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HIVE SAFETY TIPS

MONTHLY HIVE MAINTENANCE TIPS AND MEDICATIONS

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REPORT A SWARM

HIVE PARTS AND HONEY FOR SALE

HIVE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - FALL

September

• Provide Supers for fall goldenrod and aster flow.
• Remove buckwheat honey.
• Do not remove honey after start of fall medication.
• May need to requeen colonies.
• Unite weak colonies.
• Remove queen excluders.  If the queen excluder is left on in the winter, the colony runs the risk of having the cluster move through the excluder leaving the queen below to freeze to death.
• Check colonies for disease.
• Typically colonies are treated for mites in the late summer or early fall.  Various treatments include Apistan, CheckMite+ and Formic acid.
• Placing grease patties of sugar and grease in the hive is a holistic treatment for tracheal mites.  This may be used year around; unless the option of wintergreen oil (1.5 ounce) is added.  This option should not be used while honey for human consumption is on the hive.  Four small grease patties maybe placed under inner cover on top of frames or across the entrance.  Make them by combining 1 ½ pounds of Crisco (or similar), 4 pounds of granulated sugar, ½ pound honey and 1/3 cup of pulverized mineral salt.  Mix until smooth.  Form in small patties, freeze unused portion in plastic food bag.  Replace as needed

October    

• Begin fall feeding.
• Feed and medicate your colony.  (2 to 1 sugar syrup feeding)
• The first gallon should be medicated with Fumagillin/Fumidil, subsequent feedings are not medicated.  Add one teaspoon of Fumidil to ½ cup of cool water, shake until dissolved.  Stir contents into one gallon of cooled sugar syrup.
• An all-natural product, Honey B Healthy, is recommended for all syrup feedings.  Add two tablespoons to a gallon of syrup.  This seems to make for stronger colonies with healthier bees.
• Terramycin, a powder, is an antibiotic that beekeepers use as a preventative for foulbrood.  Treat one colony by mixing one teaspoon of Terramycin T-25 with two tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture on the ends of the frames’ top bars.  Repeat dusting two more times at 3 to 5 day intervals. 
• Various treatments for varroa include, Apistan, CheckMite+ and Formic acid.
• Unite weak colonies.
• Prepare colonies for winter.
• Put on entrance reducers to keep out mice.
• Extract honey from fall flow taken prior to fall medication.

November

• Continue late fall feeding
• Ventilation in bee hives is very important at all times, but more so in the winter when cold temperatures keep the colony confined.  Make sure air can enter the hive from the top and bottom, thereby allowing oxygen to flow in and carbon dioxide to flow out.
• Finish handling honey crop.
• Develop your honey marketing program.

Credits: 

• MAAREC  Summary of Management Practices Around the Calendar     (From Fundamentals of Beekeeping
• MAAREC  Early Spring Management
• Beekeeping for Dummies  by Howland Blackiston
• Guide to Beekeeping in West Virginia