Wondering when the best time to kick off your beekeeping adventure is? You’re looking in the right place. As bee activity changes from season to season, it’s important to know what bees do throughout the year before deciding on when to start a hive. So let’s get started on our journey through the yearly cycle of bee activity before landing on the perfect time to start your hive.
Bee activity over the year
Spring
As spring comes around, your bees will start to come out of their semi-dormant stage. The bees will get to work building and fixing comb structures, foraging for pollen and nectar to replenish their honey supplies, and the queen will start to produce more eggs to grow the brood.
However, due to months of inactivity over winter, bees tend to be close to starvation as their winter honey reserves will have depleted. Therefore, at this time of year you’ll need to provide extra food supplies to get them through until flowers start to bloom and they are able to start replenishing their own food supplies.
Summer
During the summer months, bees are at the height of their activity. Worker bees dedicate themselves to foraging, venturing out into the surrounding landscapes in search of blooming flowers and abundant nectar sources. Collecting essential resources like pollen and nectar sustains the hive.
As well as foraging, the inside of the hive during summer is also a buzz of activity. The bees keep busy by tending to the brood, regulating the hive temperature, and constructing and repairing comb structures to ensure the hive infrastructure can accommodate the expanding needs of the thriving population.
Autumn
In autumn, the focus changes from the bustling activities of summer to preparation for the colder months ahead. Bee populations will start to decline as the queen lays less eggs and drone bees are expelled from the hive as they aren’t needed in the colder months.
Towards the beginning of autumn, the bees will still be collecting nectar and pollen, transforming them into food supplies to keep them going through the winter months. Then, as the temperature begins to drop, the female worker bees will huddle together for warmth with the queen at the centre before entering a semi-dormant state.
Winter
From the busiest season of summer to the quietest season of winter, the bees' focus now is survival. The bees will stay in the tight cluster they formed in late autumn to try to generate enough warmth to protect them from the freezing temperatures outside. Every so often the bees (apart from the queen) will change positions to allow each bee to benefit from the warmth generated.
During this time, the bees will rely on their honey supplies for nutrients, which will start to dwindle as winter goes on. The survival of the bees relies on their management of their honey supplies to last them for as long as possible. However, beekeepers often have to step in towards the end of winter to provide food supplements.
When to start your beehive?
With the activity of bees throughout the year in mind, the best time to start your hive is spring. At this time the bees are slower but beginning to become a bit more active, an ideal time for them to start building their new hive straight away. This should give the bees enough time to establish their hive by autumn and have produced enough honey to support them through the coming winter.
Another option is to start your hive in summer. However, this doesn’t give your bees much time to build their hive and create the resources they need, resulting in lower chances of survival through the colder months. Therefore, we recommend waiting until spring.
Although you should start your hive in spring, you shouldn’t wait until spring to get everything ready. Prepare in advance by allowing enough time for your hives and beekeeping equipment to be delivered. You’ll also need to order your bees in advance with a specified delivery day as bee suppliers can quickly run out of bees. Make sure you’ve also got some bee food supplements as you’ll need to feed your bees until they’ve built up enough honey to sustain themselves.
If you don’t want to wait before starting your new hobby, you can spend your time researching and learning about bees and beekeeping in preparation. We also recommend you join your local beekeepers association to network and gather some useful tips from more experienced beekeepers.
Summary
Overall, you can start beekeeping any time of year in relation to buying your equipment and beehives, connecting with other beekeepers, and learning about bees and beekeeping. However, when it comes to starting your hive, you should be doing so in spring to give your bees enough time to be active and establish their hive through spring, summer, and the beginning of autumn before slowing down for winter.