MONTH by MONTH

Two beekeepers walk you through a monthly schedule of easy-to-follow beekeeping tasks according to region.

- AMY GRISAK

The beekeeping year isn't set in stone. Bees work in tune with the seasons, and how and when you work your hive will vary from region to region and year to year. Still, you can follow a general plan for what to do throughout each season to ensure healthy bees and a productive honey crop. Use this calendar as a guide, and talk with local beekeepers to refine the timing. Learn which conditions to watch for to complete the tasks.

JANUARY

The beginning of the year is the time to build beekeeping equipment, long before you put it to use. It's much easier to do it now rather than scramble for gear when your package arrives or you capture a swarm. In many regions of the country, the bees stay in the hive in January except to go out for occasional cleansing flights (to defecate) on warm days.

“January is kind of hands-off,” says Marina Marchese, owner of Red Bee Honey in Weston, Connecticut. “We really don’t open the hive. If there’s snow at the entrance, clear it off to make sure there’s ventilation.”

FEBRUARY

Linda Tillman, a master beekeeper in Atlanta, says February is an important time to make sure the hive has enough honey. This is particularly true in the South, where the weather is milder and bees are more active instead of clustering to stay warm; however, northern bees also need adequate stores to maintain their hive temperature through cold spells.

Carefully lift an end of the hive to gauge the weight of the deeps (the two boxes that make up the main body of the hive). You want your beehive to weigh at least 50 to 70 pounds at this time of year.