This document provides information on seasonal management of honey bees, including care and management requirements, apiary site considerations, and monthly management strategies. Key points include: prerequisites for beekeeping include training, knowledge of local flora and migratory practices; apiary sites should be dry with access to water, wind breaks, and abundant forage plants; management varies by season, addressing factors like temperature, rainfall, and food availability; specific tasks are outlined by month to support bee health and honey production through different flowering periods.

1. BABLU HRANGKHAWL
CAU/CPGS/B17/02
COA-KYRDEMKULAI CAU(I)
SEASONAL
MANAGEMENT OF
HONEY BEE

2. Seasonal management of bee
CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF BEEKEEPING
The pre-requisites which are considered must to start
beekeeping are as follows
Knowledge and training on bee keeping
Knowledge on local bee flora
Sufficient local bee flora
Knowledge of migratory bee keeping.

3. Apiary site requirements
The site should be dry without dampness. High RH will
affect bee flight and ripening of nectar.
Water: Natural or artificial source of water should be
provided.
Wind breaks: Trees serve as wind belts in cool areas.
Shade: Hives can be kept under shade of trees. Artificial
structures can also be constructed to provide shade.
Bee pasturage and forage: Plants that yield pollen and
nectar to bees are called bee pasturage and forage. Such
plants should be plenty around the apiary site.

4. Beekeeping is based on respect for the bees. So
they must be approached with a mood of
observation and nurture rather than one of
expectation and exploitation.
Success comes from knowledge and
understanding of the life of bees and their needs.
As bees are responsive to environmental
influences, it is important to gain knowledge of
the local seasons, weather and flora.

5. Seasonal management:
Pollen and nectar are available only during certain period.
When surplus food source are available it is known as
honey flow season.
In contrast during dearth period there will be scarcity of
food.
During extreme climate like summer, winter and monsoon
certain specific management tactics are required.

6. Honey flow season management
This season coincides with spring. During this season,
Provide more space for honey storage by giving comb foundation
sheet or built combs.
Confine queen to brood chamber using queen excluder.
Prevent swarming as explained in swarm management.
Prior to honey flow, provide sugar syrup and build sufficient
population.
Divide strong colonies into 2-3 new colonies, if colony multiplication is
needed.
Queen rearing technique may be followed to produce new queens for
new colonies.

7. Summer management
Bees have to survive intense heat and dearth period by
following means:
Provide sufficient shade, under trees or artificial
structure.
Increase RH and reduce heat by Sprinkling water twice a
day on gunny bag or rice straw put on hive.
Increase ventilation by introducing a splinter between
brood and super chamber.
Provide sugar syrup, pollen supplement, substitute and
water.

8. Winter management
It includes the following:
Maintain strong and disease free colonies
Provide new queen to the hives
Provide winter packing in cooler areas hilly
regions

9. Management during dearth period
Remove empty combs and store in air tight
container.
Use dummy division board to confine bees to
small area
Unite weak colonies
Provide sugar syrup, pollen supplement and
substitute

10. Rainy season and monsoon management
Avoid dampness in apiary site.
Provide proper drainage.
In rain when bees are confined to the hive,
provide sugar syrup feeding

11. Bee pasturage or bee forage
*Plants that yield pollen and nectar are collectively called
bee pasturage or bee forage.
*Plants which are good source of nectar are tamarind,
moringa, neem, Prosopis juliflora, Soapnut tree, Glyricidia
maculata, eucalyptus, Tribulus terrestris, Hibiscus mutabilis
and pungam
*Plants which are good source of pollen are sorghum, sweet
potato, maize, tobacco, millets like cumbu, tenai, varagu,
ragi, coconut, roses, castor, pomegranate and date palm.
*Plants which are good source of both pollen and nectar are
banana, peach, citrus, guava, apple, Sunflower, berries,
safflower, pear, mango and plum.

12. Foraging: This refers to collection of nectar and pollen by
bees.
Nectar foragers: These collect nectar from flowers
using lapping tongue and pass the nectar to hive bees.
Hive bees repeatedly pass the nectar between pre oral
cavity and tongue to ripen the honey. Later they drop
the ripened honey into cells.
Pollen foragers: They collect pollen by passing through
different flowers. Pollen sticking to the body is removed by
using pollen comb. Then it is packed using pollen press into
pollen basket. A single bee carries 10 to 30 mg of pollen
which is 25 per cent of bee's weight. Then the pollen is
dislodged by middle leg into cells. Pollen is mixed with
honey and stored.

