To become a successful beekeeper, you need to understand the seasons of beekeeping and what basic tasks you will be doing during each one. In this article we'll go over the four seasons.

Springtime

In the springtime the bees are waking up from their winter nap. It is time for you, as the beekeeper, to inspect the hive and be sure that there is no disease in it and that the queen is present and laying eggs. During this time of year you will also add an extra section to the hive called a super if the bees need more room. Lastly, spring is the time of year to dose the hive with preventative medications.

Summer

Starting in about June you will be adding extra frames in a super to your hive. This gives the bees a place to store the honey they will be producing. Then when all of the frames in a super are filled with honey and one-half the cells are capped with wax it is time to harvest the honey.

Fall

At this point it is time to get your bees ready to overwinter. You will bee feeding your bees sugar water to make sure that they live through the winter. It is also important to inspect your hive just like in the spring and make sure that the queen and the hive is healthy. In colder regions it is important to wrap the hive for the winter as well.

Winter

Bees are actually very self sufficient. They winter over by themselves very well provided you did your fall activities correctly. At this time of year, you can take a break and begin to prepare your hive for spring.