Beekeeping: August 18th CIBA Meeting - Heads Up 😀
From:
"CIBA MEMBERS" <donotreply@PROTECTED>
Date:
August 17th 2025
Reminder; CIBA August 18th Open Meeting
🌼 🌷. 🌸 😃 Late-Summer Beekeeping 😃 🌸 🌷. 🌼
Time and Location: 6:30 PM, Nature Center, Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Rd., 46260
(See below regarding Zoom Option)
Our Principle Program:
👌 Beekeeping Benefits in Urban Settings 👍
Michelle Pham
The Ohio State University
Michell will share insights from her studies of the
Environmental and Social Impacts of Beekeeping in Urban Settings.
Other Meeting Highlights:
- Season-specific considerations (Some commentary below):
- Information on Upcoming CIBA Activities
- Annual Sugar Board Social: Saturday, October 4th (Save the Date 😃)
- “10 Questions” Beekeeping Quiz 😃
- Refreshments by Kerry Wurst 🎉
- Raffle: Always 3 Winners 🙏🏽
- Of course.. Bring Your Questions! 👌
August-September: Seasonal Food for Beekeeper’s Thoughts:
- Assess Colony Strength and Honey Reserves NOW:
- Strength:
- Ideally 25,000 Healthy Fat Bees, end of September.
- “Fat Bees” have many Fat Bodies with enriched nutrient stores
- Start on this NOW… (Starting end September is probably too late)
- Stores:
- Colonies require 60+ pounds of honey going into winter.
- Pollen stores are equally important
- Robbing Concerns: Strong colonies WILL attack weaker colonies. - (A weak colony can be wiped out in an afternoon)
- Reduce entrance sizes to less than 2 square-inches. (Entrance reducer small opening)
- Compact hive volume as much as possible
- Address other hive openings. (Damaged boxes, Excessive top cover access)
- Once robbing begins, it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to stop
- Block all entrances until sundown (Do maintain ventilation)
- Seek advise
- Foraging Limitations: Nectar Flow remains low, but may increase some in September (Fall Nectar Flow)
- Sources: Clover, cone flowers, milkweed, sunflowers, asters, Joe-Pye weed, and some others.
- Remember: In most areas these are minimal sources compared to Spring Nectar Flow.
- This will be highly variable depending on your location.
- Recall Bees forage for a mile or more radius; greater distances mean less efficient foraging.
- Feeding may be required: Start NOW if reserves are low. (Later you start, the less effective it is)
- FEED INSIDE:
- Use a 2:1 syrup ratio (Sugar:Water).
- EXTREME Caution using raw honey or essential oils
- Keep syrup available constantly (Every few days may do more harm than good)
- Open feeding is an option… BUT… There are other considerations.. Seek advise
- Brood Formation Comments: (A repeat from last month, though largely still valid)
- Expect declines in egg laying and brood formation
- Queens can be difficult to spot. - (Don’t panic if you can’t find her)
- If you can see eggs: She was there within the past 2-3 days
- If you can see small larvae: She was there within the past 4 to 6 days
- (In extreme dearth egg-laying may cease for a while)
- Temperatures: Bees must keep brood area near 93 degrees. (This can be difficult in hot weather)
- Bees regulate hive temperatures by:
- Regulating air flow into, through and out of hive
- Evaporative Cooling: Be sure bees have access to a nearby water supply.
- Bearding is a common temperature regulation behavior:
- Large quantities of bees will accumulate outside entrance in hot-humid weather
- (Fewer will be outside in early morning when air is cooler)
- Other things to Think About:
- Watch for hive beetles, avoid excessive empty supers. Best defense is a STRONG Colony
- Continue to think about your strategy for mite control. (Remember…Varroa vectors several viruses).
- Other concerns? - Contact Your Mentor
Meeting Zoom Link ?
We will do our best.. No Promises
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