Beekeeping Tips for July

1. Honey extraction should be in full swing provided the honey flow was good.

2. After extracting, put wet supers back on the hives for the bees to clean any remaining honey.

3. Freeze empty frames of comb for several days to kill wax moth larvae before storing. Store empty supers and frames with empty comb in a plastic garbage bag. Pour six tablespoons of paradichlorobenzene (PDB) moth crystals (NOT MOTHBALLS) onto a paper plate and place on top of the frames (PDB can be purchased at most hardware stores).Caution! Be sure to only use paradichlorobenzene moth crystals and not moth balls.Naphthalene moth balls will contaminate the wax and kill your bees when the supers are put back into the hive. Seal the plastic bag tightly. The moth crystals will evaporate over time so check at least monthly to see if they need to be replenished. If the crystals are gone, so is the protection from the moths.

4. Or place a super on layers of newspaper and stack two (2) more supers on top of it. On the3rd super place a paper plate and pour six (6) tablespoons of paradichlorobenzene (PDB) moth crystals on it. Continue stacking supers and moth crystals in this manner. When finished stacking the supers, cover the very top super with a hive cover over the moth crystals and newspaper. Make sure there are no cracks between hive bodies for moths to enter.

5. Maintain a consistent water source. Bees need water to cool hives during hot weather. Check hives to be sure that bees have plenty of honey. If needed, start feeding sugar water (simple syrup) or high fructose corn syrup.

6. Consider shading hives from direct full sun. Provide hive ventilation with screened inner covers or prop the telescoping lid open a bit.

7. Examine hives for varroa mites.Mite load will be increasing.