Beekeeping Annual Calendar for Utah

January and February

• Bees are not particularly active in the cold winter months. They are often found in a tight cluster toward the center of the hive to create warmth.
• If there is snow, clear the entrance to the hive.
• Emergency feeding may be necessary if hives weigh less than 50 to 80 pounds. Add a fondant patty (also called candyboard) to the hive to make sure your bees have enough food.
• Order bees and any equipment you may need for spring.
• Check your beekeeping equipment and make sure it is functional. If you need to add or repair anything, now is the time to do it, long before you need to work your bees.

March

• Bees can starve during March due to low honey stores. Checking the hive weight is critical and can be done with a simple hive scale, or by gently lifting the hive and assessing the weight.
• Check hive weight, bees can easily starve during this time of year.
• Feed bees 1:1 sugar water syrup and pollen patty.
• Remove tar paper or other winterizing gear from the hive when temperatures are consistently above freezing.
• On a warm day (>55° F), get a frame count.
• Change entrance reducer to a larger entrance size.
• This calendar names a treatment option here; see the source.
• Ensure there is a water source that will be available all season.

April

• In April, with the presence of pollen and rising temperatures, the brood increases rapidly in anticipation of nectar flows.
• On a warm day with temperatures above 55° F, do a full hive inspection. Check for all stages of brood, the brood pattern, and the overall health of the hive.
• Attempt to find the queen. Populations are small in the spring and you have a good chance of spotting her.
• If hives have overwintered, consider splitting the hive to control the population and reduce risk of swarming later in the season.
• Begin monthly check for foulbrood diseases. If an infection is suspected, call your county bee inspector and have the hive checked to verify the disease.
• Feed bees 1:1 sugar water syrup and pollen patty.
• Register hives with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). This will give you access to the many resources that UDAF offers, including inspections and pest and disease alerts.

May

• May marks the beginning of swarm season due to rapidly expanding bee populations.
• Do a full hive inspection, assessing for pollen and nectar stores.
• Assess laying pattern and look for all stages of brood to ensure you have a healthy and active queen. Problems with the queen early in the year can greatly impact hive strength.
• Do a frame count to ensure populations are rising.
• Feed 1:1 sugar water syrup to new colonies until nectar flow is enough to support the colony (nectar flow usually peaks in late May or early June in Utah).
• Watch for and manage swarming behaviors. Adding an additional box to the hive to allow more room or splitting the hive can help prevent swarming.
• Add a honey super when you have seven full frames of capped honey in the top box.
• (mite check) Do a Varroa mite check

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

June

• June is the peak of nectar flow in Utah and bees are busy foraging and bringing nectar back to the hive.
• Do a thorough hive inspection, assess laying pattern, and all stages of brood to verify that the queen is healthy and thriving.
• Remove entrance reducer at the beginning of the month.
• Watch for and manage swarming behaviors.
• Add a honey super when you have seven full frames of capped honey in the top box.
• Move full and capped frames of honey to the outside of the box to encourage bees to fill empty frames.

July

• With high temperatures, you may see bees bearding on the outside of the hive. This is not cause for alarm, the bees are simply trying to cool the hive.
• Do a full hive inspection, looking for all stages of brood and capped nectar.
• Make sure that the hive has access to water, especially during hot, dry months.
• Add a honey super when you have seven full frames of capped honey in the top box.
• If bees are bearding, change to a screened bottom board or prop the hive cover open about 1/4" to increase air circulation in the hive.
• Continue to manage the hive to prevent swarming.
• Add supers as necessary.

August

• Established hives should have stored well over 100 pounds of honey and harvesting can begin. Bees will need 80 to 100 pounds of capped honey, or 10 to 12 deep frames covered with capped honey on both sides, for winter stores.
• Do a thorough hive inspection, assess laying pattern, check for all stages of brood and assess queen strength.
• Assess hive for brood diseases.
• (mite check) Check for Varroa mite and provide appropriate treatment
• If honey stores are abundant, begin honey harvest from the honey supers. Do not overharvest.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

September

• The hive is starting to slow down and bee populations begin to diminish. The queen starts laying winter brood, and drones begin to leave the hive.
• Do a thorough inspection. Verify you have a queen and that she is laying.
• Do a frame count to get an idea of how strong the hive is.
• Begin feeding 2:1 sugar water syrup with an in-hive (top or frame) type feeder to increase honey stores and to ensure reserves for winter.
• Install robber screens or reduce entrance to the hive to discourage robbing.
• Weigh hives: hives should weigh about 80 to 100 pounds and have 10 to 12 full deep frames (both front and back) of capped honey for winter stores.
• Honey should be harvested when ambient temperatures are between 80-85° F.
• (mite check) Continue to monitor and treat for Varroa mite as necessary.
• This calendar names a treatment option here; see the source.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

