April 2026 in the Apiary: Spring Nucs, Queen Introductions and OSR

April is where the season really begins to accelerate.

After the slower winter months, colonies suddenly start expanding quickly. Queens increase laying, fresh comb appears fast, and the bees begin taking advantage of every good flying day they can.

Most of the work in the apiary at this point is about staying slightly ahead of the bees - giving colonies enough space, enough food, and the right conditions to keep building steadily into spring.

With May now well underway, we thought it would be nice to start sharing a more regular look at what’s happening behind the scenes in the apiaries each month here in North Shropshire.

 

Building Summer Nucs

A large part of April was spent making up new nucleus colonies, both for our now sold-out summer nuc customers and for our own long-term expansion plans.

Reservations for our 2027 overwintered spring nucs are now open. These are the colonies we raise through the season and overwinter here in Shropshire before collection or nationwide delivery next spring.

That means carefully selecting brood and bees from strong colonies, introducing new queens, and building smaller colonies up steadily so they develop into healthy, balanced hives.

For newer beekeepers, a nuc (short for nucleus colony) is essentially a small starter colony. But a good nuc is much more than simply “a few frames of bees”. The early management behind them plays a huge role in how well they establish later on.

At this time of year, small changes in weather and forage availability can have a surprisingly large effect on colony development, so much of spring management is really about keeping conditions as stable as possible while the colonies build momentum.

We’ve also been expanding our step-by-step beekeeping guides this spring, covering everything from preparing for your first nuc to what to expect during the first few weeks after installation.

 

Introducing New Queens

One of this spring’s new queens settling into a developing nuc. She’s a big queen, and the bees have already started drawing this ANEL plastic frame out really well around her.

One of the more delicate jobs this month has been introducing new queens into freshly made nucs.

The colony needs time to adjust to a new queen and accept her pheromones before she’s fully released. When everything goes well, she’ll begin laying steadily within days, and the colony can expand very quickly from there.

It’s one of those parts of beekeeping that looks simple from the outside, but small details in timing and colony condition can make a big difference.

We’ve been really pleased with how the queen introductions have gone so far this spring, with excellent acceptance rates across the nucs.

 

Feeding Through Early Spring

As more spring forage begins appearing, colonies quickly switch from relying on syrup to bringing in fresh nectar and pollen naturally.

We also continued feeding colonies right up until the OSR began flowering locally.

That sometimes surprises newer beekeepers. Warm weather does not always mean there’s enough forage available yet. Colonies are growing rapidly at this point in the year and can consume large amounts of food even during seemingly good conditions.

Providing syrup during this period helps reduce stress on the colony while encouraging them to continue drawing fresh comb and expanding steadily.

Once the OSR came into flower, the bees immediately switched gears.

The bright yellow fields that appear across the countryside in spring are an enormous nectar source for honey bees. On good days, colonies can bring nectar in faster than you’d expect, and fresh white wax often starts appearing almost overnight as the bees draw new comb to store it.

It’s one of the clearest signs that the season is properly underway.

 

Expanding the Apiaries

April also involved moving colonies onto new apiary sites and setting up new hive stands.

A good apiary location makes a huge difference to how colonies perform through the year. Shelter from strong winds, good morning sun, dry ground, and access to varied forage all help colonies develop more consistently.

We’ve been gradually expanding our apiary setup using bespoke steel stands designed specifically around our Langstroth hives. Aside from being practical and long-lasting, they also allow us to scale apiaries efficiently as colony numbers grow.

A lot of beekeeping at this stage of the year happens before the honey season really begins. Much of the work is preparation - building healthy colonies now so they are calm, productive and stable later in the summer.

 

A Few Things New Beekeepers Often Notice in April

For people starting beekeeping this year, April is often the first month when colonies suddenly feel very active.

A few things that commonly catch newer beekeepers off guard:

• Colonies can grow surprisingly quickly during warm spells
• Bees may still need feeding even in good weather
• Fresh white wax usually means the colony is expanding well
• Temperament can vary hugely between colonies
• Strong colonies can begin thinking about swarming earlier than expected

This is also the point where regular inspections become more important. A colony can change significantly within a week during spring buildup.

From a forage perspective, April is when the landscape really starts waking up from the bees’ point of view, too.

Willow, dandelion, blackthorn, fruit blossom, sycamore, and eventually OSR all begin contributing nectar and pollen for rapidly expanding colonies. Some of these plants only flower briefly, but they arrive at exactly the right moment in the season.

 

The First Main Nectar Flows

Even with April being much drier than usual overall, we still had the occasional dramatic spring shower roll through the apiaries.

With the OSR now fully out around many of the apiaries, colonies are bringing nectar in properly for the first time this season.

April was unusually warm, dry, and sunny overall here in Shropshire, which gave the bees plenty of opportunities to fly and expand quickly. Colonies have built strongly as a result, and many are progressing earlier than we’d normally expect.

That said, honey production always depends on more than simply warm weather. Extended dry periods can sometimes reduce nectar availability even when conditions feel ideal from a beekeeper’s perspective.

At the moment, though, the colonies are looking strong, fresh comb is being drawn quickly, and the bees are making full use of the spring forage available to them.

If conditions continue reasonably well through May, we’re hoping to begin the first honey harvests towards the end of the month.

If you'd like to hear when fresh honey becomes available, our newsletter is usually the first place we announce new harvest releases.

 

Looking Ahead to May

Over the next few weeks, the focus will stay on colony expansion and queen performance.

The nucs will continue building up, new queens will begin establishing properly, and the strongest colonies will likely need additional space sooner rather than later.

Spring always feels like the foundation for the rest of the season. The steadier and healthier colonies are now, the better everything tends to go later in the year.

And after a long winter, it’s simply good to see the apiaries busy again.

We’ll try to keep sharing these monthly updates as the season progresses.

In the meantime, you can follow along on Instagram and Facebook for more regular apiary updates, explore our beginner beekeeping guides, or join the newsletter to hear when fresh honey and future overwintered nuc availability is released.