Brad’s Bingaling Beekeeping Calendar – MV, WA
March – Average High 53.4° Average Low 37.9° Rain page 1 of 4
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Critical Month: Strong hives can starve suddenly! Remove screened bottom board inserts and store. Gently lift hives to check & record weight # feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar |
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Gently lift hives to check & record weight # feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar |
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Gently lift hives to check & record weight # feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar Check for dead hives and the cause of their demise. Clean dead outs equipment & yard areas |
April – Average High 58.1° Average Low 40.5°
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Clean the entrance, bottom boards, and remove guards/reducers on occupied hives Reverse brood boxes? / may have to manipulate frames? Feed syrup 1 to 1 (slide lids over - to keep hives warm) Prepare yards & empties for NEW hives, place stands/blocks, 1 deep box, install reducers Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Move overwintering Nucs to deeps |
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Feed syrup 1 to 1, optional-pollen patties for brood build up HBH syrup drench bees between brood frames IPM (1 tsp vs. 8oz syrup dribbled) Or Nosevit syrup drench 1ml per 8oz (for Nosema) Start NEW hives; install bee packages warm late afternoon, sunny & clear, no wind… Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
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Pollen patties & syrup 1 to 1 for new hives HBH syrup drench bees between brood frames IPM (1 tsp vs. 8oz syrup dribbled) Or Nosevit syrup drench 1ml per 8oz (for Nosema) Start adding honey supers to those colonies that are not being fed. Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
May – Average High 64° Average Low 45.4°
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Full Frame Inspections (on ~60 degree day) Check for overcrowding, is there room for the queen to lay eggs? Consider Spring Splits? (for any 7+ brood frame colonies) Continue pollen patties & syrup 1 to 1 for NEW hives only Add honey supers for colonies not being fed. Add 2nd brood box for the NEW hives? Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
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Continue to add honey supers to colonies not being fed. Add 2nd brood box for NEW hives, remove entrance reducers for NEW hives Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
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Harvest capped maple flower honey (optional). Add 2nd brood box for NEW hives Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
June – Average High 68.4° Average Low 49.4° page 2 of 4
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Check for overcrowding, is there room for the queen to lay eggs? Do Summer Splits? (for any 7+ brood frame colonies) Install Drone Frames in NEW hives (green frame or a western frame in deeps #3 slot) Harvest capped maple flower honey supers (optional). Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) |
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Syrup 1 to 1 for last time for NEW hives or anyone that needs it? Touch up paint of hives Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Harvest capped maple flower honey (optional). |
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Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Harvest capped blackberry flower honey (optional). |
July – Average High 73° Average Low 51.5°
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Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Harvest capped blackberry flower honey (optional). If High Mite counts, treat OAV* 3x5 days apart, remove or separate honey supers |
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Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Harvest blackberry flower capped honey (optional). |
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Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) If queen laying in honey super, shake down bees & add queen excluder Harvest capped blackberry honey (optional). |
August – Average High 74.1° Average Low 51.6°
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5 |
Remove capped drone comb beneath special IPM drone comb frames (#3 slots) Harvest all capped wildflower honey in supers Install Entrance Reducers for yellow jacket attacks, add grass in doorway if under attack Last chance to re-Queen? (if needed, also interrupts brood cycle for Varroa - IPM) |
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Install all screened bottom board inserts Harvest all wildflower honey and remove the supers Treat all hives with 1st treatment 25g to 50g Apiguard, entrances open. Extract and bottle all wildflower honey, stack supers when finished for bee cleaning. |
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Treat all hives with 2nd treatment 25g to 50g Apiguard, entrances open. |
September – Average High 69.1° Average Low 47.5°
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Remove and store properly all the clean & dry honey supers |
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Oxalic Acid Vaporization |
