June To-Do’s:

As weather permits, the beginning of this month is prime time to check your honey supers and consider harvesting. Take steps to avoid robbing by limiting time inside the hive when harvesting. Remember, the bee club has extractors to loan out! Also, try to avoid dripping honey around hives which can also entice potential robbers. With the heavy rains we’ve been experiencing the amount of surplus honey stored may not be as significant as years past.

Ensure each colony has enough food stores to maintain their numbers and growth. Harvest only what is needed and feed only if necessary. We will be entering a short dearth (lack of abundant nectar) until the Basswood and eventual Sourwood trees begin to bloom and produce. Keep an eye out for potential robbing as we enter this time of limited forage. 

Be sure to check your colonies for excess condensation on the inner cover or inside the boxes. Consider replacing failing equipment or sealing up any gaps between boxes that may allow windblown rain an access point. Continue to monitor for small hive beetles and take steps if needed. There should be plenty of water available at the moment, however, if we begin experiencing longer periods of warm sunny days ensure there are sources of water close by.