July, August, September
By: Ann Harman
First Year
- Monitor and decide on Varroa treatment in July. Winter survival depends on Varroa con-trol during July.
- If choosing a chemical treatment, read the label for important application information.
- Monitor and treat for small hive beetle
- Packages and nucs started in spring should be in fully-completed hives with all foundation drawn by the end of July.
- Keep weeds and grass mowed in beeyard.
- Beekeepers monitor themselves for ticks acquired in beeyard.
- August begins the bees’ New Year.
- Monitor bees’ water supply — do not let it dry up.
- Examine queen’s performance.
- If colony is weak examine for disease or other conditions.
- If colony is weak because of poor queen, plan on combining or requeening.
- Never combine two weak colonies — combine week with strong; eliminate weak queen.
- Maintain good ventilation in hives.
- Be a Plant Watcher and Weather Watcher to know if there’s a dearth of bee forage.
- If a dearth, feed 1:1 sugar syrup and possibly a pollen patty.
- Be sure that small hive beetles are not infesting a pollen patty.
- Feed sugar syrup inside the hive and feed all colonies to prevent robbing.
- Keep hive inspections to a minimum to avoid robbing.
- In cold climate areas feed 2:1 sugar syrup in September for winter stores.
Second & Third Year
- Harvest honey during first half of July.
- Immediately after harvest decide on Varroa control and treat.
- If choosing a chemical treatment, read the label for important application information.
- Monitor for small hive beetle and treat.
- Keep weeds and grass mowed in beeyard.
- Check yourself carefully for ticks acquired in beeyard.
- If in region of small hive beetle do not put wet honey supers above inner cover to clean them up.
- Wet honey supers can be placed well away from the beeyard for a few hours to clean them up.
- If no brood ever in honey super frames, wax moth is not a problem.
- If brood was raised in honey super frames protect them against wax moth.
- Honey supers can be placed in a plastic bag and put in a freezer for a week to kill any eggs of wax moth and small hive beetle. Leave in plastic bag upon removal from freezer but protect from mice that can chew through a plastic bag.
- Be a Weather Watcher and a Plant Watcher.
- Be certain bees’ water source does not dry up.
- Robbing can be a problem if a dearth of plants occurs.
- If feeding is necessary, feed inside the hive and feed all hives to prevent robbing.
- Keep hive inspections to a minimum to prevent robbing.
- Late summer is the time to monitor queen performance
- If a weak colony has no disease plan to requeen or combine with strong colony; kill poor queen.
- In areas with cold climate, feed 2:1 sugar syrup for winter stores in September.
