What's happening in the hives this month

A quick note from the apiary on what's worth checking right now.

Now's a good time to step back and think about what your bees actually need this month — not what the calendar says, but what you're seeing when you open the lid. A few things we've been talking about at meetings:

• Mite counts. If you haven't done an alcohol wash or sugar shake recently, this is your reminder. Treatment timing depends on what you find, not on the date.
• Queen status. Eggs, young larvae, capped brood — all three at once is the quick health check. Missing any? Worth a closer look.
• Stores. Hefting the back of the hive is a faster check than pulling frames once you've calibrated against a known weight.

Bring questions to the next meeting — most of us learn more from each other's mistakes than from any book.