October

• Bees are busy preparing for winter, the hive population is beginning to diminish, and the queen is busy building the population of overwintering bees.
• If temperatures are warm, do a final full hive inspection, assessing honey stores for winter, laying pattern and all stages of brood.
• To keep bees from consuming winter honey stores, feed 2:1 sugar water syrup until temperatures drop near freezing.
• Hives kept at high elevations or with little or no protection from harsh winter winds should be wrapped with tar paper or material of your choice.
• Make sure the hive has enough air circulation and that condensation will not drip on the bees over the winter. Wet bees are dead bees.
• Consider building a bee "blanket" or other specialized lid for your hive to absorb excess moisture.
• Change entrance reducer to the smallest opening.
• Consider installing a mouse guard to protect your hive from rodents.
• Secure lid with a large rock or a strap.

November

• As temperatures drop, it is important not to open the hive cover. Bees begin to cluster at 57° F and will shiver wing muscles to maintain hive temperature (thermogenesis).
• Be careful opening hive in cold temperatures. If lifting the hive lid is necessary, pick a calm, warm day with temperatures above 55° F and work quickly to prevent heat loss.
• Feed fondant patty if hive weight or honey stores are light.
• Clear snow from hive entrance

December

• Bees should be disturbed as little as possible in the cold winter months. Bee status can be assessed by knocking on the hive and carefully listening for a buzzing sound.
• Feed fondant patty if hive weight or honey stores are light.
• Clear snow from hive entrance.

January

• The bees really aren't doing much this month other than keeping warm and staying alive. They are in a tight cluster but will move around when temperatures are above 40F.
• Normally the hive is not opened during this time, the bees are just doing their thing.
• If emergency feeding is begun you must continue until spring when there is good nectar and pollen flows.
• Order bees, nukes and other equipment and supplies for the coming year.
• Check entrance for blockage.
• Spend time cleaning smoker and repairing any damaged hive components.
• Anticipate your upcoming needs; playing catch up once the season has begun is not a good way to begin.

February

• Basically the same as January, but towards the end of the month some increased activity may become apparent. Cluster will be in the top brood chamber this month.
• The queen may start to lay eggs in a small grouping late in this month if temperatures moderate sufficiently.
• Another fairly slow month for the beekeeper unless a lot of equipment repair is needed. Identify your needs for the upcoming season - how many supers, frames, bee packages etc will you need to meet your needs?
• Make sure the hives have enough honey to survive until spring. Either carefully lift the hive and see if it feels heavy, or quickly check the hive on a warm & calm day when the bees are flying.
• Do not remove any frames.
• Start emergency feeding if necessary. Once started, continue feeding until spring when there are good nectar sources.

March

• This is the month that the bees can die of starvation if food supplies were low going into winter.
• Brood rearing will begin in earnest and be quite noticeable by month’s end.
• The bees will begin flying this month and could find some nectar and pollen supplies, however it won’t be nearly enough.
• Now is the time to re-evaluate your honey supers and make sure they are ready for the upcoming year.
• On a calm and warm (about 55 degrees) day when the bees are actively flying, open the hive to check the status of the colony.
• Check that the hive is queen right - are there eggs in the brood chamber?
• Feed pollen substitutes for rapid hive growth
• If feeding has begun, continue. Otherwise check hive weight/honey stores and feed if necessary.

April

• The bees are raising brood in preparation for the coming year. As the month progresses more and more pollen and nectar sources become available.
• Continue feeding until they no longer take your offering.
• Later in the month check your hives on a warm day for brood pattern, signs of diseases and overall health. If diseases or parasites are found, take necessary action to treat using whatever methods you are comfortable with.
• Comprehensive inspection and spring cleaning time is here, weather permitting, reverse the brood supers. However, if the colony and brood are strong (covering both boxes), then one should probably not reverse boxes as this will split the brood area.
• Clean the bottom board whether you reverse boxes or not.
• Note: Depending on the weather all of the above may need to be delayed until early May.
• You may want to set up swarm capture traps and have swarm retrieval equipment ready. Toward the end of the month, be especially mindful of swarming.
• Watch for swarm cells, if present you may try removing them but chances are the bees will still swarm when cells are present.
• Remove mouse guard.
• Install new packages of bees.

