As a beekeeper you’ve got to keep your eye on the seasons, the weather, bee behavior, and the bees activities. This is meant to be a guide and should not be used as a substitute for watching and learning from your bees. Basically, being a good beekeeper means assisting when the bees need you, and leaving them alone when they don’t. So, remember, only inspect your hives when you are looking for something.
We’ve made a simple visual guide for our Texas beekeeping friends to help remember what to do at different times of the year – basically, your best bet as a beginner beekeeper is to learn about the bees and what they’re doing so that you can stay out of the way when needed and help, when needed.
Late Winter / Spring / Summer beekeeping goes a little something like this.
January –
Prep for new year
Check hives for Food & brood if temps are above 60 degrees
Reverse Brood Boxes
Oxalic acid treatments
February –
Check hives for Food & brood if temps are above 60 degrees
Reverse Brood Boxes
Remove Entrance reducers on strong hives
March –
Check hives for Food & brood if temps are above 60 degrees
Remove screened bottom board inserts and entrance reducers
Full Hive Inspections
Splits
April –
Remove screened bottom board inserts and entrance reducers
Full Hive Inspections
Splits
Watch for swarm cells
Be ready to add more space
Heading into Summer – leaves you with the following beekeeping activities.
May
Full hive inspections
Splits
Watch for Swarm Cells
Be ready to add more space & supers
Water source
Extract honey from full, capped supers – put back
June
Watch for Swarm Cells
Be ready to add more space & Supers
Water source
Extract honey from full, capped supers – Let them clean cappings
July
Water source
Extract honey from full, capped supers – let them clean cappings
Begin reducing hive space to what they’re using
Watch for food shortages in summer dearth
August
Water source
Begin reducing hive space
Mite count (Apivar Type treatments)
Fall Requeening if desired
Watch for food shortages in summer dearth
Lastly, preparing for the end of the year and winter time includes a different set of beekeeping activities in Texas.
September
Water source
Begin reducing hive space
Mite count (Apivar type treatments)
Fall Requeening if desired
Watch for food shortages in summer dearth
Begin looking for weak hives to combine
October
Combine weak hives
Switch back to solid inner covers / bottom boards
Make sure each hive box has at least 2 solid frames of honey
Reduce hive space to what they’re using
November
Combine weak hives
Switch back to solid inner covers / bottom boards
Make sure each hive box has at least 2 solid frames of honey
Reduce space
Oxalic Acid Treatments
December
No hive inspections
Oxalic acid treatments
Order & repair equipment
Check wax / comb storage for damage
Order bees / Queens
Here’s a pdf of our Beekeeper Year for easy download and storage.
2 Comments on “A Texan’s Guide to the Beekeeper’s Year”
Greetings!!! I live in San Antonio and am interested in bee keeping. Not for profit or honey. But because I have seen honey bees in my yard and I want to make a home for them. Maybe they will then pollinate my orange and peach trees for me. My problem is that there are wasps also and although non-aggressive enough that I haven’t bothered with them, they are now taking over my bee hotel and taking so much of everything that they are crowding out the honey bees Im trying to attract. Do you know if there is something I can use that will either kill or drive away the wasps and not hurt or harm the bees???!!!! Id really like to know. Thanks!!
Carol, I’m so sorry for the delayed response – I didn’t have my alerts set up for comments (fixed that!)
We have found that it’s impossible to get rid of all the wasps/yellow jackets, but there are some traps if you feel they are beyond an “acceptable” level. The traps usually include beer or something more bitter to keep the bees so from being attracted to them.
Some native bees also look very similar to wasps, so maybe double check that as well. Are you keeping actual hives in your yard Or just the bee hotel?
Greetings!!! I live in San Antonio and am interested in bee keeping. Not for profit or honey. But because I have seen honey bees in my yard and I want to make a home for them. Maybe they will then pollinate my orange and peach trees for me. My problem is that there are wasps also and although non-aggressive enough that I haven’t bothered with them, they are now taking over my bee hotel and taking so much of everything that they are crowding out the honey bees Im trying to attract. Do you know if there is something I can use that will either kill or drive away the wasps and not hurt or harm the bees???!!!! Id really like to know. Thanks!!
Carol, I’m so sorry for the delayed response – I didn’t have my alerts set up for comments (fixed that!)
We have found that it’s impossible to get rid of all the wasps/yellow jackets, but there are some traps if you feel they are beyond an “acceptable” level. The traps usually include beer or something more bitter to keep the bees so from being attracted to them.
Some native bees also look very similar to wasps, so maybe double check that as well. Are you keeping actual hives in your yard Or just the bee hotel?