Honey Do Beekeeping Checklist for July
In July, the bees do what bees do… a lot of work! It’s a fun time for beekeepers to watch the bees and do inspections as the pantry grows and the size of the colony potentially doubles. Be aware, as the temperatures soar, there can be challenges for both the beekeeper and the bees.
CHECKLIST
- Monitor temperatures and be sure to open and close the vent board on a regular basis, as this can dramatically help or hinder the development of the colony
- Provide water, both inside the hive and outside of the hive. Fill the feeder jar with straight water and place it inside the hive. Set up a birdbath, rain barrel, or kiddie pool with corks in it for the bees to land on outside the hive
- Observation: With increased heat comes an increase in attached comb. Follow some guidelines when executing inspections:
- If there is a heatwave, wait until the temperatures drop back down before inspecting the hive. This limits the risk of comb breaking; comb softens in extremely hot temperatures
- Be careful when executing bar flips as the bars could be heavy and comb can break based on the twisting motion
- If the comb breaks, use zip ties to repair the comb
- Observation: Bees start storing honey and nectar at an increased rate. This means a potential change from building comb to more production-based practices in the hive and the colony growth rate may slow
- Option: If ventilation is an issue, feel free to open up more entrances, but beware of robber bees and pests. If you notice robbers, close the entrances to help protect your colony’s resources
- For Newer Colonies: Bees can still swarm in July. For more information on swarming, see the June Honey-Do List