Beekeeping has become increasingly popular today than years back. With many people aiming to live a self-sustainable life, they are seeking to raise their own bees for a fresh supply of honey. If you are aspiring to start a bee colony, it is good to understand the best season. Honey bees are greatly affected by changing seasons. Every month changes how they behave. You will find them clustered in the hive during winter while buzzing all over on a warm sunny day. Again, you will find them hiding in the hive when it rains. 

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What is the best month to start beekeeping?

Spring is the best time to start beekeeping. This falls in April in most areas. In warmer places, this can be around March. This time also corresponds with when local flowering plants are blooming. Before this time arrives, you should have all the necessary beekeeping supplies available, awaiting for the bee packages. Your hive should be set up in a well-thought location and ready to go. 

While you can still start later in the season( June or July), it is a bit strenuous for the bees to prepare for the first winter. The time of the year when the flowers bloom optimally is known as nectar flow. In most areas, there is a nectar flow in spring, summer, and sometimes fall. Beekeepers prepare to receive their bee packages to arrive a week or a few weeks before the first nectar flow in spring. In early spring, there may be only a few flowers blooming. It is good to feed the colony until they get established. As a new beekeeper, you should consult the local beekeeper to know the optimal time to start beekeeping. 

When is it too late to start a bee colony?

Honey bees require ample time to prepare for the winter season. They should have healthy populations and sufficient stores of honey. In winter, there are no blooming flowers; at the same time, the weather is too cold for the bees to forage. The queen stops to lay eggs, and the population reduces significantly. The ladies in the house form a cluster around the queen to keep her warm. In such a season, starting a bee colony is not advisable. It is setting yourself up for utter failure and loss. 

While the idea of starting a bee colony is exciting, you should hold on until the favourable season to the bees. However, winter is an excellent season to order the bees so they can reach you early in spring. It is also not advisable to start a hive in summer or Fall. The hive may not get well-established as it would if started in early spring.  Again, the bee activity starts to slow down after summer honey flows and drops in fall. Well-established hives have higher chances of surviving in winter. Fall is the best time to start preparing your hive to overwinter. 

Can you start more than one hive as a new beekeeper?

As a beginner beekeeper, it is always advisable to start small. As you gain experience and learn the craft, you can then increase the hives. Two hives are usually recommended. This increases the chances of survival in case one colony fails. If you start with one colony and it fails, you will have to wait until the nest season to start again. 

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When is the best time to order the bees?

It is good to start ordering bees in January and February latest, to receive them in April. Bee packages and nucs are usually in high demand in April. Bees sellers typically run out of stock. Ordering at this time may be too late. It is good to buy from a reputable buyer, not Dick and Harry. A nuc is better than a bee package though a bit costly. It gives your colony a head start.