September Beekeeping Chores
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Look for totes that will store medium supers on top of each other. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
September Beekeeping Chores
It’s Labor Day weekend in the US and at this writing we have had 4 inches of rain — that’s a lot of rain here in a little more than 12 hours. The rain means no time with bees in the bee garden but time to get organized for fall storage.
One of the biggest challenges is how to store frames in the least amount of room. After some testing, I found that there are totes that have a couple more inches in height that allow for two rows of medium frames to be stored. I use ParaMoth crystals to discourage wax moths so that I can use these again next year, giving my bees a little head start. Just a reminder we need to air the frames for several days before using or the crystals will kill all insects that get in contact with them, including bees.
Here are some other September beekeeping chores where I live:
Checking each colony for their honey stores. Equalizing the stored honey across all colonies.
Check colonies for Varroa mite levels. Anyone with more than 3 Varroa mites per 300 bees, I will treat them with a natural product to knock the mite levels back.
I will also be refreshing small hive beetle traps and moving them from the corners to the center of the hive.
If you are starting to keep bees, I have a handy monthly calendar of beekeeping chores in A Beekeeper’s Diary, Self-Guide to Beekeeping as well as handy guides for all of the decisions you will need to make to get started.
What else will you be doing with your bees?
