Beekeeping in July

Beekeeper pulling capped honey frame out of hive box.

July is here and that means honey flow in your hive needs to be checked to determine if it’s time to harvest.

Your hive work in July will have a definite impact on your colony’s chance of winter survival. During this time your goal is to create the optimal conditions for development of healthy winter bees.

Monitor the Honey Flow

Periodically check the weight of the hive by hefting it from the back side once a week. You will notice when the hive is full, or if the bees start eating up the stored honey. If you put your honey supers on at the beginning of June, then you may be able to extract honey now and put the super back on for another harvest at the end of July. A second option is to add another honey super right now, and harvest the honey around August 1st.

Consolidate Honey Supers

As July progresses, rearrange frames if necessary. The goal is to minimize unprocessed nectar on the frames at harvest time. When ready to extract, take the frames with uncapped cells and shake them while holding them parallel to the ground. If nectar comes out, the frames are too wet to include in the harvest.

Extract Your Honey

Oregon colonies typically don’t store much honey after July. Remove honey supers and allow your hive the remainder of the season to fill up reserves down in the brood boxes. You have to be a good judge of how much honey you need to leave for the colony to survive our long and wet winters. Make a plan for removing honey supers at the end of the month and what you’ll need for the honey extraction process. We offer a honey extractor rental, see more information below.

Create a Hive Treatment Plan

You should be monitoring mite levels throughout July as colonies can be lost to Varroa by mid-August. You should apply treatments no later than August 15th so your winter bees are raised with minimal exposure to mites and mite-borne diseases.

Feed with Pollen (Protein Patties)

The bees being raised at this time will raise the “super bees” that will overwinter and ensure the colony survives until spring. Protein is the integral nutrient those bees need to store in their bodies to accomplish such a feat.

Minimize Heat Stress

Provide ventilation, a water source and some afternoon shade, if possible, for your colony.

Watch for Robbing

Blackberry bloom time ends in mid-July for most of Oregon which often marks the beginning of robbing season. With weaker colonies, reduce the entrances especially if disease issues are suspected. Avoid spilling syrup or honey near the hives and try your best to keep hives open only as long as needed. Keep a “robbing screen” on hand in case you need to stop a mass robbery. If you catch a mass robbery in progress, a shower head on a garden hose can help to stop it in its tracks!

Resolve Queen Issues

Queens are generally available through August. Correct a queen now so they’ll have time to collect themselves for winter. If colonies are not diseased, look to recombine hives as necessary. Feel free to call us at 541-929-3524 to ask about our availability of queens.

Assist Swarmed Colonies

Colonies are weakest at 5 to 6 weeks after they swarmed. Reduce entrances, confirm the new queen is laying well, and combine swarmed colonies with other colonies if necessary. Plan to feed the swarmed colonies in August if they are light on stores.

Here at Shonnard’s, we have mite treatments and protein patties, as well as honey extractor rental and honey extraction supplies. Please call if you have any questions on this process or products.

Contributions by Karessa Torgerson, originally published in similar form in The Bee Line, July 2013


HONEY EXTRACTOR RENTAL

Extracting your honey just got easier! Investing in extracting equipment can be a big expense for a hobby beekeeper, so we’ve put together a top-of-the-line extractor rental package that enables you to extract your honey with ease at a fraction of the cost.

Included:

  • Stainless steel Maxant 3/6/9 hand-crank, belt driven Extractor
  • 5 Gallon Uncapping Tank
  • Speed King Electric Uncapping Hot Knife
  • Stainless Steel Cappings Scratcher

Terms:

  • $50 for two business days.
  • Extractor is available for pickup at 9 am the day of your reservation and can be returned by 4 pm the following day.

Recommended Additional Equipment (to be supplied by customer):

  • Plastic bucket with gate (two is ideal)
  • Stainless steel double sieve
  • Mesh filters
  • Honey jars and lids

Give us a call to schedule, or for more information, at 541-929-3524.

Blog Categories

Beekeeping
Events
Garden Center
Gardening Guides
Houseplants
Landscaping

Connect With Us