Barnstable County Beekeeper's Annual Calendar

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January

• Keep entrances clear of ice and snow

• Heft hives for stores

• Feed candy or granulated sugar if needed

• Repair and assemble equipment

February

• Order package bees for April or May delivery

• Redistribute remaining stores if needed

• Clean hive entrance and surroundings

March

• Feed dry sugar or candy if stores are low

• Feed 1:1 Sugar Syrup

• May feed pollen substitute to increase brood production

April

• Prepare hives for new bees

• Install package bees

• At dandelion bloom, reverse brood supers and flip inner cover

May​

• Check brood pattern for diseases and swarm cells

• Divide strong colonies -- watch for swarms

June

• Super as needed for nectar flow

• Continue to watch for warming

July

• Remove and extract capped honey supers

• Inspect for Queenright, diseases, and mites

August

• Place extracted supers on hives for “licking”

• Requeen, if planned or necessary, during nectar flow

September

• Remove honey supers 

• Install mouse guards and use entrance reducers to keep out mice

• Flip inner covers to “winter mode”

October​

• Feed 2:1 Sugar Syrup 

November - December

• Make needed equipment repairs

• Leave the bees alone

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Please note: treatments of pests and diseases has been omitted from this calendar at this time.