This is part of an ongoing series-Beekeeping Season-A month to month guide for beekeepers.

There is so much to learn and worry about with beekeeping. You want to know things like when to feed bees in winter, when to add supers, when should I worry about swarm season, when to treat for mites, and countless other concerns. And maybe you know these things, but making sure they are done at the right time, in the right order is very important, too.

And, I don’t know about you, but for me, there are so many responsibilities and tasks jammed into my brain at any given moment, the possibility of me missing or forgetting something is high. And I would never want my bees to be negatively affected by a lapse in my memory!

This month by month beekeeping calendar series of posts will teach you all of the beekeeping tasks for any given month. And we’ll talk a little about what’s blooming each month of the honey season, too. See previous calendar posts here (Beekeeper’s Calendar January) and here (Beekeeper’s Calendar February).

If you’d like to see it all in one easy place, you can get your printable (yay!) copy of this Month-by-Month Beekeeping Guide here.

This series will cover a general beekeeping calendar for the Northeast, with tips for the South and West interspersed. Look in the coming months for more region specific calendars, but this month by month beekeeping calendar series will cover all you need to know for the beekeeping season where ever you are keeping bees.

April

In the Hive

• In the North, the bees will still be clustered on cold days, but will be foraging and bring large quantities of pollen and nectar into the hive
• Despite this increase in foraging, colonies can still starve this month if flights are limited by bad weather and cold days.
• There will be an increase in drone rearing
• Do quick inspections of the brood pattern, and food stores on the warmest days
• If you know there will be two days of warm weather, if the bottom brood chamber is empty, move it to the top of the brood nest.
• Allow two weeks for a new package or nuc to establish before inspecting.
• In the South, bees will be in full honey production mode. Add boxes to the hive to keep up with honey stores.

Inspections and Nutrition

• If the cluster is too far from food stores, move frames of honey closer to it.
• It still might be necessary to supplement pollen to stimulate egg laying.
• Feed package bees or nucs as soon as you get them.
• The colony should have 3-4 full honey combs. Feed the colony if the hive is light or the stores are empty.
• Use Candy board, dry sugar, capped honey frames, or a feeder with a 1:1 sugar syrup. (If bees are reliant on the supplemental feeding, keep feeding them until they can access the nectar and pollen outside).

Equipment & Pest Management

• It’s time to do monthly monitoring for Varroa mites. Treat if you find 2 or more mites per 100 bees after a sugar shake, ether roll, or alcohol wash.
• If you are treating for mites with methods that cannot be used when supers are present, now is the time to use those treatments.
• If using drone comb for Varroa management, monitor closely, within 28 days minimum. (Mites can take over drone comb if allowed to do so.)
• Check every single brood frame in every hive for American foulbrood.
• Clean dead bees and other debris off the bottom board during the first full hive inspection to prevent pest and disease infestation.

Hive Management

• This is a good month for requeening, but local queens might be in short supply this early (it’s great to have a relationship with a local supplier).
• Check often for swarm cells, especially if you are rearing your own queens. Cut out any swarm cells you find.
• Install new package bees or nucs as they arrive.
• Balance out hives by moving brood frames from one to another (1 or 2, don’t go overboard). It’s also a good time to swap hive locations.

Bee Yard and Environment

• Now is the time to remove winter insulation, mouse guards and the like. Leave entrance reducers on.
• If you use bear fencing, make sure it is working properly and check to see if batteries need replacing.
• Remember to take notes, especially if any colonies didn’t live through the winter. Try to diagnose what happened and make note of things you could do differently.
• Large scale corn planting may start at the end of the month; pesticides in the “dust” from planting may pose a threat to colonies. Be aware of this when placing hives.

Our Beehive Inspection Sheet is a great way to take notes and keep track of your hive. Check it out here. It has everything you’ll need to keep track of all aspects of your hives from measuring honey stores, brood levels and pest management.

Blooming Now

Some of the things that may be blooming this month are: Crocuses, Witch Hazel, Maples, Willows, Eastern redbuds, Elm Trees, Poplar Trees, Skunk Cabbage, Wild Strawberry, Yellow Rocket, and Deadnettle.

Conclusion

April marks the boom in activity for honey bees. They will be venturing out and foraging from those early blooming plants. But remember that you may need to continue feeding or supplementation.

Be sure to pick up your copy of the month-by-month beekeeping guide where all the information you need each month is collected in one informative and convenient place.

This are really going to get exciting in the hive now and going forward.