Timings below fit Belgium, the Netherlands and similar temperate Western European climates. A warm spring can pull everything two or three weeks forward; a cold one pushes it back. Watch what's flowering and what your bees are doing — the calendar is the map, not the territory.
Deep winter dormancy
The colony sits in a tight cluster around the queen, eating stored honey to make heat. Flight is minimal; toward month's end, brood rearing may restart very slowly in mild areas.
- Heft hives from the rear — they should still feel heavy with stores.
- Keep entrances clear of snow and dead bees; check mouse guards.
- Repair equipment and order frames and foundation for spring.
First stirrings
Laying increases with the day length, and stores burn faster as brood rearing accelerates — this is the most dangerous month for starvation. On mild days bees take cleansing flights and find the first hazel and snowdrop pollen.
- Heft regularly; put fondant on any colony that feels light.
- On a mild day, lift the crown board briefly to confirm life and nearby stores.
- Check varroa drop on the monitoring board if fitted.
Spring awakening
Brood rearing ramps up and bees work willow, crocus and blackthorn on flying days. The colony is growing but vulnerable: consumption can outpace incoming nectar, so stores can still run critically low.
- Start inspections once days reliably reach 14 °C — laying queen, brood pattern, stores.
- Feed 1:1 syrup if forage is scarce; rotate out old, dark comb.
- Unite weak-but-queenright colonies rather than nursing hopeless cases.
Spring buildup
Populations expand fast on dandelion, fruit blossom and oilseed rape, and the first drones appear. Strong colonies may already start swarm preparations, and space needs grow by the week.
- Inspect every 7–10 days: queen cells, brood health, space.
- Add supers before the bees run out of storage room.
- Start per-colony records — strength, temperament, productivity.
Swarm season peak
Colonies hit peak population and the urge to reproduce peaks with them. Hawthorn, horse chestnut and late fruit blossom keep the supers filling. A charged queen cell means a swarm within about a week if you don't act.
- Inspect every 7 days without fail; look for charged queen cells.
- Use artificial swarms, nucs or the Demaree method for swarm control.
- Extract oilseed rape honey before it sets solid in the comb.
The main flow begins
Clover, lime, bramble and wildflowers come into full bloom, and a strong colony can fill a super in under a week. Swarming pressure eases as foraging takes over. Beware the "June gap" in some areas — a lull between spring and summer flows.
- Stay ahead with supers; never let the flow run out of room.
- Relax to 10–14 day inspections once swarm risk passes.
- Start planning the post-harvest varroa treatment.
Peak flow and early harvest
Lime, blackberry and meadow flowers carry the flow, which tapers off mid-month in many areas. The first capped supers can come off, and the colony quietly shifts from growth to consolidation. Wasps and robbing start to test weaker hives.
- Extract full, capped supers promptly — and never strip a colony bare.
- Assess queens; requeen underperformers late in the month.
- Watch for deformed wings — a sign of high varroa load.
Harvest and varroa treatment
The main harvest happens, and then the single most important job of the year: varroa treatment, immediately after the supers come off. The bees raised now are the long-lived winter bees — they must be raised healthy. See the varroa guide for methods and thresholds.
- Harvest, leaving at least 15–20 kg of stores per colony.
- Treat against varroa straight after harvest; measure first with a wash or roll.
- Feed 2:1 syrup if stores fall short; reduce entrances against robbing.
Autumn preparation
Populations decline and the winter bees are raised. Drones are evicted, ivy offers a late nectar and pollen source, and Asian hornets are at their most active around entrances.
- Finish feeding by mid-month — 18–20 kg total stores per colony.
- Re-check mite levels; follow up the treatment if counts stayed high.
- Remove queen excluders, fit mouse guards, strap the roofs down.
Settling down for winter
Brood rearing slows to a trickle or stops, and the winter cluster forms on cold nights. The bees seal cracks with propolis and narrow their own entrance. One last look inside, then the lid stays on.
- Final inspection early in the month: stores, eggs, colony strength.
- Heft to set a baseline weight for winter monitoring.
- Tidy the apiary and review the season's records.
Winterization
Colonies are fully clustered and mostly broodless — which makes this the ideal window for an oxalic acid treatment, catching the mites with no capped brood to hide in. The beekeeper's role shifts to protection: roofs, guards, drainage.
- Apply oxalic acid (trickle or vaporisation) in the broodless period.
- Check roofs are waterproof; fit woodpecker guards where needed.
- Start winter equipment maintenance and plan next season.
Midwinter rest
The quietest month. The cluster is tight, consumption is at its lowest, and after the shortest day the slow march back toward spring begins. Leave the bees alone and work on everything else.
- Heft monthly; clear entrances after storms.
- Build frames, clean kit, order supplies before the spring rush.
- Review your records and set plans for the new season.
Whatever the month, the through-line is the same: look regularly, act on time, and write down what you saw — our inspection checklist covers exactly what to look for once the hive is open.
Seasonal tips, on your phone, at the hive
HiveTrack ships this whole calendar as built-in monthly guidance — with reminders for treatments, feedings and inspections so the important weeks don't slip past.
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