May

May

May Beekeeping Guide

Swarm season is here. Stay ahead of it.

May is when everything ramps up. Colonies are growing fast, drones are flying, and if your hive is strong, it’s going to try to reproduce.

That means one thing:

If you don’t manage swarming, your bees will do it for you.

Items Needed This Month

Start Preparing for June

What You Should Be Doing Every Inspection

Stay on a rhythm. Every14 days is about right this time of year.

You’re checking for:

  • Eggs (queen is present and laying)
  • Brood pattern (should be fairly solid)
  • Larvae (pearly white, wet-looking)
  • Pollen and honey stores
  • Overall growth—more bees and built out frames each time you look

If a hive is getting close to full, give them space. Waiting too long is one of the fastest ways to trigger a swarm.

Early Signs of Swarming (Don’t Wait for Cells)

By the time you see capped swarm cells, you’re already late.

Watch for:

  • Brood nest getting crowded
  • Nectar being stored in the brood area (backfilling or honeybound)
  • Increased drone population
  • Bees hanging out (bearding) in mild weather

👉 This is when you act—not later.

New Beekeepers (First-Year Hives)

Your job right now is to build a strong, stable colony without letting it get crowded.

Feed and monitor

If they’re ignoring pollen, they’re probably bringing enough in on their own.

Stay ahead of space

  • Let them build out the first box
  • Once it’s around 80% drawn and occupied, add the second

If you hold them too tight, they’ll swarm—even in their first year.

When to add a honey super (later step)

Once both brood boxes are:

  • 80–90% drawn out with comb
  • And nectar is actively coming in

👉 Then add your honey super.

Important: Feeding vs Honey Production

If you plan to harvest honey:

👉 Stop feeding syrup once your honey super goes on.

Otherwise, syrup can end up stored in frames and mixed into your honey.

A couple setup adjustments

  • Once the second box is on, move your feeder up
  • Open the entrance reducer to a medium opening

One piece of advice that matters

Find someone local who’s been overwintering hives successfully for a few years and learn from them. It’ll save you time and mistakes.

What to focus on this month

  • Inspect every 14 days
  • Continue feeding
  • Add your second box at the right time
  • Make sure they’re progressing each visit

Overwintered Hives (2+ Years)

This is where management actually matters.

A strong hive in May will try to swarm. That’s normal.

The question is whether you’re going to use that to your advantage—or prevent it and focus on honey.

If you’re seeing swarm cells

You need to act. Not next week—now.

From here, you’ve got two directions:

  • Make a split (gain hives)
  • Control swarming (keep your numbers the same)

Option 1: Make a Split (Growth / Sales)

One of the simplest is a walk-away split.

Walk-Away Split (Practical Version)

Set up a second hive (Box B) next to your original hive (Box A), with the entrance facing a different direction.

1. Split resources

  • Divide frames evenly:
    • Honey and Pollen
    • Capped brood to Box A and Open brood (eggs/larva) to Box B

2. Move bees

  • Shake all bees into Box A
  • Queen now in Box A

3. Let them rebalance

  • Add queen excluder on Box A and place Box B on top
  • Nurse bees move up in Box B
  • Leave them bee for a day

4. Move box

  • Remove Box B and place in new location facing a different direction
  • Add 2nd box to both Box A and Box B for added space

4. Feed both hives

  • Feed 1:1 syrup

5. Decide on your queen

  • Let them raise one (3–4 weeks) dependent if queen cell already present ~80% success rate in mating
  • Or introduce a mated queen (remove all queen cell before introduction)

If swarm cells are present, leave 1–2 good ones and remove the rest.

Option 2: Keep Your Hive Count the Same (No Split)

If your goal is honey production and not more hives, you still need to relieve pressure inside the colony.

Doing nothing usually ends in a swarm.

Add space early (simple approach)

  • Add your honey super before the hive feels crowded
  • Make sure brood boxes are already strong (80–90% full)

This helps—but won’t always stop a determined hive on its own.

Checkerboarding (low effort, very effective)

  • Add a third box
  • Move frames 3, 5, and 7 from the second box into the third
  • Replace those spots with empty frames

This:

  • Opens up the brood nest
  • Keeps the queen laying
  • Reduces swarm pressure

No need to find the queen.

Double Screen Board (controlled pressure relief)

  • Move most brood above a double screen board in 3rd box
  • Leave the queen below with empty space

This mimics a swarm without actually losing bees.

You can:

  • Recombine later after bees hatch out of 3rd box and remove double screen board and now use it as your honey super
  • Or use it as a requeening opportunity since the 3rd box will now act as a separate hive since the double screen board separates the queen pharamone

Demaree Method (advanced but powerful)

  • Move queen to bottom with empty drawn comb
  • Move most brood above a queen excluder
  • Add supers above

This:

  • Reduces congestion
  • Keeps foragers working
  • Pushes energy into honey production

Best if you’re comfortable finding the queen and managing boxes.

Which one should you use?

  • Newer beekeeper → Checkerboarding
  • Want simple → Add space early
  • Want control without splitting → Double screen board
  • More advanced → Demaree

Mite Management (Don’t Guess)

If you’re running OAE for your control treatment, it's a great time to put them on.

  • Place sponges between brood boxes
  • Leave them in for full treatment duration around 45 days
  • Move as needed during inspections

👉 Going into June, your mite count should be very low
(around 1 mite per 300 bees or less).

Weather Can Still Set You Back

If you hit cold, rainy weather:

  • Keep feeding
  • Watch stores closely
  • Don’t assume they’re bringing in nectar

Colonies can stall fast this time of year.

A Quick Note on Swarms

If a hive has fully committed to swarming, you’re probably not stopping it.

If you ever get the chance, take a minute and watch it happen.

It looks chaotic at first, but there’s a system to it—and it’s one of the more impressive things you’ll see in beekeeping.

May Checklist

Overwintered hives

  • Inspect every couple weeks
  • Watch for early swarm pressure
  • Split or relieve pressure
  • Add space before they’re crowded
  • Treat for mites
  • Feed if weather slows forage

New hives

  • Inspect every 10–14 days
  • Feed consistently
  • Add second box at ~80%
  • Adjust entrance as they grow

For all hives

  • Add space before they need it
  • Keep feeding smaller colonies
  • Learn and run mite tests
  • Keep mite levels low going into June

Final Thought

In May, you’re not just keeping bees—you’re managing growth.

You can turn one hive into two this month if you want.

Or you can hold your numbers steady and push for honey.

Either way—timing is everything.

If you’re not sure what you’re seeing or what move to make next, ask.

Keep your Hive Alive.