January
January is when beekeeper’s may think about putting their feet up, but what they should be doing is checking hives and making sure they can withstand the wind and rain. Make sure hives are slightly tipped forward to allow any moisture run off to the front. Finish making those spare frames for supers later in the year and replacement brood frames.

February
February is time to check for stores by hefting the hive from the back to judge how heavy it is, if in doubt add fondant above the crown board. Also, make sure to check for Queen Wasps in log piles and under insulation around the hive. Consider Asian Hornet protection now.

March
In most areas the Queen never stops laying, just keeps the hive ticking over, unless we have a prolonged period of sub normal temperatures. Health check the colony in March, this could be thefirst month for a quick inspection and possibly even a timely super. Be careful if the weather turns sharply cold. Check your extractors and extraction equipment.

April
April is the month when Queen cells are most likely to begin appearing, especially if Drones are present. It's also the ideal time to install any nucs and conduct a health check on your hive.

May
May is the time to set up any new hives in your apiary with nucs and add more supers where needed, extract the early honey crop and check for Queen cells. Brassicas and the like will crystalise if left on the hive for too long. Just like April, conduct a varroa check too!

June
June is often a tricky month with some possible gaps in foraging which needs to be watched for - known in the industry as the June Gap . The hives may be eating more stores than they are collecting. Check again for Queen cells and varroa, and set up wasp traps.

July
July is the time for the second honey flow and where more supers may need to be added to hives to create more space! Be sure to check again for varroa in hives.

August
If the nectar flows have slowed up, then August is a month to treat the hive for possible varroa, check and count carefully. The Ivy is on its way, love it or hate it, the bees will collect a lot, so be prepared! Now is time to think about fitting mouse guards too!

September
Preparations for winter should begin in September. Extra feeding after removing the supers from hives is important as your hives will need extra space for a while. The perfect time for a health check too!

October
October is the time to make sure your mouseguards are safe and secure protecting your hives, You should also monitor the brood area for varroa and stores.

November
Planning for next year begins in November, order equipment and bees, check over your hives and insulate for the winter months whilst checking mouseguards are intact.

December
Make sure your hives are correctly insulated. Hive wraps, under roof insulation and padding are great ways to keep the heat in your hives, Remember the majority of heat inside the hive will come from the bees.