JCBA Beekeepers Calendar
Johnston County Beekeepers Association
The Beekeeper’s Year
A month-by-month beekeeping calendar for Johnston County, North Carolina — what to do in the hive and what’s blooming, all season long. Search it for any task, pest, or plant.
Revision 1 · Updated February 6, 2026 · Most photos courtesy of NC State University
About this guide
Timing is the most important thing in beekeeping. This calendar reflects a typical season in Johnston County, but across the county there can be a 5–7 day variation in dates because of rainfall and temperature swings. Some linked resources are from out-of-state sources, and a few plants listed may not grow here or may bloom at different times in other climates.
With the exception of cold temperatures or rain, pollen is available almost all year — except for the last week of August in some years. Keep the hive tipped slightly forward so condensation drains out, and give your bees a continuous, year-round water source (above freezing). That source should not be your neighbor’s swimming pool.
Safety in the apiary
- Watch for trip hazards around the apiary.
- Guard against dehydration and overheating in hot weather.
- Keep an EpiPen (epinephrine) on hand for anaphylaxis. Talk to your doctor first if you take a beta blocker.
- Your smoker is a fire hazard — handle it carefully.
- Take care when running power tools.
- If you use alcohol in a mite wash, keep it away from your smoker. Alcohol burns with a blue flame that is hard to see in sunlight.
- Fire ants and wasps are hazards in the apiary.
The colony as a superorganism
A superorganism is an advanced social structure in which individuals work together as a unified whole, much like the organs and cells in a living body. Honeybees, ants, and termites all qualify — no single individual survives long on its own. Instead the colony behaves as one organism, with distinct roles that ensure survival.
In a honeybee colony the queen, workers, and drones each contribute to the hive’s overall function. Communication, decision-making, and resource management all happen at the colony level, so individual bees act as components of a greater whole. (Concept courtesy of Blythewood Bee Company.)
Smells honeybees dislike
Honeybees tend to avoid these scents:
- Neem — a stomach poison.
- Mint
- Citronella — can mask the pheromones bees use to communicate.
- Eucalyptus
- Cloves
Hive inspection temperatures
Limit inspections below 60°F. A quick look is possible at 60°F in low wind, but don’t leave brood frames out of the hive for long. At 70°F or above you can do a complete inspection. Always know why you are opening the hive.
In an emergency — for example, dead bees blocking the entrance — a brief opening at any temperature is fine to save a hive. Cover the brood area with a cloth to prevent heat loss.
Bears & electric fences
Bears are becoming a problem for beekeepers in the Four Oaks area and around the Neuse River basin, and increased timbering has made it worse. A good electric fence with a charger rated at 1 joule or larger helps prevent bear damage. The fence charger ground must be solid — in sandy or rocky soils you may need multiple ground rods.
See the NC Wildlife Resources Commission publication on fencing for beehives.
Bee life cycle — know your numbers
Days until each stage, by caste (after Michael Bush):
| Caste | Egg | Hatch (larvae) | Capped | Emerge | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen | 3½ | 8 ±1 | 16 ±2 | — | Laying 28 ±5 |
| Worker | 3½ | 9 ±1 | 20 ±1 | — | Foraging 42 ±7 |
| Drone | 3½ | 10 ±1 | 24 ±1 | — | Flying to DCA 38 ±5 |
Worker bee jobs by age
| Days old | Job |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Cell cleaning; keeping brood warm |
| 3–5 | Feeding older larvae; drone feeding |
| 6–11 | Feeding young larvae; drone feeding; queen attendant |
| 12–17 | Producing wax, building comb, carrying food, drying/sealing honey, packing pollen, undertaker duties, fanning, water carrier |
| 18–21 | Guard duty |
| 21–42 | Foraging duty |
Varroa mite monitoring
You can check mites any time of year with an IPM (screened) bottom board: clean the board, coat it with spray oil (olive oil or Pam), reinstall it, wait 72 hours, then count. If you find more than 30 mites (the 2 percent limit), treat — or at minimum run a Dawn Ultra mite wash to confirm the level.
