New Mexico Beekeeping Calendar

Mild and short; colonies fly on warm days.

• •Check weight and feed only if genuinely light.
• •Provide water — even in winter bees forage on warm afternoons.
• •Keep entrances reduced against robbing.

Very early build-up as desert and citrus blooms open.

• •First full inspection: confirm the queen and expand space.
• •Take a varroa count and treat before the population takes off.
• •Add supers ahead of the spring desert bloom.

Short intense bloom and heavy swarming, including feral pressure.

• •Inspect weekly for swarm cells; split strong colonies.
• •Super early — the desert flow can be brief.
• •Make splits and requeen while the weather is still mild.

Extreme heat and no forage — protect and stabilize.

• •Provide shade and a reliable water source.
• •Reduce entrances hard; robbing is intense in a desert dearth.
• •Monitor mites and feed to keep colonies from collapsing.

Rains can trigger a second flow — and mites peak.

• •Add supers if monsoon blooms produce a fall flow.
• •Do your critical late-season mite treatment.
• •Harvest any surplus once capped.

Wind down and prepare for a mild winter.

• •Confirm stores and feed 2:1 syrup if needed.
• •Consolidate weak colonies before winter.
• •Keep water available on warm days.