13. Pollen foraging

14. Month wise management
January February
A quiet time. Ensure there is ample food in the hives to tide the
bees over prolonged wet weather.
Flowering: Bloodwoods, Tea Trees, Stringybarks, Soapwood, Ground
Flora
Blood wood Tea tree
Bloodwood flower Tea tree flower

15. March April May
More quiet times, winter approaching.
*Check hives for disease.
*The bees will fill honey frames to insulate the brood.
*Ensure the bees are working on all the frames.
*Remove or add sugar syrup as necessary.
*Ensure hives are in a warm sunny position. If not, move them.
*Flowering: Banksia, Flooded Gum, Paper-barked, Tea Tree,
Stringbarks, Bloodwoods
Banksia flower

16. June July
*Inspect hives sparingly - leave brood boxes alone unless
problems are suspected.
*Inland areas have few flowers, so leave honey in hive.
*Do not open the hive in cold or windy weather.
*Be alert to possible early honey flows, e.g. Blue Gum.
*Flowering: Banksia, Hairy Pea, Tea Trees, Wattles, Blue
Gums (July), Spotted Gum.
flower of wattles Hairypea flower

17. August
By mid-August the Queen is expanding her egg-laying to boost the population
after winter. This is the time to manipulate all the frames in the box. The last 2
weeks in August inspect every frame in the hive.
*Check the general health of the brood (color and regularity). Look for
any disease in the brood.
*Check that the Queen is performing/laying (look for eggs and larvae).
*Remove honey frames and old frames from brood box leaving only two
honey/pollen frames on the outsides, allowing 8 frames for the Queen
to lay.
*Check / fill / renew beetle traps.
*Extract surplus winter honey.
*Reject / replace any old dark honey frames.
*Do not open hives on cold windy days. The hive will take up to 4 days
to return the temperature inside to normal.
*The above list may be used throughout the year when you suspect
problems, otherwise the general rule is always to disturb the brood as
little as possible.
*Flowering : Blue Gums, Wattles, Hairy Pea, Spotted Gum, Clover,
Citrus, Macadamia, Wild Mustard, Ground Flora

18. Macadamia flower Wild mustard

19. September
It’s a busy time in the apiary - Spring!
*Inspect hives not already manipulated since winter.
*Add new frames and supers to strong hives.
*Extract surplus honey. Start collecting your stand-out
honey samples for show.
*Be prepared for swarming.
*Plan for splitting hives.
*When extracting consider the 1/3 rule : 1/3 for brood, 1/3
for honey / 1/3 empty.

20. October
It’s still Spring, continue as for September, plus:
*Check for Queen cells.
*Add foundation to discourage swarming.
*The prime month for dividing strong hives and forming
nucs.
*Increase vigilance for Small Hive Beetle.
*Flowering September and October : Blue Gums, Hairy Pea,
Ironbark, Clover, Grey Gum, Citrus, Grevilleas, Macadamia
(Sept), Callistemon, Scribbly Gum, Banksia, Wild May, Wild
Mustard, Ground Flora.
Clover flower Ironbark flower
Scribbly Gum
flower

21. November
Continue Spring management as for Sept / October.
*Flowering: Ironbarks, Banksia, Grey Gums, Wild May,
Messmate, Black Paperbarks, Wild Apple, Grevilleas,
Callistemon, Rusty Gum, Ground Flora
Wild may flower Messmate flower Wild apple flower
Callistemon flower

22. December
Honey flows may ease off and rainfall may increase.
*Leave stores in the hives to tide the bees over prolonged rain events.
*Continue Spring management with emphasis on SHB (Small Hive Beetle)
management.
*Consider this as the last month to form nucleus hives.
*Only strong hives may be split.
*Note : In our area, new hives from now on usually will not build into string
hives in time to survive winter.
*Flowering: Wild Apple, Messmates, Cadaghi, Black Paperbarks, Black Tea
Trees, Brush Box, Rusty Gum, Ground Flora
Brush flower

24. THANKYOU