Beekeeping Tips for October

1. Check for varroa and treat if needed. Be sure to make a mite check both before and after treating your bees.

2. Complete medicating hives this month.

3. Check honey supply. If fewer than two frames of honey in the brood box, feed two parts sugar to one part of water. Fall pollen and nectar should be available until frost.

4. Remove queen excluders so bees can cluster as temperatures drop.

5. Place entrance reducers on your hives.

6. Combine weak hives to create strong hives to survive winter and fight SHB (small hive beetle).

7. Keep your bee yard clean. Do not throw burr comb on ground. It attracts SHB.

8. Make sure the hives are tilted a bit so fall rains will run out of the hives.

9. Check stored supers to assure that moth crystals have not evaporated. Add

10. more if needed.

11. Plan for next year. Order equipment now so assembling and painting can be done over winter.

12. Plan your order for queens, nucs or packages for next spring.