

Split strong hives
Add more Honey Supers if needed watch carefully!
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Replace old or failing queens
Treat for varroa mites
Catch new swarms

JULY

Pull full honey supers if 80% full
You can put then in a freezer or extract them now
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Replace old or failing queens
Treat for varroa mites

AUGUST

Pull full honey supers if 80% full
You can put then in a freezer or extract them now
Check the queen’s laying pattern
Replace old or failing queens
Treat for varroa mites
Add robbing screens

SEPTEMBER

Treat for varroa mites
Add robbing screens
Remove Honey Supers
Start feeding 2:1 if not enough stores
The bees will need 8 to10 frames of honey to survive the winter
Combine weak hives

OCTOBER

Treat for varroa mites
Change robbing screens for Mouse Guards
Remove excess equipment
Clean and store
Make sure hive is tilted to the front
Secure covers for wind / add wind breaks
Stop feeding 2:1 syrup

NOVEMBER

Treat for varroa mites until you see no more dead mites
Add Candy Boards
Add Quilt Boxes
Check that the hive is dry inside
Check honey stores (weight)
Clean dead bees from hive bottom

DECEMBER

Check that the hive is dry inside
Check honey stores (weight)
Clean dead bees from hive bottom
Order new equipment
You should have twice as much equipment as you are currently using
Order bees
Treat for mites around the equinox

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