The Rhythm of the Beekeeping Year
🐝 What the Bees Are Doing
Colonies are working long hours collecting nectar from blackberry, clover and other summer flowers. Honey supers may be filling quickly and colonies are often at their busiest.
🌼 Plants to Watch
Look out for these key summer plants:
Blackberry
White Clover
Field Scabious
👨🌾 What Beekeepers Should Be Doing
- Check colony health
- Watch for queen cells
- Monitor honey stores
- Prepare for honey harvest
⚠ Things to Watch For
- High temperatures
- Late swarms
- Robbing
- Wasps
The Beekeeping Year at a Glance
July
🐝 What the Bees Are Doing
Colonies are working long hours collecting nectar from blackberry, clover and other summer flowers. Honey supers may be filling quickly and colonies are often at their busiest.
🌼 Plants to Watch
Blackberry
White Clover
Field Scabious
👨🌾 What Beekeepers Should Be Doing
- Check colony healthWatch for queen cellsMonitor honey storesPrepare for honey harvest
⚠ Things to Watch For
- High temperaturesLate swarmsRobbingWasps
FIELD NOTES • JULY 2026
From Tristan's Notebook
Warm evenings in the apiary are some of my favourite moments of the year. The colonies hum with activity as foragers return heavy with nectar, and you can almost feel the weight of summer inside each hive.
Continue Your Journey
Every visit to the apiary teaches something new. Continue exploring the Norfolk Bees Learning Hub through practical learning modules, in-depth knowledge articles, seasonal observations and real-world advice from Tristan.
Whether you're taking your very first steps into beekeeping or building years of experience, there's always something new to discover.
