Preparing for Fall

It’s starting to slow down in the apiary, but this is a critical time for beekeepers to ensure the winter survival of the bees. Bees in Southern Maine need to have a lot of honey stored in their hives to survive the winter - each hive needs close to 100 pounds of honey. But there are even more things that have to be done at this time of year. Treating for varroa mites is a mandatory activity for beekeepers that want their hives to survive the harsh Maine winters. I treat my bees with organic acids that are normally found in foods and are considered safe. Another way to keep the mites at bay is with something called “integrated pest management”. IPM helps the bees control mites naturally and I will have a post specifically on IPM next month. On the agenda for September is to harvest some fall honey, arrange frames in the brood boxes, clean out the harvested honey frames, treat the hives for varroa mites and then feed the bees to get the hives up to the weight needed for successful overwintering. October’s agenda will be the final mite treatment, putting on mouse guards to keep unwanted visitors out of the hive, and lastly, insulating the hives.