BeeKeeper's Corner

Fall Beekeeping

Now is an important time to keep a close watch on your bees. Everything you do this quarter is for Spring. The bees are preparing for winter. If we are extremely fortunate we may catch a Fall honey flow. If you are the fortunate one and have enough honey to harvest, check the taste of the honey first, before getting all charged up for harvest. The honey may taste a wee bit bitter due to the asters and other fall blooms and as a result, you may want to let the bees keep it for their winter stores.

Keep up with the powder sugar method of sprinkling on the bees to keep the mite load down. If you use chemicals now is the time, carefully follow directions.

Continue to watch for the wax moth!! They are relentless. So are the small hive beetles!! Still no silver bullet for those pests, but trapping is effective.

Early Fall is a good time to make splits, but do it early so that you’ll have enough drones to mate with your queen.

The bees will begin gearing up for winter and start to minimize their colony by giving the drones the boot, who’ll die outside of the hive. You will also see more dead bees at the entrance, it is normal this time of year, those little workers have literally worked themselves to death.

Add any necessary windbreaks.

Store your equipment.

Repair equipment.

Start thinking about making all those beehive products for Christmas gifts!