Beekeeping Tips For The Month Of October (Fall)

[@psychobobsweets]

David, im 9 minutes in and i just wanted to say, thank you for all the time and effort you put into this, it shows, its helps so much, and you and your wife are amazing. thankk you and cheers!

[@mindylabean8363]

David, it is obvious you find joy in sharing your knowledge and experience of beekeeping to help others succeed. Thank you for sharing with such sincerity. 🙂

[@rosswagner9083]

One of the best videos ever! Answered so many questions for me! You're the best!

[@jenwagner5913]

Can you make a video on how to make candy boards with the feeding additives we get from your store

[@josephvenezia3481]

Chefs secret probably, I know how to make candy boards, put probably not the same as his

[@scofieldfarm]

So many good tips - I appreciate the reminders as this is our 3rd fall season of beekeeping.

[@patrickstevenson17]

I like the format of this video. It's sad to think the beekeeping season is almost done.

[@CherylO-p6y]

Very helpful video! Perfect timing for me, answered many of my questions. Thank you!

[@beek]

Thank you.

[@cindylovesy7037]

Here in San Francisco Bay Area. My fifth year beekeeping and 1 st year doing the feeding of 1:1 plus your additives. WOW! so many eggs and larvae. I'm now a true believer in what you recommend getting bees ready for winter THANK YOU!

[@mrvanable]

hmm to stimulate i see.. id assume there is still food/bloom out there. they are taking the syrup fast?

[@Bowhunters6go8xz6x]

Hi David - The one reason that i'm not a big fan of screened bottom boards is that SHBeetle larvae will fall through the screen to the ground and when they become beetles they can fly right back up into the hive through that same screen. ------- I think a 1/8 th inch screen above a death board/ bottom board filled with Diatomaceious Earth or a sticky glue board is best as it catches the SHB larvae and some beetles and can also catch mites.

[@brettwhiteMusicFan]

DE on the ground will solve that issue

[@wpankey57]

Good stuff as always. I just put a bee escape on my hive today to get it ready to be combined with another one.

[@nohadboujawdeh5947]

Hello David. About wintering with screen bottom board it's very popular in Europe and Middle East like my country Lebanon 🇱🇧 especially when there is moisture problem. But there is some measures to take: 1- you have to insulate with polystyrene board 1.5 to 2 inches thickness directly over the frames. 2- close the lid firmly to prevent air flow 3- open completely the screen board. In this way the hot air coming from bees do not condensate because of insulation and due to inner pressure the hot air will go down and out through the screen board. I used to have big problem with moisture but since I started using this method about six years ago I've got positive results

[@heididoran3424]

Thank you! I am going to combine based on this video! So helpful.

[@jayglosser2014]

David Video - THANKS for sending me a video using 'Bee Quick '. I used Bee Quick today on my big hive (3 deeps with 2 supers on top) First I checked for SHB AND MITES, did two alcohol washes, first one had just one 1, second wash had ZERO. I had 4 SHB oil traps and only 1 trap had just 1 SHB, the other 3 traps zero. So, I put the hive back together, bees getting restless, did the BEE QUICK on the top hive. Followed your video 👍 . AGAIN THANKS!

[@Capt_Ron]

Good to see you again, David. Louisville, KY

[@brianbennett4374]

Great video 👍 Thanks for All the info 👍

[@beek]

Thanks Brian.

[@CodyMcGuire-in3kj]

Thank you for all your hard work!

[@Carl-H1]

Great video. Good review on the 3/4 rule when inspecting.

[@cyberpleb2472]

October is the last half of fall for me in Central British Columbia. The ground will be solidly frozen with persistent snow on the ground by the end of October and the snow will be there until the beginning of May. I'm a new beekeeping trying to get my bees through their first winter. They are wrapped, insulated and fed but the colony is on the small side. Wish me luck!

[@markstevens7838]

I think being on video as an introvert is similar to people who speak in public and are introverted. You just have to keep doing it and don’t over think it.

[@richardd8352]

"A piece of plastic board you slide in and out" - This board is to count varroa drop. But yes I also leave these in - you still get ventilation - but stops the wind blowing through unfettered.

[@beek]

Yes, a decade and more ago we use to use these "sticky boards" for mite control, but I've found this method not as accurate compared to an alcohol wash.

[@richardd8352]

​@@beek I think mainly it's to roughly gauge mite levels - it doesn't need to be sticky. you inspect the board over a seven day period - count mite drop.. and repeat. It gives a pretty accurate idea of mite levels without killing bees.

[@leumnanthavong]

Wow! Nice sharing

[@rosswagner9083]

Thanks! I appreciate you...

[@beek]

I appreciate that!

