Introduction
Break your beehive maintenance out by the seasons. This group of list is meant to be a minimum that must be done, local conditions and your apiary set up will require you to adjust and adapt.
Each season has it own unique challenges for the bees and the beekeeper. Keeping an eye on the hive and watching for changes will be your main tool.
Beehive Maintenance – Spring
- Feed sugar syrup, 1:1 ration, as needed until nectar flow starts
- Feed pollen patties to stimulate brood rearing
- Remove entrance reducer and mouse guard as activity/temperature increase
- Bi-Weekly inspections after nectar flow starts
- Place honey supers on hive as needed
Beehive Maintenance – Summer
- Harvest honey from supers as needed
- Feed sugar syrup if needed during dearth, Install robber screen if needed
- Treat for Varroa Mites – vary treatment types to avoid building immunity
- Hive beetle traps/control
- Make nucs/splits
Beehive Maintenance – Fall
- Treat for Varroa Mites – vary treatment types to avoid building immunity
- Feed sugar syrup if needed to build winter stores
- Install entrance reducer and mouse guard as activity/temperature decrease
- Move smaller colonies into nuc hives to over winter
- Add winter insulation or ventilation to hives
Beehive Maintenance – Winter
- Feed sugar bricks as needed, usually later in the winter as the bees use up their stores
- Feed pollen patties to stimulate brood rearing
- Keep the entrance clear of snow and debris so it is available on warmer days, use upper entrance if you get a lot of snow
- Clean and repair extra equipment, purchase needed items for spring
- Use the extra time for one of your other hobbies or read one of my Hive Hacking post like “Two Queens are better than one! For making Honey!”
No Maintenance Beehive – Perone Hive
The Perone hive is a design by Oscar Perone where the bees tare given the basic setup of what they need and then mainly leave them alone to care for themselves as the would in the wild. Be prepared for some losses, just like in the wild. The hive will swarm (which helps with mite control) and the hive will deal with pest, you should only watch according to the hives designer.
This hive design closely resembles the inside of a tree and using the “Golden Spiral” for dimensions which is found in nature, the designer believes it gives the bees a better home. The hive is set and forget by design. The intent is to install an early “primary” swarm to this hive. After 18 months and into the second season on you add the honey supers and collect the honey.
I have some land available to me and will be installing at least one of these hives to see how well it works or doesn’t in my local climate. Interested? Do a search and the plans are easy to find and build.