August is a month that is very trying for beekeepers. The temperatures are extremely hot, there is not much for the bees to forage on, and the bees are not in the best mood. It is during this month that most reports about bees being a nuisance are received, most likely due to the lack of forage. As a beekeeper, it is a good idea to have a source of water in the apiary. This could be a dripping faucet, a bird bath, a watering device for chickens, or even a shallow tray on the ground. No matter what you use, be sure to have rocks or sticks for the bees to safely land without drowning. The workers will collect the water and take it back to their hive to use it to help cool down their nest.
Colonies that do not have honey stores may need to be fed sugar-syrup so they will have enough food going into winter. It has been reported in many parts of the state that there was not a great nectar flow this year due to the drought. Don’t count on there being a fall nectar flow as the fall flow is very unreliable. If the colony is light on food, start feeding now with a thick sugar syrup using a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. Be careful about causing robbing from neighboring bees. It is a good idea to use an entrance reducer or use a robbing screen to prevent robbing from getting started. It is much easier to prevent robbing rather than trying to fix the problem after the fact.
Going into winter, it is imperative that each colony has a healthy laying queen. August is past the point of swarming, but supersedure events (queen replacement without swarming) can still occur this time of year. However, since drone populations are dwindling during the heat of the summer, producing a new queen now is not recommended. Each colony should be inspected for the presence of a laying queen. During the inspection, if a frame with a nice egg pattern is found, it is not necessary to visually see the queen. If a colony does not have a laying queen at this point, there is little that can be done, and it may be best to combine this colony with a strong, queenright colony, which gives the colony a much better chance of surviving in the winter.
Supers should already be off by this point in the season, and mite sampling is a must. Varroa mite populations tend to grow very quickly in late summer, so be sure to keep monitoring to determine the mite levels in each hive. Follow the guidelines set out by the Honey Bee Health Coalition and be prepared to implement some sort of control measure if the threshold has been exceeded. By controlling the varroa mite populations (and thereby keeping virus levels to a minimum), this will give the honey bees the best opportunity to remain strong and thrive year-round.
This summer was unique because small hive beetles have not been as much of a problem as they have in past seasons. This summer was also unique because of the high temperatures and lack of rainfall. There may be a correlation between these two, since SHBs thrive in humid conditions. Regardless, it is important to be cautious as the small hive beetles are still here and still have potential to do great damage to colonies if given the opportunity. Maintaining strong and healthy colonies and managing Varroa levels is the best defense against the beetles. See Beekeeping Note 2.05 The Small Hive Beetle for more information on this pest of the honey bees.
For the supers that have been removed, it is important to store them correctly so they may be used again next season. Honey bees use great amounts of energy to produce the wax to make the combs. By having drawn combs ready, the bees can instead spend that energy foraging for nectar and making larger honey crops. If drawn supers are not stored properly, however, wax moths may lay eggs on the combs resulting in wax worms crawling throughout while eating the wax and making a mess and even cause damage to the woodenware. There are several methods to store drawn combs, including Paramoth crystals, Bt spray, freezing combs, or exposing the combs to sunlight. All of these are described in detail on the NCSU Pollinators website in Beekeeping Note 2.18 Wax Moth Control in Stored Equipment.
Other activities to do in August might include getting ready for the holiday season. The wax cappings from the honey harvest may need to be rendered. This is high-quality wax that can be melted and used to make candles or crafts for local markets or could be great gifts for family and friends. Honey can also be bottled and labeled in preparation for sales at local farmers’ markets or for gifts.
Winter will be here before we know it, so make sure to get your bees ready now.
