• Varroa treatment. If using Bayvarol or Apistan remember to remove the strips after six weeks to avoid breeding resistant mites. Thymol treatment can be continued this month, but will become less effective as the weather turns cooler. Think about how to treat re-invasion occurring after you have finished treatment - oxalic acid in November can be useful. Keep monitoring varroa levels so that you can treat appropriately. Ring a committee member if you need advice.
• Remove and extract the honey crop if you have not already done so.
• Return wet supers to colonies late in the evening to avoid robbing. If the supers are put under the crownboard then you will avoid bees dying in the confined space between the crownboard and the roof on hot days.
• Wasps are a major problem in some areas, so make wasp traps (2" sugar syrup in an empty wine bottle makes an excellent trap) and reduce colony entrances if necessary. Be especially vigilant with nucs and weaker colonies.
• Finish winter feeding by mid-September at the latest if using sugar syrup. Fondant can be used at any time throughout the winter - but do feed any colonies that are short of food after you have removed the crop - many colonies still have a considerable amount of brood this year and this means that there is less room for stores.

Peter Edwards 02/09/2001