July is finally done and now we have to contend with August. Not my favorite month!!
I lost bees this summer and am having to share a good portion of the honey collected with the hives that are light. That is the life of a Beekeeper. You have some good years and you have some bad years.
Not unlike some other years, the hive beetles are really bad this year. I also attribute that to all the rain this spring and then a hot July. One of the hives lost were under serious hive beetle attack. When this happens, most times the bees just leave. I actually saw the swarm leave the hive. I thought it was just a late swarm. Nope, they were leaving a beetle infested hive.
Sometimes you can figure out what happened. Many times you can’t.
When a hive gets weak, there are always pests there to take over the hive. This is most always the case with wax moths. If you see a moth in the top of the hive (that is where the bees chase them), you must kill it. They are very nasty creatures! They spin webs all over the wax comb and lay their eggs. The worms that hatch are truly disgusting. I hear that chickens think they are a delicacy.
It is important to check the entrance daily to monitor the activity of a hive. Once that coming and going slows down or stops, you know you have trouble. You may not be able to do anything to save that hive, but at least if you disassemble it quickly to save the comb from the moths.
The following pictures of pretty disgusting, but if you are a beekeeper, you will be dealing with these at some point.
There are some good things that happen in July and August, but when it comes to bees, it isn’t much. The bees can also be very testy in the hot summer months. Just another thing that the beekeeper must contend with.
So here are the good things about July and August. The flowers that bloom for the Bees.
Can’t wait until September!!!!
Namaste”
