May

The last of this season's packages should have been installed in the last week. New beekeepers will spend this month getting comfortable working around their bees and start to learn what to look for during a hive inspection, while overwintered hives will be busy producing honey.

New Hives:

• Remove the queen cage 7 days after installing a package, ensuring the queen was released.

• Inspect the hive weekly or bimonthly, looking for the Queen and eggs, pollen, and nectar stores.

• Continuously feed 1:1 sugar syrup (Add lemongrass oil, Honey-B-Healthy, etc.).

• Perform a mite count and check for small hive beetles - treat accordingly.

Overwintered Hives:

• Check weekly to see if additional supers are needed.