In August, beekeeping in Pueblo, Colorado centers on managing the late-summer nectar dearth, controlling Varroa mite peaks, ensuring reliable water for cooling, and preparing your colonies for winter survival.
Varroa Mite Management
- Test Immediately: Perform an alcohol wash or sugar roll early in the month. Varroa mite populations peak right as worker bee populations transition into long-lived winter bees.
- Treat if Needed: Treat the hive if mite counts exceed your local threshold (typically 3 mites per 100 bees).
- Remove Honey Supers First: Ensure all honey supers are pulled before applying synthetic or chemical mite treatments not approved for use during the honey harvest. Check out resources from the Pueblo County Beekeepers Association for local club advice.
Feeding & Dearth Protection
- Watch for Robbing: August brings a summer dearth where natural forage drops off, triggering strong colonies to rob weaker ones. Install entrance reducers or robber screens on smaller or struggling hives.
- Supplemental Feeding: Feed a 1:1 or 2:1 sugar syrup solution if honey stores are low. Colonies need roughly 20 to 30 pounds of stored honey (or backfilled frames) heading into the fall.
- Avoid Open Feeding: Use internal or top feeders rather than open feeders to prevent exciting neighboring bees and starting a robbing frenzy.
Heat & Water Management
- Provide Clean Water: Pueblo’s hot, dry August weather means bees use massive amounts of water just to air-condition and cool the hive. Keep a shallow water source nearby with pebbles or floating corks so bees do not drown.
- Ventilation and Shade: Ensure bottom boards or upper shim entrances provide adequate airflow. If your hives sit in blazing, unshielded sun all day, consider a temporary shade cloth during severe heatwaves.
Queen & Hive Evaluations
- Assess the Queen: Check that your queen is still laying and maintaining a solid brood pattern, though a temporary slowdown can happen during a harsh dearth.
- Combine or Requeen: If a hive is hopelessly queenless or failing, consider requeening immediately or combining it with a stronger neighboring colony before winter arrives.
- City Limit Rules: If you keep bees inside Pueblo city limits, remember that local ordinances cap residential properties at a maximum of two honeybee hives.