In October, drones are often gone from the hive, and brood rearing is reduced. It is a quiet month for beekeeping. Supplementing with protein patties and 2:1 syrup is still OK, but only if necessary.

The window is closing for getting your hive ready for winter. If it is is a warm, long fall (like 2015), you can continue feeding with heavier syrup.Honey MUST be in contact with the cluster, on the sides and above, as the bees go into their dormant period.

Take your winter losses now. Get your winter beekeeping list together and subscribe to journals like Bee Culture and American Bee Journal.

If you need to treat for mites this month, use Apigard. John prefers using 1/2 dose followed by a 1/2 dose.

• Make sure your hives are off of the ground—on a pallet or other structure—to prevent moisture from seeping into the hive and to provide ventilation. Having the hive about 18 inches off the ground can help deter skunks and other critters.
• Keep hives exposed to the sun with entrances faced away from prevailing winds.
• Tilt hives so water drains away from the entrance.
• Bees can deal with cold, but being wet will kill them. Ensure proper ventilation and that lids do not leak.
• Check the hive ventilation to prepare for our wet winters. Consider adding a shim, stick, or thin piece of wood between the top and inner cover. You can also staple a screen to the bottom of an empty super or hive body, fill it with wood chips or other absorbent material, and place it between the inner cover and the lid.
• You can also add a ‘quilt box’ or some absorbent material above the inner cover to soak up condensation that the bees create as they shiver to keep warm. This prevents the condensation from dripping back down and chilling the bees.
• All superfluous items within the hive, e.g., Varroa treatments, queen excluders, and extra rims, should be removed by now.

In the winter DON’T break the seals on your bee boxes. If you have a need to check the bees, don’t break the top seal. If the temperature is 50 degrees and bees are flying it is okay to check but BE QUICK. Use strategic moves to get frames with food next to the cluster.

Remember to PLANT FOR BEES. Now is the time to plan your spring garden. There is a list of bee forage plants here: www.southernoregonbeekeepers.org/gardening-for-bees/honey-bee-forage-plants-for-southern-oregon

Think about what your goals are for beekeeping. Are you interested in honey? Pollination? Commercial Ventures? Or do you just like to watch them do their thing. Whatever your goal is, make plans and keep notes.

Wax Moth prevention.

Guard your drawn comb like it is GOLD. Frames that you are saving for Spring are so valuable. It gives your bees a head start because they don’t have to draw out comb. If you are storing those beautiful frames of comb left over from harvesting be sure you protect them.

Freezing is one of the best methods to kill Wax Moth eggs. Then store in an airtight container. Be careful that you are not creating a brood chamber for the moth by keeping frames in ice chests. Check the frames often during the winter. There are chemicals like Para-Moth which is kin to the old Moth ball. But you must air frames before bees re-inhabit-it is a chemical and can kill bees too.

Rotate your least desirable frames to the outside edges of your boxes. Eventually you can rotate them out completely.

Remember; strong hives with just enough space to house your bees can control a wax moth invasion on their own. It’s when the bees have to monitor too much space that the moth can get a strong hold.

Adapted from presentations by John Jacob from Old Sol Apiary and reprinted with permission.

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October is a transition month from fall to winter in our weather.  Generally, the weather is relatively benign for the first two or three weeks, and then winter arrives in earnest by Halloween, or so.  The maximum daily high temperature for Salem in October is 64.3^oF; it is 52.3^oF in November.  This is our last opportunity to feed syrup and finalize winter preparation before dormancy.

• Continue to check for light hives. Heft hives (lift one side up). They should be notably heavy. If not, feed a saturated sugar solution (60% sugar; balance water by weight). Feed early enough to allow syrup to ripen. ( Feed drivert sugar after the temperature is below 60 degrees during the day and 45 degrees at night (more or less) ).
• Because of Nosema apis and especially Nosema ceranae, feed two gallons of Fumadil-B medicated syrup. If feeding for weight, this medicated syrup should be fed last.
• Place a barrier between the bottom of the hive and the ground. Pallets are ideal for this.
• Keep hives exposed to the sun with entrances faced away from prevailing winds.
• Tilt hives so water drains away from the entrance.  Ensure proper ventilation and that lids do not leak.
• Add entrance reducers/mouse guards.
• All superfluous items within the hive, e.g., Varroa treatments, queen excluders, and extra rims, should be removed by now.
• Find and remove deadouts.  Place all unused equipment in storage.
• Protect frames.  Moth crystals (paradichlorobenzene) are typically used for this purpose.  Stack supers (or brood boxes), and put crystals on a piece of paper on top of every 5th super, or so.  Then place a lid on top.  Vapors kill moths and larvae, but not eggs.  Freezing is an option and will kill eggs.  Also, wax moth activity is suppressed if supers (and the frames within) are left open and exposed to light.
• If hives are opened/lids lifted late in the active season (or past), the propolis seals have been broken.  Take care to secure the lids to keep them from being blown off during winter winds.

by Todd Balsiger  – From the Oregon State Beekeepers Association