July and August in the apiary: the beekeeper's work

Perhaps one of the most important activities to be performed in the apiary in July and August is the performance of anti-Varroa treatments. As we have seen, July is usually the preferred month in which to carry out the various buffer treatments to combat Varroa mite infestations. Many advise not to intervene beyond 10 August because of the high temperatures and the difficulties that would arise in the event of orphanhood. There are various methods to prepare the colony adequately for the subsequent treatment before wintering, ranging from bio-mechanical means to treatments with organic acids to those with synthetic products.

This is also the last time of the year when intervention is recommended in the case of orphanity, change of old queens and the presence of fuzzy queens. In order to have families that are able to grow and produce in the spring, it must first be ensured that the bees that are born at this time and will be destined to survive the winter and take care of the new spring brood are able to perform this delicate task. In addition, it is important that there is a queen in the hive who is able to get through the bad season and resume laying as temperatures rise. This is the limiting period within which to act. In fact, there are still drones in the hive for fertilisation in case you want to get the bees to remake their queen. The longer you delay, the smaller their number will be and the less valid the new queen will be.

The most important blooms are now past and the production period is drawing to a close. Some lucky people, however, still manage to get something out of what nature offers us so abundantly. In apiaries in July and August, bees can be seen busy harvesting honeydew, a sugary substance secreted by insects that feed on tree sap, from which a honey with many beneficial properties, honey honeydew, is then made.

July and August are also the months dedicated to honey extraction, a job that keeps beekeepers busy outside the apiary. This is nothing more than the operation by which honey is taken from the combs of the honeycombs and, once extracted, is left to decant in so-called ripeners. For honey to be properly extracted, it must have a certain moisture level (less than 18%). If this were not the case, there would be a risk of fermentation. Furthermore, the timing of decanting procedures must be respected, to allow micro impurities and air bubbles to emerge. Once the honey extraction is finished and the honeycombs have been emptied, they must be stored and prepared for the coming year. Some, before storing them, prefer to let the bees feed on the honey residues inside them. Others, on the other hand, prefer to leave them to use them as 'bait' to make it easier for the bees to ascend to the honeycomb in the following season.

The beekeeper's attention, however, can also be focused on another product of the apiary, namely the propolis, as July and August are the most suitable months of the year for harvesting this portentous substance. The most convenient and widespread method is the use of specific grids placed between the nest and the cover. These grids are placed in families with a higher propolis tendency because they stimulate the bees to produce even more. Indeed, bees are naturally inclined to occlude all holes in the hive in order to protect it. The grids, consisting of meshes of around 2-3 mm, exploit precisely this tendency of theirs. Once the grid is filled considerably, it is removed and stored for a few hours in a refrigerator or freezer, thus facilitating the removal of the product.

The great heat puts a strain on the bees, which are often found outside the hive in these months doing the so-called 'beard'. In this case, it is not a sign that the family is preparing to swarm, but an expedient adopted by the bees to suffer less from the heat inside the nest. In order to help them in the process of cooling and ventilating the nest itself, it is good practice to ensure that sources of water are made available to them (even specially made for this purpose). It can also be ensured that the apiary is in a shady position during the hottest hours of the day. For this it may be useful to change the location of the hives, perhaps placing them under trees, or cover the lids in some way to prevent them from overheating.

Finally, the high temperatures prompt beekeepers to prefer the cooler hours to proceed with the ritual inspections of their families, generally early in the morning or late in the evening. This is advisable not only because of the more bearable temperatures, but also to avoid looting. These, in fact, are very common at this time of year when the blooms begin to fall. These various operations keep the beekeeper busy throughout July and August, while, towards the end of the summer, he is forced to prepare everything for a correct wintering of his families. It is towards the end of August, in fact, that one can begin to balance the families, so that they have 4/5 frames of brood. The homogeneity of families within the same apiary is very important.

Another consequence of the increasingly shortage of nectar is the need to proceed with artificial feeding. The beekeeper therefore finds himself busy preparing the syrup with which to support his bees. The liquid feed, which unlike the solid feed of the candy is stimulating, simulates the extension of the blooms, causing the oviposition of the queen and the rearing of the brood to continue.

Always knowing what is going on in your hives can be decisive for the beekeeper. Having a system on your side that allows you to schedule interventions efficiently and inspections only when necessary saves time and cuts costs considerably. With 3Bee you can have your hives under control at all times. Depending on your needs 3Bee can provide you with different solutions. The single scale measures the weight variation while the double scale allows a more detailed analysis of this parameter. Hive-Tech, on the other hand, consisting of a double scale and sensors to be installed inside the hive, monitors internal temperature, humidity level and sound. Find out more about our products and the advantages of using them.