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 1^st (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