A list of suggested beekeeping activities
throughout the year
The dates are approximate and will vary year to year. Colonies can be opened at temperatures above 10°C and frames can be removed at temperatures above 15° C.
For more information about pest and disease control see:
Mid April
- check for colony mortality and remove dead hives from the apiary
- AFB preventative treatment
Late April
- unwrap hives
- test colony weight by tipping hive or inspecting frames
- feed sugar syrup if necessary
- AFB preventative treatment
- monitor for varroa mite levels, treat if necessary
Early May
- brood chamber inspection
- swarm prevention – add 1 or 2 honey supers per hive above the queen excluder when the brood chamber is close to being full of bees
- remove entrance reducers when dandelions come into bloom
Late May
- brood chamber inspection
- swarm control where necessary – remove all swarm cells if queen is still laying
- add honey supers as necessary
- split hives for swarm prevention and to increase colony count (introduce a locally produced queen cell to the new queenless colony)
- install nucleus colonies or splits into new hives and feed sugar syrup to aid comb building on new frames
Early June
- split hives for swarm prevention and to increase colony count (introduce a mated Ontario queen or queen cell to the new queenless colony)
- swarm control if necessary
Late June
- add honey supers as necessary
- requeen colonies as necessary with mated queens produced in Ontario (requeening is possible from June to early September)
Early July
- add honey supers as necessary with the goal of all supers being full at the desired harvest time in late July/early August
Late July/Early August
- harvest summer honey and add a super with empty comb to each colony for later nectar flows, package honey in containers
- brood chamber inspection
August
- super as necessary for August and early September nectar flows
- monitor for varroa mite levels and treat if necessary
Mid September
- harvest fall honey, package honey in containers
- brood chamber inspection
- feed sugar syrup – 4 gallons of 2:1 syrup per hive
- medicate for AFB prevention
- varroa mite control
Early November
- remove mite control products
- prepare colonies for winter- wrap, insulate, install entrance reducers, provide upper entrance
- render beeswax
Winter
- buy and assemble bee equipment
- order supplies
- order nucs, queens for next season
- education – beekeeper association meetings, reading, watch our HBRC ‘how to videos’, register for quality beekeeping courses
View a copy of ‘The Beekeeper’s Checklist’ : Beekeepers-Checklist