Bee Season Plan

January February March April May June

Check honey stores
Inspect hive on
50 + degree days
Clear entrances of
dead bees
Buy equipment
before prices rise
ssemble! paint! "
repair equipment
#ead
Check honey stores
$eed if necessary
Check brood
pattern
%o mite counts
#emove dead hives
$eed bees if
necessary
#everse bo&es if
necessary
'rder package
bees
Clean bottom
boards
Check honey stores
$eed if necessary
(reat for )arroa if
needed
(reat for (racheal
mites
#eplace old combs
Set out bait hives
*ith pheromones
for s*arms
dd needed supers
Control s*arming
%ivide colonies
Check for queen
cells
Inspect hives +,-
days
Check brood
pattern
Check for and
control s*arming
Install packages
Check for queen
cells
#e,queen if
necessary
%ivide colonies if
necessary
Inspect hives +,-
days
dd needed supers
Check brood
pattern
Check mite levels
Check for queen
cells
Check for and
control s*arming
Inspect hives +,-
days
dd needed supers
Check mite levels
Check for queen
cells
Control s*arming
Check brood
pattern
.arvest honey crop
Bottle crop
July August September October November December
Inspect hives +,-
days
Prevent robbing
Inspect brood
Check for )arroa
.arvest crop
Check mite levels
dd needed supers
.arvest crop
Process crop
Check mite levels
(reat )arroa if
needed
Prevent robbing
Combine *eak hives
#e,queen
Split hives and
feed
Prevent robbing
#e,queen
(reat for )arroa
(reat for (racheal
mites
.arvest crop
#emove supers
/eave 00 lbs of
honey on hive for
*inter
Prevent robbing
(reat for )arroa
1oin *eak hives
Provide ventilation
Provide *indbreak
Prevent robbing
$inal inspection for
a*hile2don3t open
colonies until 50
degrees
#epair equipment
#ead and learn
/eave bees alone
4ood time to use
'&alic acid for
)arroa and (racheal
mites
Buy equipment
before prices rise5
#ead
A. Hawkins, beekeeper. . . . . phone/Tracy: 209/834-71!. . . . . phone/"reen "#$ch: 41/383-3134. . . . . awhawkins04%ho&'ai$.co'