The treatment threshold is 2 percent — 6 mites per 300 bees. A sugar shake can be unreliable because humidity makes powdered sugar clump and gives a false low reading. Rotate your treatments so mites don’t build resistance.
Tools: Honey Bee Health Coalition · Varroa Decision Tool · Sugar shake demo.
Small hive beetle control
- Spread limestone around your hives to make the soil pH unsuitable for beetle pupation.
- Use oil traps baited with apple cider vinegar.
- Add unscented dryer/Swiffer-type sheets inside the hive to snag the beetles.
Cold-season entrances & winter patties
- Watch for entrances blocked by dead bees or snow. A small top entrance lets bees come and go (and adds ventilation) if the bottom entrance gets blocked.
- Small hive beetles love winter patties. Use only small amounts and replenish as they’re eaten. Beetles hide and lay eggs under the patties — set patties on a hardware-cloth stand so bees can get underneath and keep beetles out.
- Clean out any dead-outs before warm weather. The comb is valuable — freeze it to preserve it for making splits.
January
In the hive
- For the bees, spring starts in late January — longer days and red maple nectar spur brood rearing.
- Finish your last oxalic acid treatments in early January.
- Bees should be flying on warm days.
- Check hive weight; aim for 30–40 lb of stores. Feed 2:1 sugar water as needed.
- Feed pollen substitute for early brood building.
- Combine queenless or weak hives (remove the old queen) with strong, queenright colonies.
- Best time to move hives, while they’re light compared with March or April.
- Repair, order, and build equipment for spring; order nucs and packages if you haven’t.
- Inspect stored comb for wax moth; if present, freeze 72 hours at 10°F or below, then treat (Certan B-402 or Para-Moth).
- Renew your DriftWatch registration.
What’s blooming
- Dandelion — pollen red, yellow, orange.
- Henbit (mint family) — pollen orange-red to purplish red.
- Dead nettle (mint family) — pollen bright red/crimson.
- Mustard — lemon pollen.
- Red maple — starts ~Jan 20, ~45-day flow, ends ~Mar 5; triggers serious brood rearing. Grey-brown pollen.
- Mahonia — yellow.
- Snowdrops — yellow to reddish-orange.
- Laurel cherry — yellow to light brown.
- Edgeworthia (paperbush) — yellow.
- Winter jasmine — bright yellow.
- Flowering quince — late Jan through March (peak); yellow to yellow-green.
- Wintersweet — yellow.
- Daphne — Jan–March; yellow to orange.
February
In the hive
- Bees are raising brood and burning ~10 lb of stores per week. Check weight and feed as needed; switch to 1:1 syrup (1 gal water to 8 lb sugar) early February to encourage comb building.
- Some breeds (Italians) over-rear brood beyond their stores — don’t let them starve this close to the starting gate.
- Drones start late Jan/early Feb. Drone cells mean swarm season is near; drones emerge in 24 days and can mate ~10 days later.
- On warm days, is the hive bringing in pollen? If not, inspect.
- Begin inspections on warm days (above 60°F, little wind). Check for disease (viruses, foulbrood). Toward month’s end, start looking for swarm cells. Don’t break up the brood nest.
- Open some drone cells to check for mites. Once brood is sufficient, run a Dawn Ultra wash; treat if at/above 2 percent (6 mites per 300 bees).
- Requeen poor layers. Local queens are scarce this early — if needed, remove the queen and add frames of brood with eggs plus nurse bees from other hives after Feb 16 (weather dependent); a new queen should emerge ~13 days later (~Feb 26), with drones ready for mating.
- Replace the oldest, worst-looking brood comb. Set up swarm traps in the latter half of February. Keep building equipment.
What’s blooming
- Dandelion, Henbit, Mustard, Red maple — continue.
- Crocus — bright yellow to orange.
- Blackberry — 40–50 lb honey per acre; gray to green-gray pollen.
- Sugar maple — yellow, yellow-green, olive.
- Black willow — late Feb–April; vibrant yellow.
- Peach — late Feb to mid-March; reddish/dark yellow.
- Lenten rose (hellebore) — bright yellow.
