bee-keeperBeekeeping doesn't follow the calendar on the wall but the rhythm of nature — flowering, temperature and the colony's development. Dates shift with altitude, region and the weather from year to year, so take this plan as a framework you adapt to your own apiary. The goal is always to be one step ahead of the bees, not running after them: space before they're crowded, supers before the flow, treatment before the winter bees are born, food before the cold.
Spring (Mar–May): awakening and build-up
The most dynamic part of the year. As soon as a calm, sunny day reaches about 15 °C, do the first full spring inspection: check that the queen is laying, how much brood and food the colony has, and clean the floor board. From there the colony grows fast, and your job is to keep half a step ahead:
- Stimulative 1:1 feeding if stores are short or the weather blocks foraging, so the queen keeps laying
- Space in time — add frames and boxes as the bees cover them; crowding in April becomes swarming in May
- Swarm season peaks May–June: from late April check every 7–10 days for queen cells on the bottom bars
- Honey supers go on before the main flow, not when it's already dripping — an early-flowering marker like dandelion in full bloom tells you build-up is underway
- First varroa count of the season (a baseline you'll compare against in summer)
Summer (Jun–Aug): flow, harvest and varroa
The peak of the season and its most important work:
- The main flows follow one another (in much of Europe: black locust/acacia, then meadow, linden, sunflower) — keep supers ahead of the bees
- Harvest when the combs are largely capped — about three quarters capped is the practical benchmark for ripe honey
- Watch space and shade; strong colonies in a heatwave need ventilation and water
- Right after the last harvest — the summer varroa treatment; this is the most important treatment of the year because it protects the winter bees
- Unite or boost weak colonies while there's still season left to recover
Autumn (Sep–Nov): winter preparation
You prepare the colony for winter — whether you'll see it again in spring depends on this:
- Topping up winter stores (roughly 16–25 kg per colony, depending on the hive type and climate) — finished while days are still warm enough for the bees to cap the feed
- Uniting weak colonies — a weak colony rarely survives winter
- Narrowing the brood nest, reducing entrances and fitting mouse guards as nights turn cold
- Checking that the queen is young and laying well — she is the engine of next spring
- A follow-up mite count to confirm the summer treatment worked
Winter (Dec–Feb): quiet and gentle watch
The bees are in a cluster keeping warm. The most important rule: don't open the hives without a pressing need.
- During a broodless cold spell (around 5–12 °C) — an oxalic-acid treatment to clean up remaining mites
- Checking and clearing the entrance after snow and ice
- A quiet check of hive weight (by hefting or weighing) to judge the stores — late winter is when colonies starve
- Planning the next season, building frames and repairing equipment
The year at a glance
- March: first full inspection on a warm day, clean floor boards, check stores — spring starvation is real
- April: space ahead of the brood nest, the first varroa baseline count, drone comb in
- May: swarm checks every 7–10 days, supers on for the first main flow
- June: harvest the early flow, keep supering, make splits from the strongest colonies
- July: late flows (linden, sunflower), last harvest, prepare the summer treatment
- August: the year's key varroa treatment, start autumn feeding where the flows are over
- September: finish feeding to winter weight, unite weak colonies, fit mouse guards
- October–November: verify mite levels, final quiet checks, wind protection
- December–February: broodless oxalic treatment, heft for stores, build and repair equipment
Read the bloom, not the date
Every experienced beekeeper knows the calendar lies: the same plant can open two weeks earlier or later from one year to the next, because plants flower on accumulated warmth, not on dates. That's why phenology beats the wall calendar — hazel and willow signal the first pollen, dandelion marks the build-up, and the main flows (black locust, linden, sunflower) each follow their own heat clock. Watch what's blooming within flying range of your apiary and let that, not the month, trigger your next move. This is exactly the job of bee-keeper's forage radar: it accumulates local temperature data (growing degree days) for your apiary's location and forecasts when each major flow is likely to open, so the supers are on in time.
Let the app remind you
This rhythm is easy to lose in everyday life. In the bee-keeper app the seasonal reminders are already prepared month by month, and every inspection you log in the hive inspection diary builds the picture of how your colonies track the season — turn on notifications and you'll get a timely nudge for every key task, so you never miss a deadline.
Frequently asked questions
When do I put the honey supers on?
Before the main flow opens, not during it — a strong colony with nowhere to put nectar swarms or stalls. Use build-up markers (dandelion in full bloom, rapidly whitening comb edges) and your local flow dates rather than a fixed calendar date.
How often should I inspect during swarm season?
Every 7–10 days from late April through June, specifically looking for queen cells. That interval is short enough to catch swarm preparations before a virgin queen emerges.
Which varroa treatment matters most?
The one right after the last harvest, in late summer. It protects the winter-bee generation — miss it and the colony can look strong in September yet fail by December. A broodless oxalic treatment in winter finishes the job.
When should autumn feeding be finished?
While daytime temperatures are still comfortably warm — the bees need time to invert and cap the feed. As a rule of thumb, aim to have winter stores complete by the end of September in temperate climates.