Prep starts for winter: What mite we do?

August is the time that we should start thinking about raising healthy winter bees. Part of this is dealing with Varroa destructor which should be done by the end of September. Come join us as we talk about mite control treatments and other hive management practices as we head into the goldenrod flow. August is the last chance to replace failing queens and make splits. We need to watch for robbing, hornets and yellow jackets, and may need to feed our bees. Failing colonies are subject to small hive beetles (SHB) and wax moths. SHB and Varroa populations are peaking at this time of year. This is a good time to harvest any remaining honey supers and store them in a way to prevent wax moth damage.