Beekeeping Calendar

In this period the colony's population moves into explosion mode. The winter bees have given way to spring bees, and the queen is nearing full capacity. This rapid growth lays the foundation of the season.

The Start of Exponential Growth

The queen raises her laying rate, the first spring bees begin nursing, the colony grows exponentially. Each worker born allows more brood to be tended, which means faster growth — a positive cycle. This exponential growth is the only way to enter the main flow strong.

Completion of the Generation Change

In this period the last winter bees that saw out the winter die and the colony comes to consist entirely of spring bees. When this transition is complete the colony becomes "young" and dynamic — spring bees are energetic, healthy and hard-working. A colony that completes the generation change healthily strengthens fast.

Evaluating the Queen

This is the period in which the queen's quality is seen. A good queen builds a broad, tight, regular brood area and grows the colony fast. A poor queen (old, badly mated, diseased) produces a scattered, small, patchy brood area and slow development. If a poor queen is detected in this period, her replacement (requeening) is planned — because a poor queen means a poor main flow.

Balancing Colonies

Colonies in the apiary develop at different rates. Taking a frame of capped brood from strong colonies and giving it to weak ones (equalising) both strengthens the weak one and reduces the strong one's swarming pressure. This technique is the way to bring the apiary into the main flow balanced and strong. But to avoid carrying disease, frames are taken only from healthy colonies.

The First Signs of Swarming Pressure

Fast-growing strong colonies may begin to show swarming pressure towards the end of this period (especially in years with a warm early spring). Early queen cells and brood-chamber congestion are watched. Even though the swarm period has not yet come, strong colonies may trigger it early; it is prevented by giving space.

The Appearance of Drones

In this period drone production begins — the colony prepares for the breeding season. The appearance of drones is also needed for queen rearing and mating. This is a healthy and seasonal development.

In this period inspection becomes regular and comprehensive. The weather now allows the hive to be opened; because the colony changes fast, regular monitoring is essential.

Frequency and Timing

A comprehensive inspection every 10-14 days is appropriate; it grows more frequent as the colony speeds up and the swarm period approaches. Inspection is done at the mild, sunny hour of the day (around midday). In regions with a late frost risk, inspection is postponed on sudden cold days — open brood must not chill.

What to Check

• Queen and laying: brood-area order, rate of growth, queen quality.
• Development: how much the colony has strengthened, is space needed?
• Stores: is the spring starvation risk past, is there enough honey/pollen?
• Disease: brood pattern, nosema traces, varroa status.
• Swarm precursors: early queen cells, brood-chamber congestion.

Reading the Brood Area: The Mirror of Health

In this period the brood area is the best indicator of colony health. Healthy: a tight, regular, evenly capped, broad area — flat cappings "like a blanket". Problematic: a scattered, patchy ("shotgun" look), sunken or perforated area. A problematic brood area is a sign of varroa, foulbrood, a poor queen or a nutritional problem, and must be investigated at once.

Evaluating the Queen

The queen's performance is clearly seen in this period and becomes the basis of future decisions: a good queen is kept and becomes a breeder candidate; a poor queen is planned for replacement. Requeening can be done in this period or in spring development — doing it early takes the colony into the main flow with a good queen.

Inspection Discipline

Inspection should be quick but complete. The hive should not stay open long (open brood chills, the colony cools). Each frame should be lifted carefully — spring comb is not heavy but the queen can be crushed in the crowd. After the inspection everything should be put back in the right order; the brood area should not be split.

In this period feeding is done in a targeted way to speed development and prevent late starvation. The natural source is rising, but the energy demand of the spring explosion is high; the balance matters.

Natural Source vs Feeding

In this period natural nectar and pollen have begun to rise in most regions. A strong, well-stored colony can now develop on its own source and may not need feeding. But targeted feeding may continue to speed development or to support colonies that have fallen behind.

Stimulative Feeding: Speeding Development

Stimulative feeding (1:1 dilute syrup) imitates a natural nectar flow, encouraging the queen to lay more and speeding the colony's growth. This is the tool of the beekeeper who wants to enter the main flow stronger. It is used especially in regions where the main flow comes early, to bring the colony to its peak in time.

The Risk of Stimulative Feeding: Swarming

Beware: in strong colonies stimulative feeding can trigger swarming early. Giving an already fast-growing colony extra stimulus can push it to swarm through congestion. So stimulative feeding is used selectively: yes to speed a colony that has fallen behind, no to push a colony that is already exploding.