May

• The hive population is expanding quickly; overwintered hives may reach 80% of full strength by mid-May.
• If not completed last month, a good spring cleaning is needed as soon as possible. Clean bottom board, reverse and inspect brood boxes, clean up burr comb, etc.
• Look for queen activity and evaluate brood pattern.
• Continue feeding until they stop taking it or until you install honey supers.
• Be aware of swarm indicators and control protocols. For existing hives, it is critical that you monitor and add supers as needed; otherwise, your hive may swarm if it is strong and growing.
• Consider some form of checker boarding if hive is very congested.
• (mite check) Start monitoring for Varroa mites and treat if needed before putting on honey supers.
• Check new hives every week to 10 days to ensure that the queen is laying and you have good brood pattern.
• For existing hives, honey super may be needed this month.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

June

• Colonies which did not swarm will be busting at the seams. Peak colony population occurs this month and hopefully coincides with the season’s major honey flow, which begins this month and continues into July.
• Swarming is still a possibility. Add honey supers as needed to prevent swarming and to provide space.
• Check hive to determine brood pattern, presence of queen and hive health.
• Make sure you have enough honey supers and frames to last through the summer.
• (mite check) Monitor for varroa mites.
• Provide adequate ventilation and keep the hives cool.
• Provide shade during the hottest part of the day.
• Make sure fresh water is available at all times.
• Bore 3/4" holes into some honey supers. They can be plugged when not used for ventilation and additional entrances during honey flow.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

July

• The bees will be very busy again this month. (Much like June) The population of strong hives should peak about mid July.
• Provide a supply of fresh water that is located close by.
• (mite check) Continue inspections for varroa mites and brood patterns. Bee health should be a major concern.
• Continue to watch your hives for late swarms; although most swarming behavior stops in late June, however some hives may swarm late.
• Keep an open eye for robbing wasps, hornets, and other honey bees.
• Make sure your hives have some shade during the hottest part of the day so that they can cool the hive effectively.
• Add supers as needed to alleviate crowding and to encourage the bees to store more honey than they need.
• Check for surplus honey and harvest honey if needed.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

August

• Bees will be busy again this month. The colony is now at or just past its peak population.
• (mite check) The queen will begin laying eggs for winter bees beginning late this month. The mite population will probably be high at this time (in 2nd year colonies).
• Swarming was essentially over in July, but by now you can relax as it is over.
• Continue monitoring brood patterns and queen activity.
• (mite check) Keep a watchful eye for any problems in the hive: mites, weak hive, and diseases and parasites.
• (mite check) If needed, and it probably will be, treat for mites using approved methods for when honey supers are in place.
• Bearding may be an indication of inadequate ventilation or a lack of room in the hive.
• Watch for robbing activity from other bees or wasps.
• Set out wasp and yellow jacket traps (July, August, and September).
• Late August is when the queen starts laying eggs which will be the winter bees. Ensure a strong winter colony by checking the honey stores starting at the end of this month; there should be plenty of honey in the brood boxes.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

September

• The population of the hive is shrinking as the queen continues to slow her egg-laying.
• Drones are starting to be removed from the hives to conserve winter stores.
• Provide a supply of fresh water that is close by.
• You should be pulling off all remaining honey supers and be either securely storing them or extracting them.
• Once started, continue feeding until they stop taking it or slow down considerably.
• (mite check) After honey supers are removed, treat for mites - both tracheal and varroa - if necessary. This is the best time as the colony is going to be broodless and any mites present will be exposed to your removal method.
• Also treat for diseases such as foulbrood or nosema.
• Extract your honey if not already completed earlier. Cold honey is much harder to extract.

Check a mite count with the varroa calculator.

October

• The bees are gathering the last bits of nectar and pollen they can find. They are also busy gathering propolis to seal the hive against drafts in preparation for the upcoming winter.
• Although your work load is lessening, the work you do this month is critical.
• Add a mouse guard. Recommended even if you don’t think you have mice.
• Verify honey stores, 70-80 pounds are needed to get each hive through the winter.
• Check your hive by carefully lifting from the back of the hive. If the hive feels heavy and you can barely move it, you should have enough honey.
• Continue to feed until they stop taking it.
• Add a windbreak depending on where hives are located, especially if winter winds are prevalent. Ensure that the bees have adequate ventilation at both bottom and top of the hive so moisture produced during metabolism can escape.
• Elevate the rear of the hive slightly so any moisture that does form will migrate to the front of the hive and then downward, so as not to drip onto the bees.

November

• If the queen has not already stopped laying eggs, she will this month. The bees begin forming their cluster for the winter.
• Wrap the hives and consider adding an insulated inner cover to reduce or prevent moisture condensation.
• On a warm day remove any remaining medications and liquid food.
• This is the time of year when mice will try to enter the hive, check that your entrance reducers are on properly.
• If you have any reservations about the food stores in a hive you may consider placing some winter patties or other non-liquid food supply on the top bars.
• Check that your hives have adequate ventilation so moisture can be vented; excess moisture can seriously harm your bees.
• Review the past year, see where you could have improved as a beekeeper and work toward those goal.

December

• The queen's egg laying has completely stopped this month. The bees have formed their winter cluster.
• There is not much to be done for the bees at this time.
• Remove any snow that blocks the entrance.
• Check entrance reducer (mouse guard) is in place.
• Check the hives periodically for entrance blockage. This includes removing any build up of dead bees that may be blocking the entrance.
• Maintain good ventilation.
• Catch up on reading, plan for and look forward to the upcoming fantastic year.