- Apricot — yellow, white, orange, cream.
- Rosemary — pale yellow to greenish-yellow.
March
In the hive
- Swarming starts in early March (sometimes late February in a warm year).
- Packages and nucs arrive from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
- Hives are living hand to mouth. A deep frame holds ~7,000 cells; 1½ frames of bees hatching is ~10,000 bees (3 lb) — a lot of hungry mouths. A few cold, wet days can starve them. Check weight; feed 1:1 as needed.
- Drones are reared in earnest. Add queen excluders early March with the queen and brood below.
- Make sure the queen has room to lay. On double-deep hives, swap top and bottom boxes if the bottom is empty (may need repeating in 2–3 weeks). Don’t break up the brood nest.
- Decide your plan for queen cells — split or remove them. On a split, the existing queen goes with the split. Splits are now possible thanks to warmth, flow, and available drones.
- Check drone cells for mites; run a Dawn Ultra wash if you didn’t in February; treat above 2 percent.
- Plowing of local fields can wipe out forage (dandelion, henbit, mustard, dead nettle) — be ready to feed. Increase ventilation; you may remove entrance reducers.
- Clean IPM boards at least monthly (more if debris builds) — pollen/wax debris invites wax moths and small hive beetles. Ants become a problem now through December.
What’s blooming
- Dandelion, Henbit, Mustard, Blackberry — continue.
- Red maple — nectar flow ends early March.
- Cherry — ends ~early April; white/pale yellow.
- Sugar maple — ends ~end of March.
- Apple — late March to mid-April; pale to whitish yellow.
- Pear (edible) — March–April; yellow/reddish-yellow.
- American redbud — yellow.
- Grape hyacinth — March–May; white/translucent.
- Viola — orange, yellow, sometimes dark purple.
- Iris — bright yellow/orange, white or dark purple.
- Clover begins late March: white clover (peaks Apr–Dec; dark brown/maroon), sweet clover (yellow), crimson clover (rusty, near black), red clover (grey/beige/green).
April
In the hive
- Hives should be very busy — inspect any that aren’t. Inspect every 7–10 days.
- Plenty of nectar and pollen; the nectar/honey flow starts in earnest. Add supers for storage and rainy-day space.
- Feed sugar water only to new colonies, nucs, packages, or hives with very low stores.
- Don’t let the queen become honey-bound. Remove some pollen frames and checkerboard drawn/undrawn frames; add a brood box if needed. Too little space and the hive will swarm.
- Now’s the time to get bees drawing comb. Clean IPM boards.
- Run a mite check; treat if above 2 percent (6 mites per 300 bees).
- April is a good month for splits and raising new queens.
What’s blooming
- Clover — continues.
- Sumac — early April; light yellow to greenish.
- Huckleberry — early April; yellow.
- Tulip poplar — mid-April; vibrant/greenish-yellow.
- Tupelo gum — late April; pale/greenish-yellow.
- Raspberry — late April; pale gray/white-gray.
- Holly — late April; yellow.
- Black gum — late April; greenish-yellow/creamy white.
- Vetch — March–April; yellow-brown.
- Privet — bright yellow.
May
In the hive
- The nectar flow continues — keep room so hives don’t become honey-bound. Inspect every 7–10 days. Swarming is still a major concern.
- Late May or early June is the time to harvest honey — if you don’t, the bees consume it raising brood. (Honey is worth $17–20/lb; sugar costs ~44¢/lb — take the honey and feed sugar water through the summer dearth.)
- Extract honey immediately or freeze frames to kill wax moth and hive beetle eggs/larvae. You can also pull capped frames as they finish and freeze them, replacing with drawn/undrawn comb.
- Put wet supers back on at dark to prevent robbing.
- Run a mite check; treat if above 2 percent. Be careful — some treatments can’t be used with honey supers on. Clean IPM boards.
- Small hive beetles become a problem in late April or early May.
What’s blooming
- Gallberry — mid-May; pale yellow/whitish.
- Sourwood — late May.
- Cat’s ear (false dandelion) — vivid orange.
- Persimmon — mid-May into June; yellow.
