Setting up your hives for spring

Spring is almost here – start your prep now

Although it may not feel like it, spring is on its way. Before too long new leaves will sprout, flowers will bloom, and bees will emerge from their cosy hive and start searching for nectar to replenish their honey stores.

If you’re a beekeeper, your busy season starts now. Inspecting hives for health and infestation, monitoring food supplies and organising gear sets up you and your bees for a successful honey-making season. Leave it too late, and your bees could suffer – or you could lose a colony altogether.

That’s because spring is a risky time for bees. Colonies rely on stored honey through the winter, as little nectar is available to harvest, and these supplies tend to be low by springtime. If winter weather lingers, the hive population increases too early or there’s not enough nectar available, the colony faces starvation and collapse.

Here’s how to set up your bees for success this spring:

Get ready to upsize your hives

During winter, smaller hives are easier for bees to heat and maintain. That’s why most beekeepers remove some hive boxes and frames after the harvest. In spring, increasing hive population and honey production means the bees need more space – so it’s time for a bigger hive.

It’s a good idea to have at least one extra hive box, with matching frames, for each of your hives. Get organised early so you can add boxes and frames when they’re needed. Buy or build new hive boxes and frames, clean older ones, and repaint if needed. Some beekeepers like to build an entire hive to be on standby in case of swarming.

Spring is also a good time to clean your bee suit and check it for holes or damage.

Inspect and supplement

Low food supplies and lack of brood can spell trouble for your bees – but you won’t know if anything is wrong unless you inspect your hive. Before the end of winter, pick a relatively warm, dry day and give your hives a thorough inspection.

Good signs:

  • Strong brood pattern – holes and empty patches can indicate disease
  • Increasing movement in and out of the hive
  • New eggs and brood – this shows that your queen is laying
  • Full or partially full honey frames

If your bee population is low, there is very little movement or honey supplies are almost gone, you may need to supplement their feed. Feeding with sugar syrup or stored honey can be enough to get them through the last few weeks of winter and early spring. But don’t supplement with pollen powder, as this could lead to an early surge in population, making the colony weaker.

Watch for signs of sickness

After a long, cold winter your bee colony is usually at its weakest point. This makes it more susceptible to infestation and disease. In New Zealand, pests like the Varroa mite and diseases like American Foulbrood are a serious threat to the health of your colony.

Watch out for:

  • Uneven brood patterns, with a mixture of capped and uncapped egg cells and/or black, sunken, or greasy-looking brood can be a sign of American Foulbrood Disease (AFB).
  • Deformed Wing Virus is often an indicator of Varroa infestation. Varroa are notorious at spreading viruses within the hive! Uncapping drone brood and removing a larva from the cell will often reveal a varroa infestation. Varroa tend to prefer drone brood as they’re able to raise more mites per cell!
  • Yellow or brown streaks on the outside of the hive indicate that bees are infected with Nosemosis.

Because it’s often difficult to see tiny mites and other invaders, it’s also useful to do a sugar shake or alcohol wash.

If you do spot symptoms of disease or find any insect invaders, work out exactly what you’re dealing with and get it treated as soon as you can. However you do it treating varroa is an ongoing requirement of keeping a beehive.

Homegrown help

In your first year or two as a beekeeper, things can be a bit hit-and-miss as you figure out how seasonal changes affect your colony. The timing of seasons can vary significantly depending on where you live, so advice from local beekeepers can help you work out what to expect.

Get in touch with your local bee club to get advice and support from experienced beekeepers in your area.

Be prepared

Pre-spring prep is an important part of the beekeeping calendar – and it’s worth getting it done well before the weather warms up. Getting your gear ready, checking on your bees, and treating any health issues early gives you the best chance of a productive summer and a great harvest in a few months.


Need more information about beekeeping? Get in touch with the experts at Ecrotek.