For New Packages and Nucs

1. Continue feeding (1:1 sugar syrup) until all the frames (in the brood chambers) are drawn or until your bees stop taking syrup. (When there is a good nectar flow the bees may ignore sugar syrup but if we run into a cool or rainy period, they most likely will start taking the syrup again. So, by removing the syrup before the brood chambers are fully drawn, you lose comb production on those cool/rainy days. Bees need sugar syrup to build comb. Adding Honey B Healthy or Hive Alive to your syrup encourages them to take the syrup better and keeps the syrup from fermenting on those hot days. The alcohol in fermented sugar syrup is toxic to bees if they consume it.

2. When six of ten frames are drawn into comb and the bees start drawing the 7th frame, you can add another box. When 60-65% of these frames are drawn, add another...and so on. If you wait until the 7th frame is completely drawn out, you run the risk of congestion which leads to swarming. It’s often better to add another box once they start to draw comb on the 7th frame.

3. Manipulate frames to encourage the bees to build comb on all the frames. You can place undrawn frames between drawn frames to encourage them to draw comb. But, don’t put these frames in the middle of the brood cluster. Splitting the brood cluster makes it difficult for the bees to care for the brood.

4. Open up the entrance reducer when the bees appear congested at the entrance. When the bees have built up sufficiently (about 8 weeks) you can remove the entrance reducer completely.

5. Begin sampling for varroa mites in mid-June. See 6 under General Info for treatment options.

For Established/Overwintered Colonies

1. Congestion in the colony is a primary reason that bees swarm, so it’s important to anticipate their space needs before they need it.

2. If you suspect the bees will swarm, take action! There are several options available including splitting your strong colony or adding more room in the brood nest using a technique called checkerboarding.

3. Keeping two honey supers containing drawn comb on the hive helps to reduce congestion. During a strong honey flow, the bees will store nectar in the brood area. If they have room above, they will move the nectar up into the honey supers thus making room for the queen to lay.

General Info

1. If you don’t have a nearby source of water, make sure you provide one. Bees use water to cool off the hive. Bird baths work well as do chicken watering devices. Whatever you use, the bees should have something to stand on while sipping so they don’t drown (small rocks in a shallow pie plate work well).

2. In hot and humid weather, it’s not unusual for bees to hang out on the front porch, clinging to the hive. This is called “bearding” and it’s normal. They’re simply cooling off.

3. On very hot days, you may want to provide additional ventilation. If you have a notched inner cover, make sure the notch is facing up and not blocked by the outer cover. Placing popsicle sticks under the inner cover in each of the four corners provides a thin gap that should improve airflow in the hive.

4. The bees are VERY busy at this time of year, so make sure you give them plenty of room to store nectar.

5. A good guideline is to have an empty super on from mid-May through mid-September. The bees will spread out nectar to evaporate it. Three supers of nectar might result in one super of honey (once fully evaporated). So, give them plenty of room. If you don’t, they’ll put nectar in the brood chamber.

6. Inspect and sample the colony for varroa mites. Apply treatments if necessary. The Honey Bee Health Coalition Tools for Varroa Management (www.honeybeehealthcoalition.com) has a lot of great info on how to test for varroa as well as treatment options. Read the directions and check the extended weather forecast – some treatments work better in warm temperatures and others in cooler temperatures. After treatment, sample again to make sure your treatment worked.

7. When and if to use a queen excluder is your decision. Queens are reluctant to lay eggs in new comb, however she may do this if the nectar flow is slow. If you do use an excluder, make sure the queen is within the brood frames and not above the excluder in the honey supers.

- Brian Fackler, Cornell University Master Beekeeper, Washington State Master Beekeeper, and Oregon Master Beekeeper Journey Mentor