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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Todd Walker <mtwalker AT imageray.net>
  • To: <kirsten.bothwell AT gmail.com>, Orange County Beekeepers Association <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Fall nectar flow and winter preparation.
  • Date: Sun, 06 Sep 2015 13:15:08 -0400

The fall flow can be quite variable. If the bees have nothing left from
the summer it may not provide enough to get them the 40lbs they need for
winter.

The NC Beekeepers website has a listing of the plants and bloom times for
our region:
http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/honey/floral-sourceswhats-blooming

>From that list you can see that there is still a while left on the fall
flow but I would err on the side of caution. Feeding now will help ensure
that the bees have sufficient stores for the winter. It will also
stimulate the queen to continue to lay. That will give you a lot of strong
healthy nurse bees to raise your winter bees.

Of course all of this is a moot point if you did not address any Varroa
issues. The best time to treat for Varroa is in August. I would still
treat now if the infestation in your hive is above the threshold however
some treatments like Apiguard should not be used while you are feeding.

I usually put my mouse guards in once it starts to cool off. If I don't
get around to it until later, I do so during an inspection. That way I can
be sure that I'm not trapping a mouse in the hive (which I have done
before).

~Todd

On 9/6/15 11:11 AM, "ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org on behalf of
kirsten.bothwell AT gmail.com" <ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org on behalf of
kirsten.bothwell AT gmail.com> wrote:

>
>Greetings. I tried sending this message earlier but suspect I copied the
>listserv address wrong. My apologies if you receive it twice!
>>
>> This is our first year in the beekeeping world. We currently have three
>>hives. For various reasons (guests, vacation) we didn't inspect the
>>hives or feed in Aug. At the last inspection, they all seemed in good
>>shape.
>
>> Yesterday, I went into 2 hives and was dismayed to see they have NO
>>food reserves. Both hives had good strong brood patterns including eggs
>>and larva but nothing stored for the winter.
>>
>> This morning I put sugar water in all three hives. I'm wondering about
>>the fall nectar flow. Can I count on it to help the bees prepare for
>>winter? What is the general length of the fall nectar flow? Also when
>>should I start thinking about combining hives?
>>
>> Finally, when do people usually put in mouse guards?
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any input you may have!
>>
>> Kirsten
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