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 just that. 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 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.

March

In the Hive

• The queen should be laying heavily now to increase the colony population to be ready to work the hive during the busy season.
• Brood is being reared if pollen is available.
• The adult population is low due to winter losses.
• A limited number of foraging flights might occur, resulting in a small amount of pollen available, which is not enough for the growing population of the hive.
• Risk of starvation this month is very high!

Inspections and Nutrition

• Don’t open the hive this month.
• Follow Winter hive inspection guidelines from January and February which are basically not to open the hive unless needed.
• Most colonies that starve do so in late winter and early spring.
• This month, the hive should have at least 3 or 4 combs full of honey.
• Feed the colony if the hive is light when lifted or if stores are empty, of if bees are visible at the top of the hive, through the inner cover.
• Feed with dry sugar, fondant, candy board, or capped honey combs.
• Continue feeding until pollen and nectar are available and bees are able to forage outside.
• If the cluster is too far from food stores, move honey frames closer to it.
• Feed pollen substitute/supplement to stimulate egg laying.

Equipment & Pest Management

• Mite population will start to rise in the colony, no treatments yet in the colder northern areas.
• In the South, where there are milder winters, beekeepers should perform measures to prevent swarming in the early part of this month. Use “checkerboarding” or alternating honeycomb with empty brood frames above the brood chambers.
• Equipment should be prepped and ready to use now.

Bee Yard and Environment

• Make sure the hive cover is secured.
• Remove ice blocking the hive entrance, but don’t remove insulating snow around the hive body.
• Don’t be alarmed if a few dead bees or fecal matter are scattered around the outside of the hive, especially on a warm day. They are doing some spring cleaning.

Conclusion

Bees will start their spring cleaning in March, and beekeepers should have their equipment clean, assembled, and ready to use. You will still have some planning to do, as you should keep records every month of the year. 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.

Remember, as with February, future you will appreciate the preparation you put into your beekeeping this month, and your work now will help your bees’ work to pay off later!