Summer Beekeeping Tasks
Summer is the height of the beekeeping season with colonies at their most active. And, beekeepers must perform some necessary summer beekeeping tasks and hive inspections. From colony health and queen performance to checking food stores – we must look inside to check conditions. This guide will help you understand the top summer beekeeping tasks necessary to give your bees the greatest chance of success and survival.
As a Master Beekeeper, I know what needs to be done for my beehives during Summer. But, I must confess that my routine hive inspections suffer here in the hot South. Even though the heat may make it difficult – good beehive management can not be completely ignored or the bees suffer.
Summer Beekeeping Guide: Inspections and Tasks for Success
Summer is a busy time for all of us-but our bees still need some attention. The number of hive inspections needed for your colonies will depend on the needs of the hives.
Perhaps you captured a new bee swarm, this colony will need more attention. The same is true for any beehive splits you may create over summer. But, even established hives should be evaluated for these basic conditions:
- Inspecting Colony Health
- Evaluating Queen Performance
- Monitoring Varroa Mite Levels
- Checking Food Stores
- Ensuring Adequate Hive Space
- Maintaining Proper Ventilation
Colony Health
Regular hive inspections are necessary because they give you a clear picture of colony health. Bees should be thriving and busy with hive work.
Do you see fresh bee eggs? You won’t always but it is a good idea to look. If no eggs are visible, do you at least see some brood including pearly white bee larvae. Dead larvae will be brown or dark and can be a sign of disease.
Look at the adult bees – are they active or do they appear sluggish? Hopefully, you will not see any signs of deformed wings (which can be a sign of varroa mite infestations.)
Don’t forget the check the beehive entrance. A few dead bees is normal but there should not be many. You should see foraging bees coming and going on a nice weather day.
Watch for signs of multiple bees wrestling and fighting at the hive entrance – this may be a sign of bee robbing behavior.
Regular hive inspections (monthly in most cases) help you find problems while they are still small and manageable.
Queen Performance
We always hope to be able to find the queen bee. But, that is not always necessary. However, you do want to see evidence of a queen. Does your hive have a good brood pattern? A good queen lays eggs in a tight pattern with few empty cells among them.
Do keep in mind that the queen may reduce or even stop laying eggs during the heat of Summer but this should be only for a short time.
A scattered brood pattern or a lack of worker brood may mean that your queen is failing. If so, you may need to requeen the hive before the worker population drops too low.
Monitor Varroa Mite Levels
I know that I must be concerned about varroa mite levels in my Summer colonies. You can not rely on visible inspections – by the time you see mites on adult bees – it may be too late.
Performing varroa mite counts or tests throughout the Summer is critical as this is the time of year when mite populations can explode. Perform testing and watch for mites in drone brood.
You can not control mites in the Spring and then do nothing (or not check) until Fall. I talk with many beekeepers that lose colonies because of this each year!
Checking Honey Stores
It may sound silly for me to tell you that checking food stores is a necessary summer beekeeping task – but it is. Just because flowers are blooming, this does not guarantee they are producing nectar. And, bees need to eat every day!
Any time you open a hive, check the food storage box of your hive. In my region, I harvest honey once in early Summer. I always leave the bees plenty of food.
Yet, if my area experiences a nectar dearth in July or August – the bees may go hungry without some help. I try to avoid feeding sugar water to bees during summer but sometimes I do.
Proper Hive Space
A honey bee colony does not maintain a static population. The number of workers in the colony expands and contracts over the season. Spring build up is followed by honey bee swarm season. The hive that casts a prime swarm loses thousands of members in one day.
Pay attention to the bee population vs the number of boxes on your hive. As honey is produced, you will need to add another honey super box to the hive.
Likewise, if colony population drops and stays low – you may need to remove boxes to ensure the colony is able to patrol and protect all the comb. Otherwise, pests such as wax moths etc will move in. But, air flow is important too.
Hive Ventilation
Good hive ventilation is actually important all year long. But, ensuring good air flow is an especially important beekeeping task in summer when temperatures reach into the 90’s and beyond.
Excessive bee bearding on the front of the hive – even when the humidity is not high or temperatures very warm may be a sign that you need to consider extra ventilation.
This could be as simple as placing a couple of craft sticks between the inner cover and outer top to raise it up just a bit. This helps warm air flow out of the hive.
Tips for Successful Summer Beekeeping
Here are a few simple tips that will have make life better for your bees during summer and make your life as a beekeeper easier too.
- Provide a water source – bees need water to cool the hive
- Practice good pest management – varroa control, Small Hive Beetle control
- Help beehives keep cooler
- Protect yourself and keep safe when beekeeping in hot weather
- Keep an eye out for predators – Bears love beehives (I have one visiting now) Do you need a bear fence?
FAQs
Frequency of hive inspections vary due to hive status and local conditions. In general, one or twice a month is a good summer hive inspection schedule.
Honey bees may be more aggressive in high temperatures. Avoid sudden movements and disturbances during peak foraging times. Consider wearing light-colored clothing and using a smoker – cool smoke calms honey bees.
Secure hive components to prevent them from tipping or blowing over in strong winds. Ensure hive entrances are clear and provide adequate drainage around the hive to prevent flooding.
A Final Word
Successfully managing honey bee colonies through summer depends on attention to these beekeeping tasks. I am guilty of putting my hive on “auto-pilot” during the hottest months – it is the best I can do and why I only keep a few hives.
However, healthy colonies are much more able to prepare themselves for the Winter months ahead. By conducting regular inspections and addressing small concerns, you can help your bees reach their best potential.