Below you will find a chronological sequence of beekeeping activities. Since the bee year is strongly dependent on the weather, the activities may vary.
Current and detailed information can also be found in the Infobrief Bienen@Imkerei.
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| January | Check beehive only from the outside (if necessary, clean flight holes from ice, snow and dead bees). Prepare or repair frames and hives. |
| February | When the weather is warm and the bees are flying, careful checks are possible, in particular whether there is enough food available (if necessary, add food combs from colonies with a plentiful supply, e.g. remove empty combs for this purpose). Remove dead colonies or at least seal them bee-tight. Prepare work equipment for the coming season. |
| March | When the weather is warm and the bees are flying, check the food supply and the Queen Bee (if necessary, dissolve weak or queenless colonies or unite them with queen-correct ones). Remove mice grids and clean the grid bottoms from dead fall. Remove empty old edge combs in one-room operation or lower empty brood chamber with old combs in two-room operation. Constrict the colonies (e.g. with a screen) and insert diapers (close the bottoms). First extensions (e.g. second brood chamber, at the edge with center walls) at the time of the saltwill bloom and when the colony strength is sufficient. |
| April | Insert additional hive and middle walls. Set up honey chamber at cherry blossom. Remove excess forage combs beforehand, but leave a total of up to two combs per frame for inclement weather. Give drone frames. At the end of the month, carry out the first swarm checks and preventive measures. |
| May | Honey harvest. Swarm control and prevention measures. Queen rearing and formation of offspring. End of May or beginning of June harvest of the early fallow honey (do not wait too long if the proportion of rapeseed is high). |
| June | Honey harvest. Further swarm control and prevention measures. Queen rearing and formation of offspring. In case of a good harvest, a second honey chamber may be necessary. Cut out capped drone combs. |
| July | Honey harvest. Varroa checks and, if necessary, brood removal. Harvest of the summer honey at the end of the season. Afterwards (end of July, beginning of August) varroa treatment (e.g. with formic acid). |
| August | Set up the winter residence (remove old combs and melt them down), fill up with mid-walls and feed. Varroa control and treatment if necessary. |
| September | Check feed supply and complete refeeding. Continue to check for varroa infestation (e.g. every 3-4 weeks) as long as there is flight activity. Prepare hives for the winter. |
| October | Attach flat flight hole wedge or mouse screen. Do not move any more combs. Varroa control, if necessary, treatment by spraying lactic acid; prepare hives for winter. |
| November | Towards the end of the month and when brood is free, carry out winter treatment (residual mitigation for a low-mite start to the coming year); renew material; time for further training. |
| December | Winter treatment (if not already in November); renew material; time for training. |