- Lady’s thumb — May–October (buckwheat family); pale pink to greenish.
June
In the hive
- By mid to late June the available nectar starts to decline. Swarms are less likely but still happen.
- The queen reduces her laying. Inspect every 7–10 days.
- Run a mite check; treat if above 2 percent (mind honey supers). Clean IPM boards.
- Small hive beetles are still a problem.
- June is the last month to get bees to draw comb without feeding 1:1 syrup.
What’s blooming
- Gallberry — until mid-June.
- Sourwood — until the 3rd week of June.
- Cat’s ear, Lady’s thumb — continue.
- Burnweed (fireweed) — June–October; yellow flowers, bright red pollen.
- American beautyberry — June–August; pink-lavender flowers, pale yellow/whitish pollen.
Recognizing a summer nectar dearth
In hot, dry mid-summer, flowers stop producing much nectar — a nectar dearth. Knowing the signs lets you step in. (Adapted from Mann Lake.)
- Listen to your bees. Hives get louder and more agitated, and a normally gentle colony may turn defensive as it guards dwindling stores.
- Watch for robbers. Bumblebees, wasps, yellowjackets, and even other honey bees rob hives during a dearth, which can cause heavy losses. Watch for foreign insects probing the outside and stop them early.
- Watch the foragers. Instead of flying a direct path, foragers meander, revisit spent flowers, and land on plants they’d normally avoid.
- Take action. Reduce hive entrances to keep robbers out, and add feeders to carry the colony through. Queens may slow or stop laying during the dearth. A robbing screen (a “U”-bent screen with one opening) helps protect the entrance.
July
In the hive
- Make sure your bees don’t starve. Robbing continues to be an issue.
- Nectar becomes very limited; the dearth lasts until late August or early September. Bees stay home to conserve resources, and the population declines.
- Bees can get defensive from the stress — and because most foragers are home and ready to defend.
- Bearding on the front is normal temperature control; bees washboard and evaporate water to cool the hive.
- A popsicle stick under the cover boosts ventilation — but watch for pests, robbing, and especially ants.
- Run a mite check; treat if above 2 percent (mind honey supers). Clean IPM boards.
- Some suppliers discount queens starting in July. Small hive beetles are still a problem.
What’s blooming
- Cat’s ear, Lady’s thumb — continue.
- Goldenrod — starts, but little to no nectar yet; yellow to deep orange pollen.
- Cotton — late July–August; bees gather the most nectar 2–4 PM on sunny days.
- Pepperbush — July–August; white/pale yellow.
- Pennyroyal — July–October; pale blue, lilac, lavender, or purplish.
August
In the hive
- Robbing continues; bees stay defensive until early September when nectar picks up. Swarms are less likely but still possible. Inspect every 7–10 days.
- Mite levels keep building — run a mite check and treat if above 2 percent (mind honey supers).
- Replace poor-laying queens while queens are still available. Requeening in early August lets her lay the winter bees. August and September are both good times to requeen.
- Clean IPM boards. Small hive beetles are still a problem.
- Late-season splits are possible in August if you use a mated queen.
What’s blooming
- Cat’s ear, Lady’s thumb — continue.
- Goldenrod — mostly pollen.
- Cotton — continues.
- Pennyroyal, Pepperbush — continue.
September
In the hive
- Mites typically peak near the end of the month (~September 20). Run a mite check and treat if above 2 percent (mind honey supers).
- The fall honey flow starts in September and runs through the first week of November.
- Small hive beetles are still a problem; clean IPM boards.
- Swarms are rare from now on but can happen if a hive becomes uninhabitable (mites, small hive beetles, wax moths).
What’s blooming
- Cat’s ear, Lady’s thumb — continue.
- Goldenrod — nectar flow in earnest; you may notice a “stinky sock” smell as the nectar cures into honey.
- Asters — nectar in earnest by month’s end; yellow pollen. The flower center shifts from yellow to magenta to signal that its pollen is spent.
October
In the hive
- Clean IPM boards. Combine weak (non-diseased) hives, making sure mites are below the 2 percent limit.
