Years Two & Three Hive Tasks

By: Ann Harman

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years

• Harvest honey before July 15.

• Immediately after harvest, monitor Varroa level.

• If choosing a chemical treatment, read the label for important application instructions.

• Also monitor for small hive beetle. If populous, take action.

• In region of small hive beetles do not put wet honey supers above inner cover for bees to clean.

• Wet honey supers can be put well away from the beeyard for a few hours to let bees clean them.

• Keep beeyard grass and weeds mowed.

• Get honey supers ready for storage. If no brood ever in them, wax moth is not a problem.

• Honey supers that have had brood raised in them must be protected from wax moth.

• Place honey supers in a plastic bag and put into a freezer for a week to kill any wax moth eggs and small hive beetle. Leave sealed in plastic bag upon removal from freezer. Store in a place where mice cannot chew through the plastic bag.

• Make sure the bees’ water supply does not dry up.

• Be a Weather Watcher and a Plant Watcher.

• If a dearth of bee forage plants, watch for robbing.

• If feeding a colony is necessary, feed all colonies inside the hive to prevent robbing.

• Keep hive inspections to as minimum to prevent robbing.

• Monitor queen performance during late Summer.

• If a colony is weak with no disease present it should be re-queened or combined with a strong colony. Kill the weak queen.

• In cold climates feed 2:1 sugar syrup in September for Winter stores.

• If feeding pollen patties monitor them for small hive beetle infestation.