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Oxalic Acid Vaporization Install All Entrance Reducers & Mouse Guards on empty hives. Combine weak colonies! Feed Syrup 2-parts sugar to 1-part water Sell honey, and deliver honey to host property owners |
October – Average High 60° Average Low 41.8° Rain page 3 of 4
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Calculate stores (each hive must have 60lbs honey!) Remove screened bottom board inserts Continue Feed Syrup 2 to 1, If moving colonies between yards, now is good time to do it HBH syrup drench bees between brood frames IPM (1 tsp vs. 8oz syrup dribbled) Or Nosevit syrup drench 1ml per 8oz |
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15 |
Continue Feed Syrup 2 to 1, If moving colonies between yards, now is good time to do it HBH syrup drench bees between brood frames IPM (1 tsp vs. 8oz syrup dribbled) Or Nosevit syrup drench 1ml per 8oz |
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25 |
Continue Feed Syrup 2 to 1, If moving colonies between yards, now is good time to do it Provide additional honey in frames to colonies that need it Order new boxes, lids, bottom boards, and frames if needed |
November – Average High 50.9° Average Low 38.1° Heavy Rain
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Minimum Assistance: Check hive for damage & record weight in pounds; feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar Install moisture control for Winter (shims or quilt box?) Confirm inserts & reducers installed for all bottom boards and entrances Assemble new boxes and frames for Spring, and repairs if needed |
December – Average High 46° Average Low 34.6° Heavy Rain
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Minimum Assistance: Check hive for damage & record weight in pounds; feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar Check bottom board, to make sure entrance not blocked Assemble new boxes and frames for new hives in Spring, and repairs if needed |
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Oxalic Acid Vaporizer when hives broodless! (Minimum 37 degrees F, best @ 50’) |
January – Average High 45.7° Average Low 34.1° Heavy Rain
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Minimum Assistance: Check hive for damage & record weight in pounds; feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar Check bottom board, to make sure entrance not blocked Order Bee packages or nucs and pollen patties for Spring |
February – Average High 49.5° Average Low 35.9° Rain
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Minimum Assistance: Register your apiary and hives with the state Check hive for damage & record weight in pounds; feed honey, bee candy or raw sugar Check bottom board, to make sure entrance not blocked Check Hive for activity, sounds, too many dead bees at entrance, etc. |
Page 4 of 4
Additional Notes:
Generally speaking, I count & record the number of brood frames during the first inspection of the months during April, May & June to determine which hives to split. The 2nd & 3rd inspections of the Spring & Summer months are quick inspections to check health, confirm the colony is ‘queen right’ and if any colonies need treatment or assistance; and also to remove all capped drone comb (IPM). I harvest capped honey to sell during the months of May, June, July & August. Last half of August - Apiguard treatment x2. Starting in September - I prepare the hives for winter, feeding 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. During Winter, minimum assistance plus an oxalic acid vapor treatment around Christmas. I record the tipping weight once each month during Winter and feed to any light hives either honey, fondant (bee candy), or raw sugar in empty frames (note: 2 to 1 Syrup can only be fed if it’s warm enough 55F+). I generally remove capped drone comb if 75% or more cells are capped in the Spring months & remove capped drone comb if 66% or more is capped during the Summer months.
* Oxalic Acid Vaporizer – Treat colony around Christmas when there’s very little brood in the colony (some beekeepers treat more often). You can treat all swarms, or new packages when installing. You should treat problem hives (high mite counts) with OAV any time but if the supers are on, either remove the honey supers or shake down bees and add coroplastic sheet between deeps and honey supers before OAV treatment; and wait for 2 hours before putting supers back on after removing the coroplastic sheet. When treating when brood is in the hive, you must treat 3 times 5 days apart. (also minimum temperature must still be 37 degrees F, more effective if 50 degrees so cluster breaks).
Possible Equipment Check List:
Tool bag, hive tools, 9 frame spacer, jackets, gloves & veils, baking soda paste or toothpaste, epi-pen, metal smoker bucket, smoker & fuel, newspapers, lighter, syrup spray bottle, extra deep and super boxes, extra deep & super frames, extra lids, extra bottom boards, queen excluders, record book, screened bottom board inserts, newspaper, burlap strips, ramp & hand truck, entrance reducers, mouse guards, syrup buckets, pollen patties, weed whacker, robbing cloth, mite count boards, swarm box, swarm bucket, mite-count screened jar, small garbage bags, pruning shears, moving frame lids, entrance blockers, water, etc.
Additional Notes:
Brad Raspet - BingalingBees.com - Brad.Raspet@gmail.com - 360-708-9424