August Colony Management
1. Measure Mites: do an alcohol wash or a sugar shake at least once this month to see what your mite levels are. Any colony with a mite level greater than 3% should be treated.
2. Kill Mites: Treat your hives for Varroa on July 15th! Most effective options include Apivar, MAQS, or Formic Pro. Can also use oxalic vapor every 5 days x 5 treatments.
3. Prevent Robbing: feed only in the evenings. Keep entrance reducers on small colonies. Minimize prolonged inspections during the day.
4. Feed: Feed 1:1 to encourage winter bee production. Smaller amounts ever day will stimulate brood production. Feed in evening. Make sure queen has room to lay. Harvest Honey!
Apprentice and Mentoring Programs
One of the best ways to learn how best to keep your bees alive is to work with someone who has done it over many seasons. The CCBA has 2 programs that are available to help you achieve sustainability.
The Apprentice Program
(Enrollment closed for 2020...opening back up 3/2021)
If you are a new beekeeper who is thinking about getting bees or who has not been able to overwinter a hive, the apprentice program maybe right for you. You will be paired up with an experienced beekeeper (teacher) who you will work with at the teacher's apiary twice a month for an entire bee season. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the apprentice will get a CCBA nuc the following spring. The cost for this program is $120.
The Mentoring Program
If you are looking for some intermittent advice from an experienced beekeeper, the mentoring program maybe right for you. Have someone who will answer your questions or may stop out at your apiary to see what is going on. This program does not have a cost and there is no incentives from the CCBA for participation.
Walt and Kathy are the leads of both the apprentice and the mentoring program. If you are interested in being either an apprentice or teacher in the apprentice program or mentor or mentee in the mentoring program.
Email Walt Talunas: wtalunas@gmail.com
Friday Night Bee Chat
Join the online meeting:https://join.freeconferencecall.com/ccba
Online meeting ID: ccba
Dial-in number (US): (720) 740-9873
Access code: 3401567#