[@meghanjones5833]

Ok so this might sound like a silly question but…if I decide to combine hives, what do I do with the frames that might not meet the criteria? What if they have some larvae or bee bread/capped honey? First year beekeeper. My other hive is still producing like crazy! And another (maybe new-be) question is when do you believe should be a sign that it’s your last inspection? AND just a question for curiosity: why are a lot of my bees crawling around in the wet grass in the morning? Are they just dying or is something wrong? GREAT video, as usual. You ate truly a God send to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@shariurbancic3234]

You just have to use your best judgement to see what you can replace/eliminate. I just went through my hives this weekend to reduce the size of each hive. I was able to remove some frames that were empty and others that had mostly pollen and nectar. I removed some full frames of honey, so long as I thought the bees could go without it. One mistake that I made early on was not making the hive small enough so the bees could stay warm but also keeping enough honey so they could eat. Now we only keep one deep and two supers or sometimes two deep, depending on what we have. That seems to work well to get them through harsh northern Illinois winters. I digress. Going back to your question, if you have frames with larvae, I'd definitely try to keep those. The other frames that I remove from the hive, I keep outside, away from my hives, and let all the bees "rob" or take from it and eat or bring it back to their hives. I hope that makes sense and helps!

[@crkmonster]

Thank you David 🐝✨

[@TheBeastRenews]

I'm pretty sure the metal queen excluders sap all of the heat away from the cluster in a cold winter - it acts like a big heatsink! I had a dead out where most of the dead bees were below it, and relatively strong going into winter.

[@577bluegrass]

Thank you

[@patrickkeating2860]

Thanks for discussing entrances. I dont hear people talk about that much

[@marobroski2286]

Dziękujemy.

[@TheKstreet84]

Feeding one to one like you say but bees don't seem to be taking it much. Temperatures are in the 60s and 70s

[@boake]

Hello David, when you combine two hives you let de queens fight?

[@CallingOutAllBS]

Great tips! I have a question on what you would suggest on my hive. I'm prepping for winter now with the following setup: [ Telescopic Cover ] [ Inner Cover ] [ Full Med Super ] [ Queen Excluder ] [ Deep Brood Box ] [ Screened Bottom ] This is a first year hive, going into my first winter, I have pulled the 2nd super off for harvest. Of all 18 frames of honey frames, only 2 were fully capped. The other 16 mostly or partially capped, but full of at least nectar. So about 2 weeks ago, I consolidated the 16 frames into leaving the 9 most opened nectar frames in the hive, hoping they would cap off so I can swap them with ones I stored that are more capped off. My theory worked and they have capped out most! But now, it's starting to get cooler and I inspected a couple days ago and judging off the work they've done with the estimated time left before winter sets in, I don't think I'll have all frames fully ready for harvest. My question, how should I store the frames I pulled from the hive that are not fully capped? My first instinct is to cut out what's open and feed back to the bees, while we still have 70 degree days, and harvest the rest of the frame that's capped. But wasn't sure if there was a better way to handle this situation I'm in? (And I'm glad one of your tips mentioned removing the excluder. I was about to leave it on over the winter so she can't get up in the super and lay in their honey store! Keeping in mind I am intentionally leaving one super for the colony all year round and only harvest supers 2 and more)

[@aaronparis4714]

Cold up in Canada now at nights we’re down to 5 degrees 🥶

[@BanjoZZZ]

BIG QUESTION, when you consolidate what in the world do you do with a frame of brood - wont they start decomposing, which means you can't store it? Do you scrape off all the brood then store the frame?

[@pammassey9507]

Explain how to properly reduce you hive boxes and why you do it that way. Please. We get so many conflicting answers it makes it really confusing.

[@GramCrackerzzz]

David Burns, I am interested in starting beekeeping and I have farm land that gets sprayed all around my land. Does it matter how far away hives are from crops? Thank you for all of your videos teaching me.

[@haroldmiller9942]

Great content! I have a question. I’m in Southern California and it’s still 90-100° here on Oct 2. My bees are still bringing in a little pollen, not a lot for sure. Would you recommend starting the feeding regiment now even though cold weather isn’t here yet? Over night, It’s dipped into the 50s recently but for the most part it’s been in 60s over night. Thanks!

[@SherriLaCroix]

Can you show how the bees get in using your candy boards. I want to see the opening please and thank you

[@beek]

The candy is the entire size of an inner cover that faces down on top of the frames of the top box.

[@prairiepinesranch]

Always wanted to ask, but when you go back out to fill jars, and some jars still have syrup left, do you toss the old stuff and add all new mixture or just add to top off the jar?

[@wildcard328]

i was watching a video on mite control with heat. the video was called "Varroa Controller - A chemical free weapon against Varroa" they have a box that controls the heat and humidity. they take the brood out of the hive and into the box and then move the temp up from 35c to 45c for two hours. they say this kills the mite but not the brood. what do you think of this?

[@mitchserviss7965]

104 still in Las Vegas and just wondering do I keep inspecting until it gets cooler. Or is there anything with the time changing that I should just leave the bees alone.

