“A swarm in May is worth a load of hay
A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon
A swarm in July is not worth a fly.”

According to this English proverb, the sooner you start working with bees on a hive, the more honey you’ll have by the end of the season!

Image: Carr, Thomas James (1909-1999). Beehive. Available HERE.

Further Reading: Kightly, Charles (1987). The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore. London: Thames and Hudson.