Q: What do your bees need in October?

• Finish supplemental fall feeding and mite treatments
• Add mouse guards
• Reduce entrances, especially if wasps or hornets are problematic
• Consider adding insulation, if using, and ensure sufficient ventilation

January

• Make sure your bees are alive, and confirm honey stores
• Feed if needed (sugar candy, fondant, granulated sugar)
• Repair and paint equipment
• Order bees (packages, nucs, queens)
• Plan for spring splits
• Plan out the year's mite treatments and other interventions
• Design honey labels!

February

• On a warm day, check to make sure your bees are flying
• Confirm honey stores: lift the hive and peek into the top (ideally you can get used to just lifting the hive to gauge the stores)
• Feed if needed (sugar candy, fondant, granulated sugar)
• Repair and paint equipment
• Hurry up and order bees (packages, nucs, queens)—you are late and supplies are limited
• Plan for spring splits
• Plan out the year's mite treatments and other interventions

March

• Watch for blooms! The silver maples are almost out and many trees have buds.
• Lift the hives and open the lids to make sure the bees are alive and that there are sufficient stores.
• Feed if needed (sugar candy, fondant, granulated sugar)
• Repair and paint equipment
• Plan for spring splits
• Plan out the year's mite treatments and other interventions

April

• April is a good month for swarms. Watch for swarm cells and make splits as needed.
• Feed weak colonies, add supers to strong ones.
• Check your bees often (when temperatures are over 50 degrees
• If you get time on a very warm day, do a complete hive inspection
• It is safe to remove mouse guards

May

• May is a good month for swarms. Watch for swarm cells and make splits as needed.
• Put out a swarm trap
• Do a complete hive inspection
• Remove insulation, increase entrances

June

• Watch out for fast-filling honey supers, and add supers or harvest honey as needed.
• Plan for honey extraction (equipment, bottles, labels . . .)
• Keep an eye out for queen cells
• Continue hive inspections, testing mite levels when possible
• Plan for mite treatments

July

• Honey extraction in July avoids lanternfly contamination!
• Keep an eye out for queen cells and make sure there is enough room in the brood box
• Continue hive inspections, testing mite levels when possible
• Consider treating for mites after honey supers are removed—now is when you can help ensure your bees build up enough strength to survive the winter

August

• Extract honey if you have not already done so—use a refractometer to check whether uncapped cells are sufficently evaporated to harvest
• Make sure there is enough room for your queens to lay eggs
• Start preparing for fall by planning supplemental feeding and mite treatments

September

• Check your hives' mite counts and treat if needed
• Check honey stores and feed your bees 2:1 sugar water
• Confirm that you have a laying queen
• Make sure that there is plenty of room in the brood nest for the queen to lay eggs