By: Ann Harman
This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2018 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
• Monitor queen performance.
Feeding, sugar syrup and maybe even a protein substitute may be necessary.
• If original queen has not increased colony numbers, plan on requeening no later than end of August or the very beginning of September, depending on your climate.
• If colony is weak examine for disease or other conditions.
• If queen performance is poor, a weak colony can be combined with a strong one; eliminate weak colony queen.
• Plan your hive inspections for minimum time to avoid robbing.
• Monitor drawing out comb.
• Packages and nucs started in Spring should be in completed hives with all comb drawn out by end of July.
• A water source is important. Bees can use 1 to 2 gallons of water a day for regulating hive temperature and to provide a drink for the bees.
• Be a Weather Watcher and a Plant Watcher.
• If drought or dearth of flowers then feed 1:1 sugar syrup if needed.
• If feeding syrup, put feed on all colonies to prevent robbing.
• Always feed syrup inside the hive, not at the entrance.
• Keep grass and weeds mowed to give bees easy flight from the hive.
Keep your beeyards free of weeds to avoid getting tangled up and tripping, especially when carrying equipment.
• Check yourself for ticks acquired from grass and weeds.
• Switch feed to 2:1 sugar syrup in September.
• Check the beeyard after heavy thunderstorms and high winds.
• Monitor Varroa population and control if more than 3 mites per hundred bees are found.
• If choosing a treatment, read the miticide label carefully. Monitor daytime temperatures. Follow label instructions!
• Action against mites is essential in July/early August.
• Look for small hive beetles; check underside of pollen patties.
• Use beetle traps or other means of control.
Control mites in your bees. If using a treatment, choose carefully, and follow label instructions.
• The bees’ New Year begins August first. Celebrate if all is well!
