How to Manage a Bee Hive

Supply emergency dry feed supplement to colonies during late winter and early spring when natural food sources are scarce and weather prevents normal foraging activity. Example: Check colony food stores during first warm day above 50°F in late winter by lifting hive to assess weight - light hives (under 40 pounds) need immediate feeding, place Winter Pro dry feed directly on top bars of frames where bees can access easily without leaving cluster, provide 1-2 pounds of dry feed per weak colony and 2-4 pounds for stronger colonies depending on stores assessment, position feed away from outer edges to prevent moisture absorption and mold development, check feed consumption weekly and replenish as needed until natural pollen and nectar sources become available, avoid liquid feeding during cold weather as bees cannot process water properly below 50°F ambient temperature, and monitor colony activity levels to ensure bees are able to move up to access feed during cold snaps when cluster may be positioned lower in hive.

Apply varroa mite treatment during early spring before major brood buildup begins to reduce mite populations and prevent exponential growth during peak breeding season. Example: Conduct mite monitoring using alcohol wash or sugar shake method on 300+ bee sample to determine treatment threshold (3+ mites per 100 bees requires treatment), time treatment for early spring when brood area is minimal but temperatures consistently reach 60°F+ for effective treatment activity, choose treatment method based on previous fall treatment - if Apivar was used in fall, rotate to Varroxsan or Oxalic acid to prevent resistance development, apply Apivar strips by hanging 2 strips per deep hive body between frames with most bee activity, ensuring strips hang freely and contact maximum bee traffic, leave strips in place for 42-56 days for complete treatment cycle removing before honey flow begins, alternatively use Oxalic acid vaporization method during broodless periods applying 1 gram per deep hive body using proper safety equipment including respirator and ventilation, and document treatment dates, method, and pre/post treatment mite counts for resistance monitoring.

Provide protein-rich pollen substitute patties to stimulate brood rearing and support colony buildup during spring development when natural pollen sources may be limited. Example: Place 1-2 pollen patties directly on top bars above brood nest area where bees cluster, ensuring patties are accessible through inner cover hole or by creating small access gap, unwrap patties and place on wax paper or directly on frames to prevent sticking to inner cover, replace patties every 2-3 weeks or when consumed, monitoring consumption rates to gauge colony protein needs and brood rearing activity, increase patty size or frequency for rapidly expanding colonies showing strong brood patterns and numerous young bees, discontinue pollen feeding when natural pollen sources become abundant (visible pollen loads on returning forager bees), avoid overfeeding protein which can lead to excessive drone production and reduced honey stores, and maintain feeding records documenting patty placement dates, consumption rates, and corresponding brood development to optimize future feeding programs.

Supplement colony carbohydrate needs with sugar syrup to stimulate brood rearing and provide energy for colony expansion during spring buildup period. Example: Prepare 1:1 sugar syrup (1 pound sugar to 1 pound water) for stimulative feeding, dissolving sugar completely in warm water and allowing to cool before feeding, install top feeder or boardman feeder providing 1-2 quarts of syrup per week depending on colony size and consumption rate, monitor syrup consumption adjusting quantity based on uptake - rapid consumption indicates strong colony growth while slow consumption may signal queen problems or disease issues, maintain consistent feeding schedule providing fresh syrup weekly to prevent fermentation and bacterial growth, add essential oils like lemongrass or spearmint (few drops per gallon) to make syrup more attractive and reduce robbing risk, position feeders to minimize robbing by other colonies using entrance reducers and feeding during evening hours, and gradually reduce feeding frequency as natural nectar sources become available and colony reaches desired strength for honey production season.

Transition from supplemental feeding to honey production mode by removing feeders and adding honey supers when natural nectar flow begins and colony reaches sufficient strength. Example: Identify onset of nectar flow by observing increased forager activity, visible nectar loads on returning bees, and fresh nectar deposits in cells, remove all feeders at least 2 weeks before installing honey supers to prevent sugar contamination of honey crop, ensure colony occupies 8-10 frames of bottom deep hive body with good brood pattern before adding supers, install queen excluder on top of brood chamber to prevent queen from laying eggs in honey supers, add first honey super when bottom hive body reaches 80% capacity with 7-8 frames showing bee activity, use medium depth supers for easier handling when full (60-70 pounds vs 90+ pounds for deep supers), add additional supers as bees fill lower ones maintaining 2-3 inches of empty space to prevent crowding and swarming, monitor super filling progress weekly adding supers before bees completely fill existing ones, and position supers with drawn comb next to hive body for fastest acceptance by bees.

Extract honey from completed supers and remove honey production equipment to prepare colonies for winter survival with appropriate food stores and reduced hive volume. Example: Harvest honey when frames are 80%+ capped indicating proper moisture content below 18.5% for long-term storage, use bee escape boards or fume boards to clear bees from supers 24-48 hours before removal, transport full supers to extraction area maintaining temperature above 70°F for easier honey flow during extraction, uncap honey cells using heated knife or uncapping plane removing thin wax cappings to expose honey, extract honey using manual or electric extractor spinning frames to remove honey through centrifugal force, strain extracted honey through coarse and fine filters to remove wax and debris particles, store honey in food-grade containers allowing foam to rise and settle before final packaging, leave minimum 60-90 pounds of honey stores in brood chambers for winter survival depending on local climate, remove all supers and queen excluders by early fall to allow colony to form proper winter cluster, and return wet extracted frames to colonies for cleaning before storage or preserve with paradichlorobenzene crystals.

Apply varroa mite treatment during fall period when brood production naturally decreases, using different active ingredient than spring treatment to prevent resistance development. Example: Time fall treatment for late August through October when brood rearing slows and before winter cluster formation begins, rotate treatment active ingredients - if Apivar (amitraz) was used in spring, switch to Varroxsan (fluvalinate) or Oxalic acid for fall treatment to prevent mite resistance development, conduct pre-treatment mite monitoring using alcohol wash or sugar shake to establish baseline mite levels (treatment threshold 3+ mites per 100 bees), apply chosen treatment according to label instructions - Varroxsan strips for 42-45 days, Oxalic acid vaporization during broodless periods, or Oxalic acid dribble method when some brood remains, ensure adequate bee population for winter survival before treating weak colonies which may not survive treatment stress, monitor weather conditions avoiding treatment during extremely hot or cold periods that stress colonies, remove treatment materials completely before winter to prevent contamination of winter food stores, conduct post-treatment mite monitoring 4-6 weeks after treatment completion to verify effectiveness, and document treatment method, dates, and efficacy results for future resistance monitoring and treatment planning.