Pollen / Protein

Intense brood production demands plenty of protein. In this period natural pollen is generally rising (fruit trees, dandelion), but there may be scarcity early or in bad weather. If the pollen band is weak and development is protein-limited, a protein patty can be given. Natural pollen is always the priority.

Ending Feeding

When the main flow approaches, feeding is stopped. There should be no syrup in the hive on entering the main flow — otherwise the syrup mixes into the honey to be harvested (adulteration). So stimulative feeding is ended well before the main flow.

Water

Intense brood-rearing and rising foraging raise the water need. A near, sunny water source with a drowning-preventing surface supports the colony's development. In this period water is a resource needed far more often than feeding.

In this period, as the colony strengthens, varroa begins to reproduce again and brood diseases may appear. Monitoring a healthy brood area is the most important health task of the period.

Varroa: Reproduction Begins Again

As brood production rises, varroa re-establishes its reproduction cycle. In this period the mite count may still be low (if broodless-period treatment was done), but it begins to rise. Monitoring matters:

• A varroa measurement once a month, to track the build-up.
• Chemical treatment: can be done in this period, before the main flow and before supers are added. After the main flow starts and supers are added, treatment becomes difficult (honey must not be contaminated). So spring can be a treatment window if needed.
• Drone brood removal: because varroa prefers drone cells, cutting out drone brood is a mechanical reduction method.

Brood Diseases

Spring is the period in which brood diseases can appear; they are detected early by monitoring a healthy brood area:

• Chalkbrood: A fungal disease in cool, damp weather. Chalky white mummies in front of the hive. A ventilated hive, a strong colony and a good queen are the best protection.
• Foulbrood (American/European): A serious bacterial disease. Scattered brood, sunken/perforated cappings, bad smell, the ropiness test. With a suspicion of American foulbrood, consult a specialist/vet at once — it is highly contagious and destructive and may require legal notification.

Nosema

In early spring nosema may still be a risk, especially in colonies that came out weak. Faecal spotting, crawling bees, failure to develop are watched for. The opportunity for a cleansing flight (sun), a dry hive and a strong colony are the best prevention.

Robbing

In early spring, because the natural source is not yet fully abundant, there can be a robbing risk on bad-weather days — especially with weak colonies and if feeding is being done. Entrances are adjusted to strength, feeding done in the evening and closed.

The Principle of Early Detection

The health philosophy of this period is early detection. As the colony grows fast, a disease also spreads fast. Regular, careful brood-area inspection catches a problem while it is still small. A disease caught in early spring can be treated; the same disease erupting in the main flow ends the season.

This is the period in which nature truly begins to be generous. The first serious flowerings feed the colony and grow it fast — the first true abundance before the main flow.

The First Real Flow

The shift from a maintenance level to real income happens in this period. The first serious nectar and pollen sources open; the colony no longer merely survives but grows and begins to store. The hive scale may turn from falling to rising. This is the moment the season gains momentum.

The Main Sources of This Period

• Fruit trees: Apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot — strong in orchard and fruit-growing regions, both nectar and abundant pollen. The bee also pollinates these trees (a mutual benefit).
• Dandelion: The classic abundant source of early spring; both nectar and pollen, grows the colony fast.
• Willow (continuing): Still gives pollen in early regions.
• Oilseed rape/canola (early): In some regions a strong spring flow begins.
• Spring meadow flowers: Various wild species.
• Maple, oak (pollen): Tree pollens feed the colony.

The Decisive Role of Pollen

In this period pollen directly determines the colony's rate of growth. Abundant, varied pollen = fast brood production = a strong main-flow colony. Pollen-rich sources such as fruit trees and dandelion are therefore the motor of spring development. A thickening pollen band is the sign that the colony is preparing strongly for the main flow.

The Early Monofloral Opportunity

In some regions there is a strong, single-source early flow in this period (e.g. rape, citrus, in some regions the first forest sources). This can be an early monofloral honey opportunity — provided it does not disrupt the colony's development. Usually this early source is channelled into colony development rather than harvest.

Late Frost Risk

The source of this period is fragile against a late frost. A late frost can strike the flowering fruit trees and cut the flow abruptly — a loss for both the bee and the fruit grower. While relying on the source, the beekeeper must keep this risk in mind and not let the colony consume its internal stores entirely.

This is, as a rule, not the main harvest period; the source gathered goes to the colony's development and its preparation for the main flow. But there is a limited harvest in some early sources and, importantly, colony multiplication as a "product".

