Some of you will be extracting soon. People do that effectively at different times
and sometimes more than once. But if you take honey off now, just be aware that
we are going into a dearth when there will be very little for bees to bring in. I’ve
known situations where a beekeeper has taken off too much honey early in July.
Two weeks of blustery windy hot weather followed. The bees fed their young
what remained of their honey and then starved. So just make sure they have
plenty.
Another seemingly innocuous detail can be a piece of woodenware that has a
worn corner or some area on your hive that isn’t bee-tight. It may look like bees
are trying to get in or out of those places.
Robbing can be a real concern in the
dearth and on through the season until winter. Seal up those spots.
Your entrance should be no more than three inches wide, so your bees can
defend it. The large clumps of bees hanging on the front during this infernal heat
dome aren’t robbing and they’re not out there to cool off. They are out there to
make it easier for those inside to fan air through the top rear opening and
cool/cure the “green” nectar inside. Their brilliant air conditioning system is at
work.
So, August is the cruelest month. Why? The colony has just been exploding with
energy all June and July. There seemed to be a lot of brood. Then in September
they are dead. What happened??? The signs were there all along on the frames,
unfortunately. The queen has tapered off egg laying during the summer months
because fewer foragers are needed. The bee population has dwindled through
natural attrition. But the mites have kept right on multiplying and their numbers
have tended to increase in proportion to the bees. The mite count has gone up
and up. So, what to do? Have a mite plan for the summer. If you used Formic
Pro in May or June, use something different now. There are several options. My
choice would be Varroxsan. It comes as a pair of slow release oxalic acid strips that
you leave on for up to 56 days. Whatever mite control you use, check for
temperature restrictions and whether it’s useable with honey supers on.
I don’t extract until later, so once I have my miticide on, I’ll check ‘em a couple of
times in August and keep it mowed. Other than that…nothing much to do except
have fun and feed the miniature cattle next to the bee yard. They won’t eat
carrots I bring or my chunks of apple. They just want hay!
I enjoyed seeing many of you at our silent auction and end of year gala. Although
there will not be a general meeting with speaker until September, there are
numerous supports still in place over the summer. The well-attended zoom
meeting NewBees/Special Topics keeps on going. In July there are two
workshops. Hive inspection – Inspecting During Summer Dearth – July 11 and Honey Harvest July 19. In August another Hive Inspection – Fall Prep -August 8 and Hive Inspection – Winter Prep September 9. Lots going on! I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Andy Hatt, BYBA President