As a beekeeper, I believe that one of the first things to understand about the honey bee is what makes up the colony. It is the first step in discovering how fascinating these little insects are.
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WHAT ARE THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES TO MAKE A GOOD HONEY CROP?
- A very large number of foraging age bees available at the nectar flow time
- Elimination of the conditions that cause swarming
- A surplus amount of drawn comb on the colony just before the start of the nectar flow
- Healthy bees with little or no mites, nosema free, young vigorous queen
Years ago, Dr. Roger Morse wrote in one of his many books that “the proper planning for the next season commenses in September”. I have been using September as the bee’s New Year for many years, because my total honey crop in Maryland is produced very early in the spring and is finished by about June 1st. I am positive that the honey yield in the Illinois area is somewhat different, starting later and lasting longer, but those facts don’t change any of the absolute necessities to make a good crop! Therefore, let me detail these management techniques from a September starting point until the following September.
The above was taken from http://pxbacher.home.comcast.net/~pxbacher/PinkPages/1999_Jun_-_Upgrade_from_a_beeHAVER_to_a_beeKEEPER.html .