Before You Stop for Winter, Check These Things in September

📺 THIS SERIES IS MOVING This is the final monthly beekeeping video in this series on the Black Mountain Honey channel. From October onwards, all of my practical beekeeping education will be on the 14 Day Beekeeper channel. Subscribe here so you do not miss the October video: @14dbk 🎥 ABOUT THIS VIDEO September can be the easiest month in UK beekeeping. The honey is off, your Varroa treatment should be in, your queen should be laying well and your winter bees should be on the way. If you have done the hard work at the right time, you can stop opening your hives and trust the process. The important bit is knowing whether you have genuinely finished, or whether there are still jobs that need sorting now. In this video, I cover the questions every beekeeper should ask in September: • Have I treated for Varroa at the right time? • Is the colony strong, healthy and queenright? • Do the bees need feeding, or are they gaining weight from ivy? • Am I feeding for brood rearing or for winter stores? • Could I block the brood nest by feeding too much? • When should I top the colony up to its winter target weight? • Can I leave the bees alone and trust the work I have already done? 🐝 THE BIG SEPTEMBER MISTAKE A lot of beekeepers keep opening their colonies because they are worried. They want to check the queen again, check the brood again or convince themselves the bees have enough stores. I understand it because I have done exactly the same. But unnecessary inspections create risk. If the colony was properly assessed, treated and supported in August, the best thing you can often do in September is leave it alone. If you have not treated for Varroa yet, do not assume it is too late. Act as soon as you can, use an authorised treatment correctly and follow the product label. Check what is legal and appropriate where you live. 🍯 SHOULD YOU FEED BEES IN SEPTEMBER? Possibly, but do not feed blindly. I go around my colonies each week, heft them and look at what is happening with the local ivy flow. If they are holding or gaining weight naturally, they may only need a small top-up. Once the flow ends and the colony starts losing weight, I can calculate what each hive needs to reach its winter target. The danger is pumping a colony full of syrup too early. If you compress the bees into one box and overfeed while the queen is still trying to raise winter bees, you can block the brood nest and leave yourself with a much smaller colony in spring. Feed with a reason. Know whether you are supporting brood rearing or building winter stores. ❄️ GET THE WORK DONE, THEN STOP Once the colony is healthy, treated, strong and up to weight, there is very little to do. I strap the hives down, make sure the stands are solid and leave the bees alone. Strong colonies that have been prepared properly should not need constant interference, emergency fondant or endless winter inspections. The work that matters is done before winter arrives. 📥 FREE WINTER PREP CHECKLIST Download my free practical checklist for preparing your bees for winter: https://black-mountain-honey.kit.com/... 🎓 14 DAY BEEKEEPER If you want the complete beekeeping system laid out in the right order, come and join 14 Day Beekeeper: https://www.blackmountainhoney.co.uk/... 🐝 QUEENS, NUCS, HONEY AND BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES Visit Black Mountain Honey: https://www.blackmountainhoney.co.uk/ 💬 JOIN HIVEQ HiveQ is our private beekeeping community where you can ask questions, share what is happening in your apiary and get support throughout the season: https://www.blackmountainhoney.co.uk/... If this helped, give the video a like and tell me in the comments: are your bees signed off for winter, or are you still treating and feeding? Remember to subscribe to the new 14 Day Beekeeper channel for the October video: @14dbk #Beekeeping #SeptemberBeekeeping #WinterBees #Varroa #BeekeepingTips