NEW YEARS IS CLOSER JULY THAN YOU THINK

In July, most of us are extracting honey or thinking about extracting honey. This is the time of reaping the rewards of being a beekeeper.

For the old and new beekeepers it is also the time that the hives need care as the bees are starting at looking towards their New Year and we want to have strong hives for the winter.

For all of us we are at the end of the bee year. Now is the time to start thinking of next year. We need to be aware of the many problems that are looking us in the face if we want our bees to produce honey next year.

First and foremost, we must be aware that this is the time of the year that our mite counts will start inching up. We need to do mite counts and start considering treatments. Next we need to look at our hives. Do we have hives that are weak? We have to ask ourselves, what should we be doing to strengthen the weak hives? In Maryland the honey flow has peaked and there will be little or no forage for the bees. If you have wild aster or goldenrod in the area you may receive a small fall flow. With that being said, we now have to look to the future. This means feeding our bees. I have always had a problem in August and September with robbing. The bees from stronger hives will look to the hives that are weak. They will rob whatever food they can rob from the weaker hives and in the process you will lose that hive. I have always lost more hives at this time of the year due to robbing than almost any other problem I encounter throughout the year. We also have to remember the new bees that are being born in Sept, Oct, and November will be the bees that take the hives through the winter. We need to have strong hives come October, November and going into December if we are going to get them through the winter. This means feeding 1-1 or 2-1 sugar syrup for food storage. Mouse guards should be installed as we want to prevent the furry little creatures from a cozy winter home at the expense of the hive. I need to mention mite treatments again in the fall and this time couple it with oxalic acid treatments during December and or early January. Also include supplemental sugar shakes, fondant or other such type of food placed in the hive by late November, just in case our bees run low on food over the winter. We lose many hives in February and March due to lack of food. Beekeeping is a year around thing. If you build healthy hives now, you will reap the benefits next summer

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!   (in July!!!)