A Year in the West Texas Bee Yard
A Year in the West Texas Bee Yard
January
Check colony stores of honey and feed sugar syrup if necessary (2:1)
Check for dead, failing colonies
February
Inspect colonies for stores
Inspect colonies to make sure they are queenright.
Inspect colonies for diseases and mites
Feed pollen patties and sugar syrup (2:1) as necessary
March
Inspect colonies for congestion
Inspect to make sure they are queenright
Check colonies for diseases or mites
Check colony for healthy brood pattern
Check colony for queen cells
Manage for swarming
April
Inspect colonies for congestion, stores, queenright, disease, brood pattern, and queen cells
Replace queen if planned
Manage for swarming, remove entrances
Add Queen excluder, add supers for honey flow (West Texas Spring dates are unreliable for honey flow, carefully watch weather)
May
Inspect colonies for congestion
Add supers as necessary for Spring honey flow (San Angelo Mesquite usually blooms the beginning of May, through June)
June
Inspect colonies for congestion
Add supers as necessary for Spring honey flow
July
Inspect colonies for congestion, stores, queenright, diseases and mites
Install Vented inner cover
Remove and process honey
Remove queen excluders
*Cotton begins to bloom in Mid -July
August
Inspect colonies for congestion, stores, queenright, diseases and mites
September
Inspect colonies for congestion, stores, queenright, diseases and mites
Remove vented inner cover
Brood rearing will be decreasing
*Remove Cotton Honey Sept 1st (cool nights crystallize honey frames quickly)
October
Inspect colonies for stores, queenright, diseases and mites
Brood rearing will be decreasing
November
Inspect colonies for stores, queenright
Reduce entrances for winter
December
Check colony stores, feed sugar syrup if necessary (2:1)
Order packages and queens for desired delivery date
