A year in the apiary, season by season

Beekeeping looks like a summer job from the outside. In practice the year runs continuously, and most of the decisions that shape a harvest are made months before a single bottle is filled.

Late winter

The colony forms a tight cluster around the queen, with the bees shivering their flight muscles to keep the centre warm. Beekeepers avoid opening hives in the cold. Instead, many heft the hive from behind to feel its weight, which tells them how much stored honey is left.

Spring

The queen begins laying in earnest and the colony grows quickly. This is swarm season: a strong hive wants to split itself in two. Giving the bees more room helps keep them settled. In Adams County, spring bloom includes the fruit orchards the region is known for.

Summer

The main nectar flow. Clover, basswood and wildflowers come in fast, and honey supers fill quickly in a good week. Honey is taken off once the bees have capped the cells with wax, which is their way of saying the moisture is low enough to keep.

Autumn

Late flowers such as goldenrod and aster give the season's last nectar. Beekeepers make sure each colony keeps enough honey of its own to make it through winter.