By: Ann Harman
This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2016 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
First Year
• Monitor and decide on Varroa treatment in July. Winter survival depends on Varroa control 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.
