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 general cleaning up.
• Varroa monitoring – and treatment with apiguard or similar
• First inspection?  Only if it’s warm and not too windy (+/- 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