As a beekeeper, there seems to never be a time when I'm not busy. There are always jobs on the ever-growing TODO list, no matter how many are checked off the list.
During winter, when bees are less active, you might think we have a welcome break and the beekeeper can relax a little. However, this seems to be a time of even greater busyness as all the jobs that couldn't be done during peak season are screaming to get done.
Our winter here in SE QLD is brief. June and July, some of August. We get swarms as early as the end of July, and we've only just put the girls to bed in May! So our window of "quiet time" is all too brief compared to some colder latitudes.
The shortness of the winter break means that we need to be organised and ensure we prioritise the most important jobs to be done. Good pre-winter prep helps reduce the workload, as does a little discipline through the busy season to get small jobs done rather than putting them off. Nonetheless, there's no shortage of jobs waiting to be done.
What are some of the things on my TODO list for winter:
Finding new apiary sites
contacting landowners, inspecting sites, and building long-term agreements for apiary sites.
this takes time and patience.
not every site works, no matter how much the landowner might want to host hives. Access, slope, shade/sun, and the surrounding environment all need to be taken into account.
Building hardware for hives
bases, lids, boxes, stands need to be ready before the season starts
bases and lids are built out of high density plywood (formply)
flatpack boxes are built and painted (waterproof primer and 3 coats of exterior)
stands are made using pine posts and besser blocks
wherever possible we opt for simple solutions over complex ones, reusable over single use.
Cleaning up my shed
The shed is a dumping ground for everything and is always on the verge of absolute chaos. Cleaning up is general periodic maintenance I just need to do but always put off until later.
Selling honey and wax
Planning for the new season
"Failing to plan is just planning to fail!" - there's a lot of truth in that!
What growth do I want to achieve in the next season? And how will I finance that?
How much honey do I plan to produce?
Do I want to sell nucs, queens, capture swarms, sell cut-comb etc?
What maintenance will my existing colonies require in the coming year (new queens etc, frame age-out replacement, colony losses etc)?
Where will I place any new hives? How many new sites? How much new hardware will I need and when?
Cleaning up my apiary sites
cleaning up rubbish and waste - it is amazing how much waste accumulates under and around hives
mowing and spraying
trimming trees, mending fences and gates etc
Repairing hive stands and hive hardware
timber ware needs constant maintenance
stands sink under weight or warp due to weather
Ordering new PPE to replace worn-out PPE
PPE is essential when beekeeping. Some are happy with minimal protection, but in my view better safe than sorry. You never know when you'll front up to a very defensive colony or something will happen that triggers defensive behaviours. So I would far rather have the PPE than "soldier on" through multiple beestings and unpleasantness.
Beekeeping is hard on PPE (see the gloves below which are just 2-3 months old!). Planning for this gear to be repaired, or more usually replaced, is essential.
gloves don't last more than 1 season, so it's best to buy a couple of pairs early and be prepared for replacements
jackets and veils can easily get damaged and need replacement and/or repair
honey processing requires disposable gloves and other consumables. need to stock up on these prior to honey season
smokers and tools often need to be repaired or replaced through wear and tear, loss, or damage
Purchase consumables and equipment for next season
Like most beekeepers, I never seem to have "enough" spare equipment. THe constant flow of swarm captures and splits in the early season, the pressure of honey harvesting, bottling, and storage during the season, and the constant requirement for hiveware and equipment ensures that there's minimal stock on hand when I need it. I need to estimate how much I can afford and when I might need it during the season:
frames
honey supers
crates
dividers
excluders
clearer boards
queen cups and cages
nuc boxes
SHB traps
alcohol wash kits
AFB test kits
buckets
bottles
and so on
Systems improvements
No business these days runs without some form of IT systems to support it.
Website refresh and updates
Stock and pricing management
Integration with financial tools and point of sale (POS)
Tax and bookkeeping
Customer management (CRM)
Order management
As you can see it can seem overwhelming! However, with some careful and regular planning, and some simple management and discipline, the mountain of work can be climbed! Rather than focus on all the work all at once, I prioritise and manage my work in progress to ensure jobs get done in a sensible way. Slowly, but surely, the TODO list is moved to done... and inevitably replaced with new TODO items for the new season.
Happy beekeeping!
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