Hive Management & Colony Health

 

Seasonal Inspection Routine

• Spring (Colony Build‑Up): Weekly inspections to monitor brood patterns, food stores, and space. Add new supers (honey boxes) when bees fill 70–80% of existing frames.

• Summer (Honey Flow & Swarm Prevention): Continue feeding nectar‑rich pollen patties only if natural forage is scarce. Inspect for queen cells—remove or split hives to forestall swarming.

• Fall (Preparation for Winter): Consolidate frames to maintain warmth, ensure ample honey stores (60+ lbs in cold climates), and treat for Varroa mites with approved miticides or oxalic acid vaporization.

• Winter (Minimal Intervention): Check hive weight monthly by hefting from behind to ensure they haven’t consumed too much stores, and clear entrance blockages from dead bees or debris.

Disease & Pest Management

• Varroa Mites: Perform weekly sugar‑shake or alcohol wash counts; threshold treatments at 3 – 5 mites per 100 bees prevent viral outbreaks.

• American Foulbrood (AFB): A spore‑forming bacterium; burning infected frames and employing antibiotic dips (if legal) are crucial—report AFB cases to your state apiarist.

• Wax Moths & Small Hive Beetles: Rotate comb annually by culling old, dark frames; maintain strong brood patterns and low cluster sizes to deter infestations.