IL Apiary Inspection Section: Steven Chard (217) 782-6297
Registration #: 8278
Spring Management
January:
Do in the bee yard
- Check overwintering bees. Supply with granulated sugar directly on the inner cover or make a “candy board”
February:
Do in the bee yard
- Check overwintering bees. Supply with granulated sugar directly on the inner cover or make a “candy board”
- Feed pollen cakes and patties to help build up the food stores and keep the hive strong
- Help the bees with their housekeeping by clearing the dead bees on the bottom board out with a coat hanger or some other device (be sure to put the entrance reduce back on, you don’t want any mice getting in at this point)
Get ready / purchase
- Order bee “packages”, best time is to schedule bee packages between April 15 and April 30
- Check supply / purchase Terramycin
March:
Do in the bee yard
- Check overwintering bees. Supply with granulated sugar directly on the inner cover or make a “candy board”. If it’s warm enough switch to a sugar syrup.
- Locate the hive in the position you want during the main honey flow. South or East exposure is best and some kind of wind break. Use cement blocks to get the hive up off the ground.
- Remove winter coverings in late March
- Start medicating the bees with Terramycin mix in late March
- 1 x 2lb bag of confectioners’ powered suger
- 1x 6.4 ouce pouch of terramycin (TM25)
- Put in 2lb coffee can, tightly sealed and in freezer
- Apply 3 treatments (sprinkle directly on the frames) 10 days apart starting in Late March
Get ready / purchase
- Finish assembling new equipment
- Purchase a supply of sugar for making sugar syrup (3-5..5lb bags worth)
- Check supply / purchase Terramycin
April
Do in the bee yard
- Start any new hives
- “Reverse” the brood supers in late april or when queen “peanuts” are noticed [not for first year]
- Reposition outside frames to the inside to cause bees to work those frames and fill the super, but don’t break up the nursery [not for first year]
Get ready / purchase
- Make sugar syrup (1 part sugar to 2 parts water)
- 1x 5lb bag of sugar
- 2 quarts of water
- Heat to a boil
May
Do in the bee yard
- Be ready with additional supers
- Add another brood super when bees have filled 6 frames or are working the outside frames
- When adding a second super pull 2 center frames and move to new super.
- Push frames together in bottom super and add 2 new frames to the outside.
- Don’t break up the nursery.
- Remove entrance restrictions
- “Reverse” the brood supers in late april or when queen “peanuts” are noticed [not for first year]
- Continue feeding sugar syrup until they won’t take anymore (probably middle May)
- Must stop medication by middle of May at the latest (30 days prior to first honey super)
Summer Management
June
Do in the bee yard
- Check hives every two weeks and add supers as needed. Bottom supering stimulates honey storage.
- When adding a second super pull 2 center frames and move to new super. Push frames together in bottom super and add 2 new frames to the outside. Don’t break up the nursery
- Reposition outside frames to the inside to cause bees to work those frames and fill the super, but don’t break up the nursery
- Check ventilation and adjust during hot/humid weather
- Reverse the lower hive bodies if you think there is a chance of swarming
- Provide a source of water
July
Do in the bee yard
- Check hives every two weeks and add supers as needed. Bottom supering stimulates honey storage.
- When adding a second super pull 2 center frames and move to new super. Push frames together in bottom super and add 2 new frames to the outside. Don’t break up the nursery
- Reposition outside frames to the inside to cause bees to work those frames and fill the super, but don’t break up the nursery
- Check ventilation and adjust during hot/humid weather
- Reverse the lower hive bodies if you think there is a chance of swarming
- Provide a source of water
- If frames have been removed for honey extraction, return them “wet” just before dark and the bees will “clean” and refill
Get ready / purchase
- Start soliciting stores/farm stands to see if they will have an interest in selling your honey products
- Purchase moth nuggets (NOT MOTH BALLS!) …paradichlorobenzine
August
Do in the bee yard
- Honey flow should be dropping…check hives every two weeks and remove/add supers as needed.
- Check ventilation and adjust during hot/humid weather
- Provide a source of water
- If frames have been removed for honey extraction, return them “wet” just before dark and the bees will “clean” and refill
Get ready / purchase
- Start soliciting stores/farm stands to see if they will have an interest in selling your honey products
- Requeen if she is two years old (she just finished 2nd honey season) or more
- Any frames with comb should be stored in the garden shed with paradiclorobenzine (moth nuggets) on top and covered in a trash bag to keep wax moths away.
- Check supply / purchase mite medicine
Fall Management
September
Do in the bee yard
- Remove last supers that need extracting. Last honey harvest should be on Labor Day, let the bees have anything they can make after that.
- Provide a source of water
- Apply mite medicine and terramycin/powered sugar mixture after last extracting super has been removed
- Start feeding sugar syrup mixture
Get ready / purchase
- Start soliciting stores/farm stands to see if they will have an interest in selling your honey products
- Requeen if she is two years old (she just finished 2nd honey season) or more
- Any frames with comb should be stored in the garden shed with paradiclorobenzine (moth nuggets) on top and covered in a trash bag to keep wax moths away.
October
Do in the bee yard
- Mouse proof the entrance during first week or two of the month
- Make sure electric fence is up to keep the skunks away
- Continue feeding sugar syrup mixture
November
Do in the bee yard
- Move bees under garden shed overhang
- Apply winter protection measures
December:
Do in the bee yard
- Check overwintering bees. Supply with granulated sugar directly on the inner cover or make a “candy board”
Honey Collection/Extraction
- Reverse the full honey supers 2 days before harvest to break bur comb. This keeps the supers from being messy when moving to a new location for extraction.
- Don’t use “Bee-Go”, use “Bee Quick” on the fume board during honey harvest. “Bee-Go” stinks
- Dehydrate the honey for at least 2 days, but not more than 5 days, using a dehumidifier and fan in the laundry room…not the garage!
- Rent honey extractor from Charles Lorence for $30 a weekend
- Use 3 layers of cheese cloth to strain
- Use a solar wax melter
Things to Try
- Make your own lip balm (Dadant)
Candy Board
- Heat 1 1/2 cups of water to boiling in large pot on stove
- Stir in as much sugar as can be dissolved. Should be about 5 pounds.
- Boil, uncovered, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer (IMPORTANT!!) should take about 30 minutes
- Pour into “candy board”. Should way about 15 lbs and harden when it cools