In Texas the main nectar flow begins to wind down ending around the 4th week of June. Don't delay harvesting your honey as the bees will begin consuming their stores as the flow of nectar subsides.
1. Harvest honey when it is 70-80% capped, or do the shake test. Shake each frame, if more than a few drops of honey fall out of the frame it is still to wet and will most likely ferment.
2. After extraction let the bees clean the honey off the supers before storing them.
Don’t let your bees starve! Leave all the honey in the brood nest for the hive. After extraction feed your hives 2:1 sugar syrup if they have less than 4 frames of honey.
3. Check for Varroa after extraction and treat accordingly.
4. Remember that bees need water!! Provide a water source if there are none nearby. A bird bath or a dripping faucet work really well.
5. If your hive has a queen that is over 1 year old, go down into the brood nest and make sure she is still laying a solid brood pattern. You do not want her to die out on you during the fall or winter.
