FAQ – Simple Answers to Important Questions

What to do

• Before opening the hive, observe the entrance and, if possible, the debris on the varroa floor insert: this already gives indications of activity, the position of the winter cluster, food stores and possible problems.
• Choose a mild, calm and ideally sunny day.
• Prepare the equipment before opening: smoker, hive tool, reserve frames if needed, hive record card.
• Open briefly and work in a targeted way.
• Check the food stores first.
• Check the presence of a laying queen: fresh eggs, young brood or regular brood pattern.
• Observe colony strength: number of frames covered, cohesion of the brood nest, general activity.
• Adjust the space only if needed: do not expand a weak colony too quickly.
• Watch for abnormal signs: suspicious smell, patchy brood, unusual mortality, signs of disease.

If things do not go as planned

If the weather stays cold or unstable, do not force a full inspection. Continue to observe at the entrance, check the weight of the hive, ensure food stores if needed and wait for a real weather window. If you notice a suspicious smell, very abnormal brood or doubts about a notifiable disease, close the hive and contact the bee inspector before intervening further.

What to avoid

• Opening hives out of curiosity at the first flights in February.
• Doing a full inspection in cold, damp or windy weather.
• Spending a long time looking for the queen when fresh eggs or young brood confirm her presence.
• Expanding a weak colony too early.
• Stimulating heavily with syrup when stores are sufficient and the weather is still uncertain.

Key point

The first spring inspection is not decided by a fixed date: it takes place when the colony is restarting and the weather allows the hive to be opened without chilling the brood.

See also

• Ten tips for a good colony inspection
• Practical Guide: 4.8.1 Entrance observation
• Interpreting hive debris

What to do

• As soon as dandelions and fruit trees come into flower, prepare the equipment: super, super frames and queen excluder.
• Observe the colony, not just the calendar: a weak colony does not make good use of a super added too early.
• Check that the brood box is well covered with bees and that brood is developing normally.
• Watch for signs of lack of space: many bees at the top of the brood box, regular nectar income, brace comb on top of frames or under the crown board.
• Place the queen excluder between the brood box and the super.
• Add a ready-to-use super, ideally with already drawn comb or correctly equipped frames.
• Check again a few days later: if the bees go up and start storing, the timing was right.

If things do not go as planned

If the super stays empty, the colony was probably not yet strong enough or the nectar flow has not really started. Do not add further supers: wait until income becomes regular. Conversely, if the bees build on top of the frames or under the crown board, or if the brood box fills quickly with nectar, this is often a sign that space is needed quickly.

What to avoid

• Adding the super on a fixed date without looking at the colony.
• Confusing the preparation signal with the placement signal: dandelions and fruit trees mean be ready, not that every colony should receive a super on the same day.
• Adding a super too early on a still weak colony.
• Waiting until the brood box is saturated with nectar.
• Ignoring brace comb at the top of the brood box: it often indicates that the colony is looking for space.
• Forgetting the queen excluder, with the risk of finding brood in the super frames.

Key point

Dandelion and fruit trees: prepare. Strong colony, real nectar flow and signs of lack of space: add the super with a queen excluder.

See also

• April at the apiary
• May at the apiary
• Ten tips for a good colony inspection
• Comb building

What to do

• Check that the colony is strong enough: many bees, well-developed brood and visible foraging activity.
• Choose a mild day with good flying conditions, and work quickly to avoid chilling the brood.
• Prepare a clean super with suitable super frames, drawn if possible, or with foundation if the colony builds well.
• Open the hive, remove the crown board, then place the queen excluder directly on the brood box.
• Place the super above the queen excluder, replace the crown board and close the hive.
• Check a few days later that the bees go up into the super and begin to occupy the frames.

If things do not go as planned

If the bees do not go up into the super, it has often been added too early, the colony is too weak, the weather is unfavourable or the nectar flow has not really started. If brood appears in a super, you must first check the presence and correct placement of the queen excluder, then correct the management before harvest.

What to avoid

• Adding a super without a queen excluder when super frames are to be kept for harvest honey.
• Placing the queen excluder in the wrong position: it must separate the brood box and the super.
• Adding a super to a weak colony: it may not be occupied and may chill down.
• Waiting too long with a strong colony: lack of space can encourage the swarming impulse.
• Putting frames that have contained brood into the super intended for harvest honey.
• Feeding syrup while supers intended for harvest are in place.
• Treating against varroa with honey supers intended for consumption still on the hive, unless this is compatible with official instructions for the product used.

Key point

In a simple management style, super and queen excluder go together: the queen excluder is placed between the brood box and the super to keep the harvest separate from the brood.