[@laurameno9595]

Will they cap the 1;1 feed you give them or eat it?

[@DennisNieft]

Great tips David Thank You from NE WI.This morning we have a light frost.I have a question,my last 3 inspections sense Aug 24th.There's two queens that are laying on the same frame almost side by each.I held off removing a queen just in case I needed one for another hive.Well I didn't need one and no body in my area needs one at this time.Do I dare leave both queens in hive for winter?Thanks

[@davidshepard4067]

You said nothing about the queens in the two hives😮

[@johnlehr1036]

If you have a honey super on the stronger hive, where would you put combine box?

[@glennmartin8949]

Hi David, You didn’t say any think about when combining hives killing one of the queens? You do recommend that right?

[@BMXr85SR]

Same question I have.

[@josephvenezia3481]

Could you make a video on your storage areas for equipment that has comb and drawn frame's. I know you freez them and store them in a "safe room" but im curious how you do it

[@beek]

Great idea

[@aaronparis4714]

In Canada you want to do 2-1 they would not have enough time to dry it out 1-1 and they would not take it my nights are now 5 degrees anytime will get frost

[@offshoot1008]

Where in Canada are you

[@heididoran3424]

Would you ever feed one jar of 1;1 and also a 2:1 if you have two jar feeders like you showed in this video?

[@BillDusty]

I have an honest question. These are (historically) European honey bees? Shouldn’t they be able to go seasonal - spring, summer, fall, winter - largely on their own? I mean, how did they survive prior to us putting them in boxes? All the nutrients and additives and extra sugar/water. I understand it makes for a healthier hive. But by base standards, shouldn’t they at least have a good chance of getting along on their own just by virtue of them being wild animals? (I’m speaking about just food, by the way. Not virus/disease prevention. I get that. )

[@framcesmoore]

I AM NOT DAVID BUT BACK IN THE OLDER DAYS MAN HAD NOT CUT DOWN AND DESTROYED ALL THE TREES AND FLOWERS TO BUILD HOMES. WHERE I LIVE I HAVE TO FEED MY BEES OR THEY WILL NOT LIVE.THERE IS NOTHING HERE AFTER SPRING WE HAVE A FLOW FROM APR-MAY AND IT IS OVER IN JUNE. THAT IS IT FOR US. IF I DID NOT TAKE ANY HONEY FROM THEM THEY WOULD DIE ANYWAY. BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES TO FEED THEM SELVES BY WHAT THEY HAD STORED. I HAVE BEEN FEEDING MY BEES SINCE JULY AND IT IA NOW OCT. UNTIL I STARTED FEEDING MY BEES WERE DIEING ANYWAY I DONOT WISH TO INTERFEAR WITH YOUR QUESTION JUST TRYING TO HELP BY MY EXPERIENCE EVERY PLACE IS DIFFERENT LOCATION MATTERS A LOT. HAVE A BLESSED WEEK

[@victorkulynycz1397]

Only the strong survive not all feral colonies make it but swarms only in the spring repopulate the area sometimes. I think most beekeepers are not willing to lose a colony that could have survived with a little extra help plus wild colonies don't have a guy in a white suit stealing half their winter food stores😅

[@JaredJCTN]

No need to check you hive after using Formic Pro. It has killed 2 hives of mine iver the last 2 years. I will never uses it again. Hopefully this one be able to requeen before the drones are gone

[@beek]

Sorry to hear that. I've never had that happen. Important to never use it past the expiration date. It is much harsher on bees past the expiration date, and perhaps one pad at a time is much better.

[@offshoot1008]

I lost my queens also . Happened with 24 of administrating.

[@aaronparis4714]

So they may not heat the hive but when they put off heat and it’s not able to escape it’s less work the bees have t do to keep the cluster warm which means less food consumption if you have cold winters I think insulation is very important I think less stress in the bees makes them a way better colony mind you I only run 20 to 30 hives I prob would not insulate if I was in this game to make profit

[@donstubler531]

Do you kill the queen in the weakest time

[@donstubler531]

Hive

[@HandWiredAmps]

I dont think David mentioned it in this video. If you meant the weakest hive, then yes. Before combining, remove the queen from the week hive you are combining. If you don't the bees will fight more and both queens could be killed or the surviving queen injured. You don't want the week queen in your combine. Watch a few more combine videos too.

[@rickydavis5422]

Why not just treat for mites without testing? Seems like everyone has mites every time they test.

[@beek]

I get asked this alot. You can, but I don't want to waste money if my mite levels are low, and sometimes a treatment may not work. So the best method is to test, determine if you need to treat, treat, then test after the treatment to see if it worked.

[@philippine_phin]

Can you refer to seasons by temps? Here in Central CA its still 100’s and high 90’s for the next 10 days. ‘Fall’ could be another 4-5 weeks away.