Honey Bees
Honey Bee Care Timeline (for the Midwest)
Below is a general guideline for the Midwestern US. In reality these recommendations could differ between hives and vary year to year.
First Year with Package or Nuc (in the Midwest)
Winter / Early Spring
End of April
May
June
July
August
August/September
October
Order bees.
Bees Arrive! Have hive and 1:1 simple syrup ready. Install in your hive and use entrance reducer with small opening. Feed bees 1:1 sugar syrup. Can add a pollen patty to help with brood production.
Check that colony is queenright (you should see newly laid eggs). Continue to feed if there are fewer than three full frames of feed. Can do some powdered sugar varroa treatments before the supers are added.
Continue to feed as needed. Check that colony is queenright. After the first 2-3 warm days in June, remove entrance reducer to prevent swarming. It’s better to err on the side of removing too early rather than too late. Add second hive body when there are enough bees to cover five frames in the lower body. It’s safer to add the second hive body too soon rather than too late.
Check about every 10 days. Stop feeding and add first super when there are enough bees to cover five frames in the second hive body. Add second super when first super is half full of honey and nectar. Perform varroa mite checks.
Remove all supers and process honey.
Apply varroa mite treatment after super removal and no later than the first week in September. After mite control completion, replace entrance reducer and feed 2:1 sugar syrup.
Continue to feed and then winterize before the end of October. Can add a candy board and/or grease patty for overwintering feed.
Subsequent Years (in the Midwest)
Late March / April
April / May
May /June
June / July
August
August/September
October
Provide 1:1 sugar syrup and pollen patties.
Continue to feed if there are fewer than three full frames of feed, can usually stop in May. Can do some powdered sugar varroa treatments before the supers are added. Make sure hives are queenright. Cull old comb, 2-3 frames per box per year. Take steps to prevent swarming. Can equalize brood between two or more hives, swap top and bottom hive bodies, or make splits.
After the first 2-3 warm days in June, remove entrance reducer to prevent swarming. It’s better to err on the side of removing too early rather than too late. Stop feeding and add first super when there are enough bees to cover five frames in the second hive body. Add second super when first super is half full of honey and nectar. It’s safer to add a super too soon rather than too late. Make sure hives are queenright.
Check hives about every 10 days. Check that colony is queenright. Perform varroa mite checks.
Remove all supers and process honey.
Apply varroa mite treatment after super removal and no later than the first week in September. After mite control completion, replace entrance reducer and feed 2:1 sugar syrup.
Continue to feed and then winterize before the end of October. Can add a candy board and/or grease patty for overwintering feed.