See also

• May at the apiary
• April at the apiary
• The honey harvest
• Practical Guide: 4.7.5. Managing the swarming impulse

What to do

• Place the queen excluder between the brood box and the super.
• Install it at the same time as the super.
• Check that it is clean, well in place and that there is no possible passage on the sides.
• Reserve the super frames for honey production.
• At harvest, take only super frames that contain honey and no brood.

If things do not go as planned

If the super already contains brood, do not extract these frames. You must first prevent the queen from going back up into the super by using a queen excluder, then wait for the brood to emerge before considering extracting the frames concerned. In practice, frames that have contained brood should not enter the chain for extracted or drained honey.

The key legal point is therefore not the obligation to have a queen excluder, but the obligation to produce a compliant honey. In Switzerland, honey that is given away or sold is subject to food law, in particular the Federal Act on Foodstuffs (LFLG) and the ordinances setting out the requirements applicable to honey, hygiene and self-monitoring.

What to avoid

• Adding a super without a queen excluder in a simple management style.
• Harvesting or extracting frames containing brood.
• Mixing brood box frames that contained brood with super frames intended for honey.
• Forgetting that some excluder-free management styles exist, but require more experience.

Key point

The law does not directly require a queen excluder, but it does require compliant honey: in a simple management style, the queen excluder is the safest way to keep the super dedicated to honey.

See also

• Beekeeping and legislation in Switzerland – What beekeepers really need to know
• Beekeeping and honey law in Switzerland
• The honey harvest
• Beekeeping equipment

What to do

• Observe the brood box: the bees should occupy the top of the frames well.
• Check that nectar is really coming in, not just that flowers are present.
• Look whether the brood box is starting to fill with nectar: if not, the bees may not yet need the super.
• Check the super: clean, well-placed frames, wax in good condition, no foreign smell, no mould or doubtful storage marks.
• If possible, place one or two already drawn super frames in the centre of the super: they are often better accepted than frames with only foundation.
• Keep the queen excluder in place and check that it is correctly positioned.
• Check again a few days later, especially if the weather becomes favourable and the nectar income increases.

If things do not go as planned

If the super mostly contains foundation, a real nectar flow, warmth and a strong colony are needed for the bees to build. Already drawn super frames in the middle can help. If the super still stays empty, do not add volume: wait for the colony to strengthen or for the nectar flow to really start.

What to avoid

• Adding a second super while the first one is still empty.
• Concluding too quickly that the colony has a problem.
• Adding a super too early on a still weak colony.
• Expecting fast building on foundation without a real nectar flow.
• Spraying syrup in a super intended for the honey harvest: this blurs the distinction between feeding and harvested honey.
• Spraying honey on the frames: this can encourage robbing and raises hygiene questions if the origin of the honey is not perfectly controlled.
• Putting brood in super frames intended for the honey harvest.

Key point

An empty super is not necessarily a problem: a strong colony, a real nectar flow and attractive super frames are the three main conditions for the bees to go up.

See also

• April at the apiary
• May at the apiary
• Comb building
• Ten tips for a good colony inspection

What to do

• Monitor mainly strong colonies in spring and early summer.
• Give space in time: add the super at the right moment, prevent nectar from blocking the brood nest, and maintain space for laying.
• During inspections, look for signs of the swarming impulse: very dense colony, queen cells, slower laying, lack of space.
• During the risk period, check the strongest colonies about once a week if the weather allows.
• After a long period of bad weather, inspect strong colonies as soon as favourable weather returns: the bees may have been preparing to swarm during the days they could not fly.
• If a colony becomes too strong, form a young colony or an artificial swarm rather than waiting for a natural swarm to leave.

If things do not go as planned

If queen cells are already well developed, the colony is probably already engaged in the swarming impulse. In that case, breaking the queen cells is not enough: the pressure in the colony must be reduced, for example by making a split or an artificial swarm, with proper follow-up of the new colony. The key point is not to confuse suppressing the signs with solving the cause.

What to avoid

• Waiting until you see a swarm hanging from a branch before acting.
• Believing that swarming starts on the day the swarm leaves: it has often been prepared several days before.
• Destroying queen cells without correcting the lack of space or the over-population.
• Adding the super too late, when the brood nest is already blocked.
• Splitting a weak or poorly followed colony solely to prevent swarming.

Key point

The best anti-swarming approach is anticipation: space at the right time, targeted inspections and early splitting of overly strong colonies.

