Q: What should I do if I accidentally dump my bucket of syrup on the bees?
A: Leave them alone as the bees will clean each other off and refill the syrup supply for them.
Q: How many supers should I leave on for the winter?
A: A beekeeper that does pollination advises that he leaves three supers on filled
with honey to get thorough the NH winter and hasn't lost all that many hives.
Q: When should I order bees?
A: Be sure to order bees early in the new year as they do sell out
fast especially if we have a bad winter for the bees like last winter (2002-2003) where
everyone lost bees. As soon as the catalogs arrive put your order ASAP in to the company.
From A Year in Beekeeping by New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Foods
August
Extract honey if not done already or wait for fall honey. Weak colonies should be united or
requeened. Begin thinking about wintering hives if no fall crops are available. Evaluate
mite levels and have Apistan Strips ordered. Religiously in spect brood for signs of
diseases. If Foul Brood is detected, extract supers and begin Terramycin treatments.
Supers from this hive may be contaminated, do not contaminate extractor and other equipment.
September
Final time to extract honey. The hot days of August and September are great for extracting.
Feed partially filled frames back to bees. Insert Apistan strips for Varroa mites a
fter extracting. Follow the label. Mites thought to be resistant should be evaluated
by the State Inspector before strips are applied. Reduce entranceways and begin cleaning
hives for winter. Feed Fumidal B in syrup to weak colonies and colonies low on honey stores.
