For TVBA Members, we hope to launch a seasonal counsel section here on the Forum, and will be ready for your questions. July is when many/most of us remove our honey supers and begin mite treatment to ensure the health of soon-to-hatch winter worker bees. It's really important for your colonies to have healthy winter bees, because these bees need to live many months to keep the colony warm over the winter. Mite and virus-impacted bees are much less likely to be strong for this long life span of essential work, so knocking back the Varroa population in July/August is really important.

As the weather continues quite warm, maintain a constant shallow water supply for the bees, and be aware of what kind of forage is available nearby. If flowers are in short supply in your neighborhood, it may be advisable *after you remove honey supers* to provide 1:1 sugar water feed inside the hive to ensure that bees continue to pack their pantries for winter stores. If the bees don't consume the feed, they are likely finding other nectar sources. Keep testing, as late summer is likely to be a dearth season for many of us. Dearth season may incline strong hives to raid weak colonies, so an entrance reducer or robber screen can be helpful. Watch your hives for evidence of bees prospecting the sides and crannies of your hive - these are likely to be robbers checking for weak spots to enter.

We are also approaching peak yellow jacket wasp colony size with lots of hungry mouths to feed, and it is a good idea to keep an eye on your hives for yellow jacket activity near your hives. If you see wasps patrolling for dead bees, or checking out hive entrances, it can be helpful to apply an entrance reducer or special wasp deterring front screen to each hive.

With the potential for more hot weather, be careful about ventilating hives in high temperatures combined with LOW humidity.  The colony will attempt to maintain the broodnest temperature around 93 degrees and 60% humidity.  Opening the hive up during these conditions might seem like a good plan, but this can actually overwhelm their efforts,  resulting in brood losses, and melted comb.  The best measures are a good water source and shade, if possible. 

Make sure your colonies have adequate pollen coming in for winter bee brood rearing (it should be visible around the edges of the brood frames), if not, provide pollen substitute patties.  Begin feeding syrup using hivetop or internal feeders to start bringing the honey stores to a minimum of 60 pounds (more if you are at a colder location).

Remove any honey supers, test for Varroa levels,  and then treat if levels are at 1% or above.....don't wait to do this in the fall, when there is not enough time to recover.

Hi Ken,  Frequently it's assumed that first year colonies put their energies into building population and brood area resources, and are not able to generate the work to create additional honey storage areas. Keep the faith, take good care of them, and year two with luck could yield lots of honey!