See also

• All about swarming
• Understanding swarming
• Practical Guide: 4.7.5 Managing the swarming impulse
• Practical Guide: 1.4.7 Split of a colony in swarming mood

What to do

• Choose a strong, healthy and calm colony with a good laying queen.
• Prepare a well-ventilated 6-frame nucleus box.
• Place against one wall a food frame with honey and pollen, together with the bees on it, but without brood and without the queen.
• Leave a free space right next to it for the grafting frame.
• Add an old, drawn empty comb well moistened with water, or a water frame, to provide water for the nurse bees.
• Shake into the nucleus box the young nurse bees from 3 to 4 frames of open brood, carefully checking that the queen is not among the shaken bees.
• Reduce the space with a division board.
• Fix a transparent plastic film on top of the starter, instead of the crown board, without blocking the ventilation.
• Close the starter and place it in a cool, dark place for at least a few hours, so that the bees feel queenless.
• On the day of grafting, cut a long slit in the plastic film with a cutter, at the location reserved for the grafting frame.
• Quickly introduce the grafting frame with the very young grafted larvae, then press the film around the frame to limit the bees streaming out.
• Let the closed starter take up the grafted cells for about 24 hours, then transfer the frame to a finisher colony.

If things do not go as planned

If the bees become very agitated, stream out, overheat or reject the larvae, the starter is often badly balanced: too few young nurse bees, lack of water, lack of food, insufficient ventilation, accidental presence of the queen or presence of brood. In that case, it is better to correct the setup and start a small batch again rather than force the rearing.

What to avoid

• Putting brood in the closed starter: the bees might raise their own larvae instead of the grafted ones.
• Accidentally taking the queen with the shaken bees.
• Using larvae that are too old: the best larvae are very young, ideally less than 24 hours old.
• Opening the whole top of the starter when introducing the grafting frame: many bees may stream out.
• Using plastic film that blocks ventilation.
• Keeping the starter closed for too long, especially in hot weather.

Key point

A good closed starter is a temporary nucleus box, very rich in young nurse bees, without queen and without brood, used only to start queen rearing for about 24 hours.

See also

• Nucleus formation and queen rearing
• Principles and methods of queen rearing
• F1 queen rearing
• Queen cells

What to do

• Observe the supers, not just the calendar.
• Choose a dry day, if possible after a rain-free period.
• Check that the super frames are mostly capped.
• Perform the shake test on the uncapped areas: if nectar runs out, do not harvest that frame.
• If you have a refractometer, measure the water content on several frames of the same super.
• Plan the last harvest in such a way as not to delay the important late-season steps: varroa monitoring, treatment if needed, feeding and preparation for overwintering.
• Remove the supers and cover them quickly to prevent moisture uptake and robbing.
• Extract the honey the same day or the next day, in a clean and dry extraction room.

If things do not go as planned

If some frames are ripe and others are not, do not harvest the whole super automatically. Take only the ready frames, or leave the super a few more days. But at the end of the season, do not wait too long: a late harvest can shorten the time available to protect winter bees against varroa and to properly complete the food stores. For honeys that crystallise quickly, such as rapeseed or some spring honeys, close monitoring is also needed: waiting too long can make extraction difficult.

What to avoid

• Harvesting just because "it's the time of year".
• Harvesting right after several rainy days or in high humidity.
• Relying solely on capping without checking if the nectar flow has been very abundant.
• Mixing ripe frames with frames that are still too moist.
• Extracting frames that have already contained brood.
• Postponing the last harvest to the point of delaying varroa treatment or late-season feeding.
• Waiting for the last few grams of honey if this compromises the preparation of winter bees.

Key point

The right harvest begins when the honey is ripe, but it must not delay the preparation of winter bees.

See also

• The honey harvest
• Controlling the water content of honey
• Calibrating the refractometer
• August at the apiary

Markers throughout the year

What to do

• Treat varroa control as year-round monitoring, not as an isolated action.
• In spring, use drone brood removal if it is well mastered and integrated into apiary management.
• Monitor infestation regularly, in particular through the natural mite drop.
• After the last harvest, remove the supers and do not delay the first summer treatment.
• Give a small transition feeding after the supers have been removed, then treat quickly.
• Plan the second summer treatment early enough, ideally at the beginning of September and at the latest around mid-September.
• Carry out the winter treatment only when the colony is free of capped brood.
• Use only authorised methods and preparations, following the official instructions.

If things do not go as planned

If a critical threshold is exceeded, do not mechanically wait for the next step in the calendar. The course of action depends on the time of year: at the start of the season, an emergency measure may be needed; in late autumn, a complementary oxalic acid treatment may be indicated even if some brood is still present.

If a late harvest delays the first summer treatment, priorities need to be reviewed. A few extra kilograms of honey do not justify compromising the health of winter bees. The right time to protect winter bees is mainly in summer, not only at the winter treatment.

What to avoid

• Thinking that a single treatment is enough for the whole year.
• Discovering varroa only in autumn.
• Delaying the first summer treatment to extend the harvest.
• Forgetting that drone brood removal is an aid, not a replacement for necessary treatments.
• Relying on the winter treatment to correct poor summer management.
• Treating with supers intended for harvest still in place.
• Using an unauthorised product or deviating from the official instructions.

