Monthly Beekeeping Tasks: January

With thanks to our colleagues at Hivetool.com

Beekeeping Calendar of Management Practices: January

• Clean, paint and repair equipment.
• Check the apiary for wind damage.
• Check the apiary for skunk damage.

I’m repeating the December chores below since they’re still very relevant.  Don’t forget to make it hard for mice to make a home in your hives - they can cause a lot of damage.

• Repair and paint equipment.
• Clean supers, hive bodies, covers and frames of burr comb and propolis.
• Cull combs. Cut all combs with more than six square inches of drone cells from the frames.
• Render (if equipped) or pack all old comb or beeswax into a shipping container. Old comb or wax can be exchanged for foundation.

I hope 2012 brings each of us good health and prosperity!  See you at the next meeting – January 14^th at 9:30 AM.