May Beekeeping Guide 2025

by May 14, 2025

🐝 May Beekeeping Guide – Swarm Season, Supers and Queen Watching

May is here, and with it comes a surge in activity both inside and outside the hive. Colonies are expanding quickly, forage is increasing, and swarm season is officially underway. There’s plenty for beekeepers to keep an eye on this month, so here’s your full May checklist, guidance, and gear tips to help stay ahead.

📋 May Checklist for Beekeepers

✅ Inspect hives every 7–9 days for signs of:

Queen cells (swarming intentions)
Good brood pattern
Disease or pests
Available space for expansion

✅ Add a queen excluder and supers if not already done, colonies need space to store nectar and avoid congestion.

✅ If a hive is strong, consider splitting to avoid losing a swarm.

✅ Watch for Queen cells – if you remove them, check thoroughly or you may miss one.

✅ Provide extra ventilation if it’s getting warm, especially for polystyrene hives.

✅ Plant bee-friendly flowers like borage, phacelia, and clover to support pollinators all season.

🚨 Swarming – Prevention and Control

Swarming can happen fast in May. A few key strategies:

Monitor Queen cells carefully during inspections
Add space – supers, brood boxes, or consider a split
Have swarm-catching gear ready – skep, box, suit, hive tool
Consider setting out a bait hive with drawn comb or old frames

🐝 Beginner Tip: A colony with plenty of room and young brood is less likely to swarm, but nothing is guaranteed. Stay vigilant.

🧹 May Management Tasks

🧼 Continue with spring cleaning if not done in April:

Clean bottom boards
Remove old, dark combs and replace with foundation
Check that hive entrances are clear and dry

🛠️ Make sure all equipment is in good working order before the June rush

🌸 Forage and Feeding

By May, forage should be improving, but don’t assume your bees are fine.

Watch for cold snaps or wet spells, especially in northern areas
If stores are low and bees aren’t flying, feed light syrup (1:1 sugar:water)
Remove any remaining fondant and clean out feeders

🌼 May flowers include hawthorn, sycamore, horse chestnut, oilseed rape, and fruit blossom. These are major nectar sources, but availability depends on your location and weather.

👑 Keep an Eye on the Queen

May is an ideal month to assess your Queen:

Is she laying a solid brood pattern?
Is she marked and easy to spot?
Consider requeening any poor-performing colonies

If you’re doing Queen rearing, mid to late May can be a good time to begin grafting or using a split to raise a new Queen.

🧰 Essential Equipment for May

✔ Hive Tool, Smoker, Protective Clothing

✔ Queen Marking Kit

✔ Supers, Frames and Foundation

✔ Spare Hive Components (for splits or bait hives)

✔ Record Book or Hive Inspection Sheets

🐝 Just Getting Started?

If you’ve just installed a new colony:

Continue feeding until the bees are drawing comb and flying well
Inspect weekly and make sure the Queen is laying
Give space when needed, but don’t overcrowd too soon
Ask for advice if unsure, local clubs or our team are here to help

💡 TIP: Joining a local association is still one of the best ways to learn

Federation of Irish Beekeepers Association
Irish Beekeepers Association CLG
Native Irish Honey Bee Society

📅 Looking Ahead to June

June is the peak of the season. Next month, we’ll be talking about:

Honey flow management
Swarm follow-ups
Adding and removing supers
Early summer forage

NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS?

We're here to help with everything you need, whether it's sourcing bees, selecting equipment, or deciding which book to read next. If you can't find what you're looking for, contact us directly - we're always more than happy to help!

🐝 Míle Buíochas from Donegal Bees - Happy Beekeeping! 🐝