Beekeeping in Fall
As the season winds down, you might think beekeepers can take a break – but Fall is actually one of the most crucial times of the year. As Summer nectar sources begin to fade, honey bee colonies begin Winter preparations. Your job is to monitor their progress. Now is the time to ensure your bees are healthy and well-fed. Here are 5 essential Fall beekeeping tasks you don’t want to overlook.
Every beekeeper faces challenges depending on the climate and nectar flows in their region. This is why you must know when to Winterize your beehives – the date varies. Some colonies will thrive without any special intervention, others will need extra care to make it through until Spring.
Fall Beekeeping Tasks You Don’t Want to Miss
Autumn is the turning point for beekeeping endeavors. For most of us, honey production is over and you must check the status of all the bee hives.
Your healthy well-managed colonies may not need any extra help from you. However, many hives die each year that might have had a chance to survive with a little beekeeper intervention.
1. Assess Colony Strength
Honey bees survive Winter by working together inside the hive. They use stored food and share body heat to resist the cold. No individual bee could survive alone – it takes many.
How many bees are needed in the hive? Well, that depends on the genetics of the type of honey bee you have and the degree and length of Winter in your area.
A strong population is important for winter survival because bees rely on forming a “bee cluster” to get through the coldest days.
Small clusters are less likely to make it to Spring. Some individual bees will die as Winter goes on – leaving fewer to provide warmth.
In early Fall, inspect each hive to gauge population size. If you have a weak colony, consider combining this beehive with another to boost population. You will likely lose the small hive anyway.
2. Evaluate the Queen
In late Summer, we want to see a good brood pattern (tightly grouped brood of the same age). This indicates good egg-laying is happening before the slow down period.
A productive queen helps produce special Winter – Fat Bees. These workers will live much longer than the normal 6 weeks of Summer bees. Again, helping to ensure a viable bee population to survive.
Watch for signs of queen problems, such as scattered bee brood patches or a lack of eggs. Consider possible causes and take action. You may need to consider requeening your colony before it is too late to buy one.
3. Check Honey Stores and Feed if Needed
In the United States, most colonies need around 40-60-80 pounds of stored honey for Winter (depending on your climate).
If food stores are low, you need to implement a Fall Bee Feeding program – (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). This must be done while temperatures are still somewhat warm.
Later in the season, fondant or diy candy boards for the hive can help provide the colony with food.
4. Control Varroa Mites
One of the main reasons beehives die or fail during Winter is because of Varroa mites. The colony is unhealthy before Summer ends. Sick bees raise sick bees.
Do your varroa mite counts in late Summer or Early Fall. Treat if needed, you need healthy nurse bees to care for those special Winter bees that will be produced in the next few weeks.
5. Reduce Hive Space and Guard Against Pests
While bees do not heat the inside of the hive, having too much space is not a good thing. Be sure to remove extra boxes or empty honey supers. This gives the colony less space to guard or patrol.
Another Fall beekeeping task in some areas is to install mouse guards to keep rodents out of the hive. I do not have a problem with mice getting into my hives. But, they have gotten into my stored comb before and made a big mess!
Also, watch out for robbing behavior at your hive entrance – from yellow jacket wasps or other honey bees. If the nectar flow is over, it can be a good time to reduce the entrance to a smaller width.
Final Thoughts
Fall beekeeping is all about setting your colonies up for success before cold weather arrives. By monitoring colony strength, ensuring food reserves and managing pest problems you are giving your bees their best chance.
While some colony losses are inevitable, taking these steps will let you face winter knowing you’ve done your best.
Do you use drone frames this time of year?
Honestly, I never use drone frames. They can be a good tool but you have to remember to take them out at the right time or they can be a problem not a help.