Apiary management: Operating concept

Planning the beekeeping season makes it possible to prepare optimally for upcoming activities with our bees. Thanks to the operating concept developed by apiservice, this is easy to implement for all beekeepers. It is an indispensable tool for effective apiary management. The operating concept can be personalised and allows for a clear visualisation of beekeeping activities and the planning of the appropriate work.

► Personal operating concept

Period	Activity	Practical Guide link
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)	Food check If needed, provide fondant	4.2. Feeding
Goat willow (Salix caprea)	Entrance observation and/or hive floor debris check Spring inspection Reducing	4.8.1. Entrance observation 4.8.2. Hive floor debris check 4.3. Overwintering a colony 4.7.4. Managing queenless colonies
Grape hyacinth (Muscari azureum) Oxlip (Primula elatior)	Health inspection Destroy weak colonies Varroa monitoring: emergency treatment if necessary Replace missing or failing queens in production colonies with queens from healthy young colonies Replace production colonies Unite healthy colonies occupying fewer than 5 frames Unite young colonies with production colonies Sulphur weak colonies	2. Overview of diseases and pests 4.7.3. Identifying healthy colonies 4.7.2. Destroying colonies 4.5.2. Queen introduction 4.7. Colony assessment and selection 4.7.1. Uniting colonies 1.5.1. Natural mite drop count 1.7.1. Emergency treatment (stack hives)
Wild cherry / Bird cherry (Prunus avium)	Expand Insert drone frame	4.4. Comb renewal 1.4.1. Drone brood removal
Cherry (Prunus) Dandelion (full bloom; Taraxacum)	Adding supers Drone brood removal Swarm prevention / nucleus formation Late May ► Varroa monitoring: emergency treatment if necessary	1.4.1. Drone brood removal 1.4.4. Nucleus formation with brood 1.4.4.1. Combined brood nucleus 4.6.1. Queen rearing in Mini Plus 1.5.1. Natural mite drop count 1.7.1. Emergency treatment (stack hives) 4.6.2. Queen rearing in the Laurenz box
Apple tree (Malus domestica) Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L)	Swarm prevention / nucleus formation Monitor for bee poisoning Establish, treat, feed, and expand young colonies Spring honey harvest	1.4.2. Artificial swarm 1.4.3. Artificial swarm with queen 1.4.4. Nucleus formation with brood 1.4.4.1. Combined brood nucleus 1.4.5. Flying split 1.4.6. Natural swarms 1.4.7. Increase from swarming impulse 3.1.2. Bee poisoning 3.1.1. Bee poisoning protocol sheet 4.6.1. Queen rearing in Mini Plus 4.6.2. Queen rearing in the Laurenz box Honey: apisuisse recommendations
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) Lime tree (Tilia)	Unite healthy colonies that have swarmed Marking the queen Sulphur weak colonies Identify dearth periods Emergency feeding Late June: Varroa monitoring: emergency treatment if necessary	4.7. Colony assessment and selection 4.7.3. Identifying healthy colonies 4.7.1. Uniting colonies 4.5.1. Finding the queen 4.7.2. Destroying colonies 3.2. Identifying and managing dearth periods 4.2. Feeding 1.5.1. Natural mite drop count 1.5.2. Icing sugar method 1.7.1. Emergency treatment (stack hives)
Silver fir (Abies alba)	Late July: summer honey harvest Feed (4–6 kg) 1st summer formic acid treatment (Optional: 1st summer oxalic acid treatment in broodless period)	1.2.1. Liebig 1.2.2. Nassenheider 1.2.3. FAM 1.2.4. Apidea 1.2.5. Formicpro 1.6.1. Brood break 1.6.2. Drone comb trapping method 1.6.4. Total brood removal with brood utilisation Honey: apisuisse recommendations
August / September Ivy (Hedera helix)	Autumn feeding to top up winter stores	4.2. Feeding
September	2nd summer formic acid treatment End of feeding	1.2.1. Liebig 1.2.2. Nassenheider 1.2.3. FAM 1.2.4. Apidea 1.2.5. Formicpro
October	Replace old queens Unite small healthy colonies Sulphur weak colonies Food check, and last feeding if required Reducing Late October: Varroa monitoring Supplementary oxalic acid treatment if necessary	4.5.1. Finding the queen 4.5.2. Queen introduction 4.7. Colony assessment and selection 4.7.3. Identifying healthy colonies 4.7.1. Uniting colonies 4.7.2. Destroying colonies 4.2. Feeding 4.3. Overwintering a colony 1.5.1. Natural mite drop count
November	Winter preparation	4.3. Overwintering a colony
December	Oxalic acid treatment in broodless period Post-treatment mite drop check After 2 weeks: if more than 500 mites on the hive floor, 2nd oxalic acid treatment	1.3.1. Oxalic acid spray treatment 1.3.2. Trickling method 1.3.3. Vaporisation with Varrox 1.5.1. Natural mite drop count
January / February	Rest period: do not disturb Visual check