October Colony Management
1. Feed Colonies: Feed colonies sugar syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Feed until colonies weigh between 80-110 pounds. Best if feed is only accesable by the bees in the hive.
2. Mouse Guards: use 1/4 hardware cloth or metal mouse guards to prevent mice from finding a new winter home.
3. Prevent Robbing: feed only in the evenings. Keep entrance reducers on small colonies. Minimize prolonged inspections during the day.
4. Treat: Consider oxalic vapor, 2 dose formic treatment or apivar if mite counts over 3%. Much less capped brood in hives in October so easy to kill the last of the mites before winter.
5. Top Entrance and Insulation: Give the bees a top entrance by turning your inner cover over (notch down) or add a shim with a 5/8 inch hole. Place and insulation board over your inner cover and under your outer cover to keep your bees warm and dry through the winter.
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
(Enroll now for program to begin March 2021...go to storefront, apprentice program and purchase the apprentice program purpose to secure your spot. Program fee to be paid when program starts next March)
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 Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87468271526
Meeting ID: 874 6827 1526Passcode now required! Check email from Tina on 10/2 for passcode. If you get stuck text or call George at 610-283-8092