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Florida Beekeeping Management Calendar1
Florida's warm temperatures are very conducive The following beekeeper management calendar to beekeeping; however, the climate, ecotype, and floral was created for beekeepers in Florida. It is specific to resources differ significantly between the three main region (north, central, south Florida), quarter (spring, regions in Florida: North Florida, Central Florida, and summer, fall, winter), and month. The calendar South Florida. North Florida encompasses the includes recommendations for major management panhandle region, down through Alachua, Levy, considerations like when to treat for parasites or Putnam, and Flagler counties. Central Florida pathogens, and the local flora in bloom at that time. includes Marion County down through Sarasota This management calendar is NOT exhaustive. It is County. South Florida encompasses the remaining meant merely as a reference or starting point for honey bee colony management in Florida. It is important that Florida beekeepers consult their local Several factors influence the flora throughout the state, including annual freezes, average temperature, http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/ or bee annual rainfall, and soil composition. Because of these variations, plants that grow well in one region http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/plantinsp/apiary/ may not grow well in another (Sanford 2003).
apiary.html should any specific management questions arise.
producers, very few yield enough nectar to produce a References
surplus honey crop. Those that do generally are indigenous to Florida and may be in danger of being Sanford, M.T. 2003. Beekeeping: Florida Bee lost to urbanization. As such, the third column on each chart includes a list of nectar-bearing plants that are present to some degree in each region and the plants' respective bloom times. For more information on Florida bee botany, including a list of major nectar sources, please refer to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA088 1. This document is ENY156, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date: May 2010. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. James D. Ellis, assistant professor, and C. M. Zettel Nalen, Extension assistant, Entomology & Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie
Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean
Sweet clover, Wild Blueberry, Haw, Fetterbush Mangrove, Red Bay, Low Bush Galberry, Chinese 1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 2) Nosema can be a significant colony problem this time of year. You can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease as needed using Fumigillin.
1) Colony populations begin to grow! Add supers and/or control swarming 2) Can treat with Terramycin or Tylan for American foulbrood prevention 1) Disease and queen problems should be remedied 2) Make splits/nucs – new queens and packages become available 4) Add supers, the primary nectar flow begins this month! 1) Continue to inspect for colony maladies, but don't treat for diseases 1) Remove and process honey - main flow stops 2) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and treat if 1) Remove and process honey - main flow stops 2) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, ApilifeVAR, Mite Away II.
for American foul brood/European foul brood dust
1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 4) Monitor for and control small hive beetles 5) It's hot! Ensure adequate colony ventilation 1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 2) Consider treating colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 1) Varroa populations peaked in Aug/Sept. Monitor varroa populations closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 3) Monitor for and control small hive beetles (options include Checkmite+, GardStar, Hood traps and West Beetle traps) 4) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 5) Can treat for tracheal mites (mix vegetable oil and powdered sugar until doughy - not sticky to touch: place a pancake-sized patty on top bars of Orange, Sweet clover, Wild Blueberry, Haw, dust
1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) – also supply pollen 2) Nosema can be a significant colony problem this time of year. You can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. 3) Can treat with Terramycin or Tylan for American foulbrood prevention 1) Colony populations begin to grow! Add supers and/or control swarming 1) Disease and queen problems should be remedied 2) Make splits/nucs – new queens available 4) Add supers, the nectar flow began in late March 1) Continue to inspect for colony maladies but don't treat for diseases 1) Remove and process honey - main flow stops 2) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and treat 1) Remove and process honey - main flow stops 2) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, ApilifeVAR, Mite Away through October and is a significant Fall source dust
1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 4) Monitor for and control small hive beetles 5) It's hot! Ensure adequate colony ventilation 1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 2) Super colonies if strong B. Pepper flow 3) Consider treating colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin (see N. 4) If no nectar flow, feed colonies if light 1) Varroa populations peaked in Aug/Sept. Monitor varroa populations closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 3) Monitor for and control small hive beetles (options include Checkmite+, GardStar, Hood traps and West Beetle traps) 4) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 5) Can treat for tracheal mites (mix vegetable oil and powdered sugar until doughy (not sticky to touch): place a pancake-sized patty on top Same as above, Mangrove, Seagrape, Buttonwood dust
1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) – also supply pollen 2) Nosema can be a significant colony problem this time of year. You can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 1) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. 1) Colony populations begin to grow! Add supers and/or control 2) Can treat with Terramycin or Tylan for American foulbrood prevention 1) Disease and queen problems should be remedied 2) Make splits/nucs – new queens available 4) Flow began in March – continue to add supers as necessary 5) Orange blossom honey can be extracted (late Apr) 1) Continue to remedy colony maladies, especially queen problems 4) Move bees from orange to other locations 2) If flow is over, remove and process honey 3) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and 1) Remove and process honey - main flow stops 2) Varroa populations begin to grow – monitor colonies closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, ApilifeVAR, Brazilian Pepper blooms from September through October and is a significant Fall source of nectar for dust
1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 4) Monitor for and control small hive beetles 5) It's hot! Ensure adequate colony ventilation 1) Monitor colonies for varroa (see July)! 2) Super colonies if strong B. Pepper flow 3) Consider treating colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. 4) If no nectar flow, feed colonies if light 1) Varroa populations peaked in Aug/Sept. Monitor varroa populations closely and treat if necessary. Treatment options include: Apiguard, 2) Can treat colonies for Nosema disease using Fumigillin. Colonies may need as much as 4 gallons of medicated syrup to control 3) Monitor for and control small hive beetles (options include Checkmite+, GardStar, Hood traps and West Beetle traps) 4) Feed colonies if light (colonies can starve!) 5) Can treat for tracheal mites (mix vegetable oil and powdered sugar until doughy (not sticky to touch): place a pancake-sized patty on top

Source: http://gardens.usf.edu/data/florida-beekeeping-calendar.pdf