Colchester Beekeepers

A division of EBKA

Monthly Tasks

January

• Check hive entrances clear/predator damage
• Oxalic/lactic acid treatment for Varroa
• Heft to check stores

February

• Check stores/emergency feeding
• Check hive entrances clear/predator damage
• Oxalic/lactic acid treatment for Varroa
• Prepare new frames of foundation

March

• Check stores/emergency feeding
• Hive Records -Get the new sheets/book all ready
• Replacing brood boxes/floors/queen excluders and a general cleaning up
• Varroa monitoring and treatment with apiguard or similar
• If it’s warm and not too windy first inspection (+13C)
• Queen clipping and marking only if warm enough

April

• Regular hive inspections. Check for:-
  • queen
  • space
  • stores
  • swarming
  • disease
• Easing old frames to edges for replacement
• Varroa monitoring and treatment before first supers in place
• Super in plenty of time early in the season

May

• Supering – add another when bees are on 75% of frames
• Remove and extract rape honey as soon as ripe
• Weekly inspections – Look closely for queen cells
• Have equipment for artificial swarming ready
• Monitoring Varroa

June

• Beware of food shortage after taking honey
• Monitor and treat for Varroa (non-chemical with supers on)
• Full disease inspection
• Weekly inspections – Look closely for queen cells

July

• Still supering and extracting
• Reduce entrances vs wasps and robbers

August

• Finish honey removal
• Full disease inspection
• Varroa treatment – apiguard or similar
• Clean supers for storage
• Unite small colonies

September

• Estimate stores and feed syrup for winter
• Remove varroa treatments

October

• Ensure ventilation
• Check enough feed
• Fit mouse guards and woodpecker nets
• Sort and clean spare equipment for storage
• Monitor varroa drop

November

• Check entrances are clear
• Sterilise and mend stored equipment

December

• Check hive entrances clear/predator damage
• Oxalic/lactic acid treatment for Varroa