Bee Chronicles

3 August, 2021

Blooming

Shasta Daisy (orange) , Ox eye daisy (White), Rudbeckia (orange tall like daisy), beebalm (lavender and Red), Queen Anne's Lace (white )

Bees working propolis see them on leaves "working"

Sumac berries Red collect a bushel basket full for smoker fuel (fall/next year). There is citrus oil in the berries when heated it is released and will irritate the mites. When burned with cedar shavings you get cedar oil which will also irritate the mites

Sourwood maybe 3/4 done at 1900 feet elevation, good long season so far (4 weeks). At my house I am declaring sourwood ending 25 July. However, I have 500 feet more of elevation directly next to my house. This gives me 3 plus weeks of more bloom time. Look out 2 miles from your house to determine if there is enough sourwood nectar to keep the honey supers on your hives.

The afternoon down pours have not been too hard on blooms. However, each time the more mature blooms were knocked to the ground. This hurts the bees opportunity to collect nectar.

During this period there not a lot of other flowers so bees concentrate on sourwood. This may cause a need to feed weak colonies like nucs.

Get ready to remove the honey supers from hives and extract. Want to do this in heat of Aug so honey is more fluid. This will give your bees time to concentrate on refilling hive bodies and supers for winter food. You will need 90 lbs. of stored honey for the winter (Thanksgiving thru Feb).

Check hives now during sourwood to ensure bees have empty frames to fill to avoid swarming

Be prepared for swarming. Inspect and divide colonies making nucs. Now is the time with the most bees in a colony. Expand to Double hive bodies for next year or split for nucs right after removing honey supers. Taking the honey supers off creates too many bees for the space, hence stimulates swarming.

You need to consider what you plan is for Queen replacement. Will you or not? If you split a hive, you have just enough time to create your own queen and have here start laying eggs before winter.

Feed syrup to mix with wild nectar to draw wax and fill hive with winter food. This is an excellent use of all these extra bees.

Treat for mites as soon as possible after honey supers are off.

Feed pollen patties or dry pollen if the bees will take it up. Creates "fat healthy" bees. May be able to cut back on patties when golden rod starts blooming. Then go back to pollen feeding constantly until next February. This practice counters the fat consumption by the mites. See FAT HAPPY BEES (Esoteria 5)