Why No Main Harvest

The honey gathered in this period is the fuel the colony needs to grow into the main flow. An early harvest takes the colony into the main flow weak and puts the real big harvest (main-flow honey) at risk. In this period patience returns as gain in the main flow. The rule: in this period the colony is built, not harvested.

The Limited Early Harvest Exception

If there is a strong, early monofloral flow (e.g. rape — which must be taken in time because it crystallises fast) and the colony is strong enough, a limited harvest can be taken from the supers. Rape honey needs special care: it crystallises fast in the comb and becomes impossible to extract, so timely harvest is critical. Still, the brood chamber is not touched.

The Real Product: Colony Multiplication

The most valuable output of this period is not honey but new colonies. Strong colonies are multiplied by artificial splits. A spring split means a new colony that will develop through the season and become next year's production colony. For an operation wishing to increase colony numbers, this period is the start of multiplication.

The Start of Queen Rearing

Towards the end of this period, when the colonies have strengthened and drones have appeared, queen rearing can begin. Rearing queens from breeder colonies (larval transfer, queen-cell management) provides the young queens to be used in splits and requeening. The queen is one of the most valuable products of this period.

Comb Drawing

In this period the colonies secrete wax and draw comb. Giving foundation gains drawn comb — a valuable stock for the super needs of the main flow. A strong, developing colony is very productive at drawing comb; this opportunity is used.

This is the period in which spring expansion and colony-multiplication equipment is in heavy use. The colonies grow and split fast; the equipment must be ready and sufficient.

Expansion Equipment — Must Be Sufficient

Growing colonies need room; space-giving equipment must be ready:

• Drawn comb and foundation: to be added as the colony expands. Drawn comb means the colony does not lose time drawing it.
• Extra boxes / supers: to give space when the brood chamber fills.
• Queen excluders: ready for the super arrangement.

Split and Multiplication Equipment

Colony multiplication begins in this period; the equipment must be ready:

• Empty hives and nucleus boxes: for spring splits.
• Queen cages: to introduce queens to splits.
• Queen-rearing equipment: grafting tool, cell cups, mating boxes.

Inspection Equipment — Heavy Use

Regular inspections have begun; the basic equipment must be constantly ready: smoker (plenty of fuel), clean veil, sound hive tool, queen-marking pen. In frequent inspection good equipment speeds the work and stresses the colony less.

Removing Winter Equipment

The winter arrangements are gradually removed: the mouse guard is taken off, the entrance opened, insulation loosened. Removed winter equipment is cleaned, dried and stored for the coming winter. But not all of it is removed at once until the late frost risk is past.

Feeding Equipment

If stimulative feeding is being done, the in-hive feeders must be clean and leak-proof; the protein patty ready. Because feeding will be stopped as the main flow approaches, the feeding equipment is cleaned and made ready to be put away.

The Scale

In this period the scale is valuable both to see that the source has begun (rise) and to monitor development. The reference hive scale shows the apiary's spring momentum and dictates when to add space/supers.

In this period the apiary is prepared for full activity. Winter protections are removed, space is arranged for growing colonies and increasing work, but caution against late frost is kept.

Gradual Removal of Winter Protections

When the weather warms persistently, the winter arrangements are gradually removed: the windbreak is loosened, excess insulation is taken, the hives are placed in full sun / a suitable location. But gradual is the key word — if a late frost comes, an unprotected developing colony is struck. If a hard cold is expected, protection is kept.

Setting Up the Water Source

Intense brood-rearing and foraging raise the water need. The water source is fully set up: near (100-200 m), sunny, with a drowning-preventing surface, uninterrupted. A good water source keeps the bee from going to neighbouring (unwanted) sources and supports development.

Space and Expansion Layout

The colonies are growing, splits will be made; the apiary space is prepared for this expansion. Flat, sound locations are prepared for new splits. Spacing between hives and flight directions must account for the rising traffic and new colonies — a crowded layout raises drifting and robbing.

Sun and Heat Balance

In early spring a location that catches the morning sun is ideal — the colony warms early and goes out to forage early. As the period advances, midday heat will rise, so a location that provides afternoon shade (while still catching the morning sun) is the ideal balance.

Site Cleaning

Spring weeds grow fast. The hive surroundings and the front of the entrance are kept clear — overgrown weeds block flight and hold damp. Winter damage (broken branches, shifted material) is cleared. The ground is levelled, drainage checked.

Migratory Beekeeping Preparation

If migration is planned to follow the main flow, the target location and timing are settled in this period. Migration to early sources (e.g. rape) can be done in this period. Migration conditions (night/early morning, ventilation) are always observed.