CABA Monthly Bee Advice - October

By Val and Dimps Hawthorne, Kay and Murrel Walters, andWil Shirey

  1. Treat for mites?
    1. Check mite levels with sugar roll
    2. Follow treatment directions especially duration and number of applications
    3. Remove entrance reducer and block bottom board screen
    4. Remove surplus honey before treatment except for Mite Away Quick Strips
    5. Treat while there are some warm days (70 degrees +)
  2. Feed bees?
    1. Check hive weight by lifting rear of hive
    2. Feed liquid syrup (2 sugar to 1 water) as long as temperature allows for cleansing flights
    3. When too cold to fly, feed dry sugar or fondant
    4. Use hive top feeder or quail feeder inside empty super on top of frames. Cover with inner and outer cover
    5. Feed up to 5 gallons heavy syrup or until bees stop taking it
  3. Surplus honey?
    1. Remove supers when 90% capped, or
    2. Check uncapped honey by refractometer. Less than 19% moisture, extract.
    3. During Fall honey flow like this year, leave a super on the bees until the first killing frost
  4. Hive configuration?
    1. Single deep, single with medium super and double deeps all work well
    2. Overwintering nucs should be two nucs deep (10 frames) 

Download Complete Oct. - Dec. 2015 CABA Bee Advice