calander of beekeeping tasks

[shrekfeet]

can anyone help me, I'm new to keeping bees. I want to be sure I am checking and doing things at the right time. I am looking for a basic step by step month by month list of thi8ngs you should be doing with the colony. Any good books or online sites you could point me to?
Thanks

 

[jallen]

hi shrekfeet welcome to the forum a book called bees atn the bottom of the garden has a month by month guide and is a very helpful book hope that helps

joe

 

[oliver90owner]

Just don't rely on dates to be correct. Rough order may be OK, but dates? - a waste of time. You do things when they are required, not by a calender. Target dates are sometimes acceptable but are certainly not set in stone.

So don't expect anything like that to be more than a basic guide for beekeeping - and they can be misleading, too. Reading replies to posts on some threads on here, it is obvious that many read them and expect the bees/weather to comply! It just does not happen all the time.

Any good beekeeping book should explain all that needs to be done throughout the year.

Some books seem not to be 'that good', so make sure you read several, is my advice.

Regards, RAB

 

[shrekfeet]

thanks oliver - I understand, it's like gardening, weather and other factors can change things, but unless you have a rough idea what to do when and why you are doing it then you don't have a starting point. I know I need a 'good book' but what can you recommend?

 

[oliver90owner]

I have lots of old beekeeping books and, as such, don't really need any more of the new ones. I am not a new starter by any means and I am able to separate the old practices from the modern ones. My favourite reference book is E B Wedmore's Manual of Beekeeping, first published 1932. It is not one that I could recommend as a first beekeeping book as it is obviously a little dated, but it was also set out as a technical reference book in it's day. It doesn't mention varroa, either.

Regards, RAB

 

[johnandyrob]

A good basic book with monthly tasks is starting out with bees by john williams it is a beginners book but still good but as Rab says dates can not be relied on as different parts of the country are different and weather changes year on year Regards Andrew

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Feel like I've been blowing Bees at the Bottom of the Garden's trumpet too often recently, but AFAIR it does have a beekeepers calander in it and is a good beginners book.

 

[johnandyrob]

I agree I enjoyed reading it and have lent it to a friend along with Hooper and told her to read it before Hooper Regards Andrew

 

[Rosti]

There is a thread from autumn last yesr on this, broadly (other than read some books which mostly give you a calendar of events)

Winter
Build kit as required!
Administer oxalic on boxing day (for bees) sloe gin (for beek)

March
Honey / protein / pollen patties on 2nd week March subject to weather
Spring
Swarm control as required
Super up as required
Expansion of colonies as required
Grab a couple of swarms / bait hives
Normal varroa monitoring and comb replacement
Early rape honey harvest
Sell if you can?

Summer / Autumn
Re-queening
Nuc progress if you are doing that
Normal varroa monitoring and comb replacement
'August' at some point harvest main honey crop
Sell if you can?
Prep for winter / varroa etc.
Winter Prep and combination to desired hive numbers
Autumn feed program
Thymol varroa treatment

 

[Ivor Kemp]

You could do worse than subscribe to BeeCraft the BBKA's monthly magazine.

Each month there is a beginner's section of things you should be doing or thinking about that month.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

 

[Black Comb]

I found this quite useful

http://www.devonbeekeepers.org.uk/downloads/BeeTimetable.pdf

 

[Jimmy]

p26 - 28 of the Module Study notes has a good guide too.

Available to download here: http://blog.mbbka.org.uk/category/education/bbka-module-1-education/

 

[Skyhook]

I've been remiss in not adding 'Beekeping- a seasonal guide' by Ron Brown. Broken down into seasons, with what you should be doing in your first year, what you can do with a little more experience, and what an experienced beek or farmer might be doing. Very good, very informative, highly recommended. As with most books info on varroa is out of date, but if you use Apiguard in August and OA in winter, you won't go too far wrong.

Yes Bros I know, but that will keep them comparatively safe until he has more experience and can decide if he wants to plough his own furrow.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have read the bees at the bottom etc and frankly consider it a childs book.

The best one for beginners, and has been since it was published is Hooper.

There are hundreds of bee books to browse through and of them all the one that continues to be mentioned most, and recommended most is Hooper.

PH

 

[Finman]

A good basic book with monthly tasks is starting out with bees by john williams it is a beginners book but still good but as Rab says dates can not be relied on as different parts of the country are different and weather changes year on year Regards Andrew

question is about learning from books, what to do.
Hand book is good.

Calendar is rubbish. Every hive build up on its own way. to every hive everything is needed to do.

Connection with book and reality is difficult.

it is good to take contact with experienced beekeeper and work or help him.


Our biggest beekeeper who has now 3000 hives went to work for free to very good beekeeper.
He worked there 2 summers.

Avfull advices:

- outer cover off
- knife into hand
- inner cover off
- lay down knife
- look
- inner cover back
- outer cover back
- draw breath

 

[peterbees]

I highly recommend Ron Brown's "Beekeeping, a seasonal guide". Amazon are offering a new edition of this book from April, pre-order now at £14.44. Bound to be a best-seller.