Beekeeper's Monthly Calendar

Note: This calendar is based on temperate U.S. climates (zones 5–7). Southern beekeepers: shift everything 2–4 weeks earlier. Northern beekeepers: shift 2–4 weeks later. Adjust to your local flora and frost dates.

At the hive: Hands off. Check that entrances aren't blocked by snow or dead bees. Heft the back of the hive to check weight — if it feels light, add a candy board or fondant for emergency feeding.

Off the hive: Order bees (packages or nucs) for spring delivery — they sell out fast. Repair and paint equipment. Read a beekeeping book. Plan your apiary layout for the season.

At the hive: On warm days (50°F+), watch for cleansing flights (bees leaving briefly to defecate). Activity = alive. Continue hefting for weight. This is the #1 starvation month — colonies burn through stores as the queen ramps up laying.

Off the hive: Assemble new equipment. Mix sugar syrup ingredients (have them ready). Confirm your bee order. Join or renew your local beekeeping club membership.

At the hive: On the first warm day above 55°F, do a quick 5-minute check: alive? Queen laying? Food remaining? Don't do a full inspection yet — just peek. Start feeding 1:1 syrup if stores are low. Add pollen patties to stimulate brood rearing. → Spring feeding guide

Off the hive: Set up swarm traps before swarm season starts. → Swarm catching guide

At the hive: Full spring inspection — check all 7 points (queen, brood, stores, disease, space, mites, temperament). Remove mouse guards, entrance reducers, and winter wraps. First varroa mite count of the season. → Spring inspection guide

New bees: Install packages or nucs as they arrive. → Package installation guide

Swarm watch: Strong colonies may already be building queen cells. Check every 7–10 days. → Swarm prevention guide

At the hive: Peak swarm season. Inspect weekly for queen cells. Make splits from strong colonies to prevent swarming and grow your apiary. → How to split a hive

Supers: Add honey supers when the top brood box is 70–80% full. Stop feeding syrup before adding supers.

Pollination: If renting hives, spring crops (apples, cherries, blueberries) are blooming now. → Pollination rental guide

At the hive: Main nectar flow in most regions. Add supers as needed — when the current super is 70% drawn and filled, add another. A strong colony can fill a medium super in a week during peak flow. Ensure adequate ventilation for summer heat.

Mites: Second mite count. Varroa populations are building with the expanding brood nest. → Mite treatment guide

At the hive: First honey harvest for established colonies. Check that supers are 80%+ capped before pulling. Provide water sources and afternoon shade in hot climates. → Honey harvest guide

Products: Start bottling and labeling for summer farmers' market season. → Selling honey locally

At the hive: Final honey harvest. Critical mite count — varroa populations peak in late summer as bee populations begin declining. Treat immediately if above 3%. This treatment protects the bees that must survive winter.

Watch for: Robbing behavior (bees from other colonies trying to steal stores). Reduce entrances on weaker hives. Yellow jacket pressure increases — set traps near (not on) hives. See yellow jacket traps →

At the hive: The most important month for winter survival decisions. Final mite treatment if not already done. Assess honey stores (need 60–90 lbs for northern winters). Begin fall feeding with 2:1 syrup if stores are light. Remove queen excluders. → Winter prep checklist

Combine: Merge weak colonies with strong ones using the newspaper method. Two weak colonies won't survive winter separately — one combined colony might.

At the hive: Install mouse guards. Reduce entrances. Add moisture quilt boxes. Apply hive wraps in cold climates (zone 5 and colder). Tilt hive slightly forward for drainage. Set up windbreaks.

Last chance: If stores are still light, switch from syrup to candy boards — bees can't process syrup below 50°F.

At the hive: Do not open hives. The cluster is forming. Every time you crack the seal, they lose heat they can't easily replace. Heft monthly to monitor weight. Clear snow from entrances after storms.

Off the hive: Clean and store extraction equipment. Render beeswax from cappings. Make beeswax products for holiday gift sales — candle kits, lip balm kits.

At the hive: Oxalic acid vaporization during the broodless period (typically late December in temperate zones). One treatment achieves 95%+ mite kill when no brood is present. This is the single most effective mite treatment of the year.

Off the hive: Order equipment for next season (many suppliers run year-end sales). Plan next year's apiary goals. Review your inspection records for patterns.

New to all this? Start with our first-year gear checklist and package installation guide to get your first hive started.