Apiary Notes (July 2026) By Wally Thrale

As usual the weather has a large impact on our beekeeping. We have had cold, dry and windy weather followed by heatwaves. This has had an impact on foraging and honey flow. As I drive around the county I have seen several fields of phacelia but the they have ‘gone over’ prematurely I think due to the weather. In a normal season they can produce a good honey crop.

We are about to start the last significant foraging month of the season for most of us with blackberry now in flower. Strong colonies can bring in a lot of nectar is a short space of time in the right conditions so ensure there is enough super space to take advantage of a good flow.

I am a fan of overwintering nucs and there is still time to make some up – they are an insurance for winter losses.. One aspect of the honey flow so far on nuc production has been managing them for space. They have brought in so much honey that a frame of stores has been taken from many nucs on a regular basis to provide space. When producing nucs they either need feeding or they bring in too much honey so they do need regular attention to ensure they thrive.

The weather this spring has been favourable for wasps so they no doubt they will be making an appearance in the coming weeks. Reduce entrances to a small gap so the bees can defend themselves more easily. Colonies that are still building up and nucs are more vulnerable to wasp predation so take extra care with them. Once wasps start robbing a colony it is difficult to stop them so prevention is definitely order of the day. Some beekeepers set up wasp traps nearby but not in the apiary to reduce the wasp numbers. Something to consider perhaps.

Last year there were some spots where the honey flow went on well into August. Because of that I will probably use Formic Pro this year. The reason is that the treatment time is only a week so it allows time to catch a late flow if there is one. Although we won’t be treating for varroa for few weeks yet it is necessary to order your preferred treatment now so it is available for August time. A colony needs healthy winter bees to be able to survive till spring time. Applying no treatment or treating too late means the winter bees will be compromised.

Finally, keep hydrated when beekeeping in this heat. Better still, don’t put on a beesuit until the heatwave is over!