Summer Essentials

June Guide: Continue inspecting weekly or more frequently with higher-risk colonies.
Stay vigilant for queen cells and swarming signs. The timing of the peak swarm season varies from year to year, so be prepared to act quickly to prevent swarming and have spare kit available. Continue to add supers as required for the nectar flow before a colony gets congested. In some years, there is a June gap in forage. Spring flowers are over, and summer flowers are yet to emerge. This can be made worse by poor weather. Monitor stores of all colonies, but especially of smaller nucs and splits,  which may not have much in reserve.
Be prepared to feed thin syrup if required,  but watch you don’t contaminate any stored honey with sugar syrup! Remov,e any sealed spring honey in frames/supers for extraction but do leave sufficient for the bees.