- By late October (and certainly by early November) the queen may stop laying with the colder, shorter days.
- Work to get hives up to 40 lb of honey available by early November. Harvest excess honey — extract or freeze for later.
- Start right-sizing your equipment so bees aren’t patrolling empty supers (bees like to be confined).
- If feeding, use 2:1 syrup (1 gal water to 16 lb sugar). Don’t harvest honey from supers while feeding sugar water — that’s “funny honey.”
- Add mouse guards and reduce the entrance as the weather cools.
What’s blooming
- Cat’s ear — continues.
- Goldenrod — ends at the end of the month.
- Asters, Lady’s thumb — continue.
- Witch hazel — October/November (sometimes into January); bright yellow.
- Pansies — most of the year; yellow.
November
In the hive
- Mite treatments should be done by now (except oxalic acid vaporization) — late is better than never. From now until early January is the window to treat with oxalic acid, since there’s minimal capped brood.
- Harvest any honey beyond your winter needs (no sugar-water honey).
- Consolidate each hive to the brood chamber(s) and honey super(s). Remove the queen excluder so the cluster can move up, and remove empty supers — bees can’t defend empty space in the cold, and wax moths/beetles will exploit it.
- Clean IPM boards and check for excess moisture.
- Ventilation & moisture: in cold weather, condensation is the real danger (think of a closed car on a damp day, or being out in 30°F rain with no coat). Open the IPM board ¼–1″ for airflow, tilt the hive so water drains out the front, and turn the inner cover to provide an upper entrance and a place for feed.
What’s blooming
- Aster — ends early November (~Nov 10).
- White clover — the dearth begins for everything except white clover.
- Camellia.
Winter prep & ventilation checklist
- Hive is in good condition with all joints sealed, and tipped slightly forward to drain condensation.
- At least 30–40 lb of food and pollen. Add winter patties, sugar, or fondant cakes/boards as needed.
- Remove the queen excluder — if the queen gets trapped below it she can freeze — so the cluster can move to food.
- Add a 1–3″ shim on the top box for paper plates or French-fry trays of granulated sugar spritzed with water. Bees chew through the bottom to reach it, and it catches dripping moisture.
- Place Reflectix R-21 reflective insulation on the shim to cut heat loss; notch it for ventilation and bee access. It also stops bees building wacky comb in the shim.
- Set the entrance reducer to the small notch (facing up), trimmed so water drains.
- Provide an upper entrance — the inner-cover slot, or a 3/8″ hole drilled just above the front hand-hold.
- Pull the IPM board out slightly for ventilation.
- Strap or weight the hive against wind, and set up a wind break for the prevailing winds.
- Feeding options that work in cold weather: Boardman feeders (sun warms 2:1 syrup), baggie feeders with small holes, fondant boards/bricks, and candy boards on the top box. (2:1 syrup tested at −10°F for 72 hours without the jar breaking.)
December
In the hive
- Order nucs and bee packages for next year.
- After the winter solstice, the queen begins laying replacement bees as the days lengthen.
- Treat for mites with oxalic acid vaporization.
- Check IPM boards for debris and pests. If you run an IPM board, consider a 72-hour mite test — the limit is 30 mites.
- Check the hive for excess moisture.
What’s blooming
- Dandelion.
- White clover.
- Dearth otherwise continues.
Books, videos & glossaries
Free book: Fifty Years Among the Bees by C.C. Miller (D.H. Hill Library, NC State University).
Nectar & bloom references: NC Wildlife Federation Bloom Calendar · Prairie State Beekeepers — Plants for Honey Bees.
YouTube channels: Managing hives as single brood chambers · Ian Steppler (A Canadian Beekeeper’s Blog) · Kamon Reynolds (Tennessee’s Bees) · Bob Binnie.
Glossaries: Betterbee · Honey Bee Suite · Montgomery County (MD) Beekeepers.
No matches. Try a single keyword like varroa, swarm, feeding, goldenrod, or a month.
Dates reflect a typical Johnston County season and can vary by 5–7 days with weather. Always confirm treatments and timing for your own apiary. Most photos courtesy of NC State University.