Key point

The varroa management concept follows an annual logic: reduce, monitor, treat early in summer, confirm in late summer, finish in winter. The key moment remains summer, because that is when the health of the future winter bees is decided.

See also

• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.2 Overview of summer treatment methods
• Practical Guide: 1.5.1 Measuring the natural mite drop
• Practical Guide: 1.6.6 Infestation-based varroa treatment

Practical markers

What to do

• Place a clean varroa floor, if possible protected by a mesh.
• Count the natural mite drop over 2 days.
• Divide the total number of mites by the number of days to obtain a daily average.
• Compare this average with the markers for the season.
• If the result is close to a limit value, take a second 2-day count.
• If ants are present, check the floor after 24 to 48 hours or use a method that prevents ants from carrying the mites away.
• In case of a clear exceedance of a limit value, act without delay: check, authorised treatment, emergency treatment if necessary, or advice from the Bee Health Service.
• Record the results on the hive card to follow the colony's evolution.

If things do not go as planned

If ants are present on the varroa floor, the count may underestimate the infestation, since dead mites can be carried away. In that case, do not leave the floor for several days without checking. Better to count after 24 to 48 hours and repeat the measurement if the result is close to an intervention threshold.

If the threshold is exceeded in May, late June or early July, do not wait for the next normal treatment. The colony may already be too heavily infested. Quick action is needed, possibly through an emergency treatment, and advice should be sought before improvising.

If the threshold is exceeded in October, the colony risks entering winter with too high a varroa pressure. In that case, the normal winter treatment should not simply be awaited.

What to avoid

• Using the same threshold all year long.
• Deciding on a single counting day when the result is close to a limit value.
• Leaving the varroa floor in place for too long if ants can carry the mites away.
• Interpreting a low result as safe if the measurement has been disturbed.
• Feeling reassured because the colony looks strong: a strong colony can hide heavy infestation.
• Waiting for the next scheduled treatment while the situation may require an emergency treatment.
• Confusing the natural mite drop with post-treatment mite drop.

Key point

The right question is not only "how many mites?" but "how many mites at what time of year?". In practice, three markers are enough as warnings: more than 3 mites per day in late May, more than 10 mites per day in late June / early July, and more than 5 mites per day in October. A 2-day measurement is often a good practical compromise, especially if ants might distort the count.

See also

• Practical Guide: 1.5.1 Measuring the natural mite drop
• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.6.6 Infestation-based varroa treatment
• Practical Guide: 1.7.2 Emergency varroa treatment (Swiss hives)

What to do

• Plan the last harvest so that the treatment is not pushed beyond the end of July.
• Remove all supers intended for harvest before treating.
• Quickly give 2 to 3 litres of feeding syrup to avoid any food shortage after the supers have been removed.
• Then start the first summer treatment against varroa, with an authorised method suited to the weather conditions.
• Read and strictly follow the official instructions of the product used: dosage, duration, temperature, safety and conditions of use.
• Record the date of treatment on the hive card.
• Already plan the rest of the season: infestation monitoring, second summer treatment if needed, then preparation for overwintering.

If things do not go as planned

If the nectar flow continues or some frames are not yet quite ripe, the treatment must not be postponed indefinitely to gain 1 or 2 more kilograms of honey. That delay is often paid for with the health of the future winter bees. From the end of July, protecting the winter bees becomes the priority.

If the infestation is already high, action must be taken without delay: remove the supers, feed briefly if necessary, then treat with an authorised method. In case of doubt about the method, temperature or infestation level, seek advice from the Bee Health Service or an experienced person before improvising.

What to avoid

• Waiting until August or September to start the first summer treatment.
• Treating while supers intended for harvest are still on the hive.
• Postponing the treatment to extract another 1 or 2 kg of honey.
• Forgetting the small transition feed after the supers have been removed.
• Using an unauthorised product or deviating from the official instructions.
• Treating without considering temperature, especially with heat-sensitive treatments.

Key point

Before the end of July: supers removed, 2 to 3 litres of feeding syrup, then first summer treatment against varroa. The goal is to protect the winter bees, not to extend the harvest by a few kilos.

See also

• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.2 Overview of summer treatment methods
• Practical Guide: 1.5.1 Measuring the natural mite drop
• Veterinary medicines / preparations authorised in Switzerland

What to do

• After the first summer treatment, check that the colony still has access to food.
• Top up the food stores with feeding syrup between the first and second treatments.
• Organise the feeding in such a way that it does not delay the second treatment.
• Respect a sufficient interval between the end of the first treatment and the start of the second.
• Plan the second treatment so that it ideally starts at the beginning of September and at the latest around mid-September.
• Choose an authorised method suited to the weather conditions.
• Read and strictly follow the official instructions of the product used: dosage, duration, temperature, safety and conditions of use.
• Record the date of treatment on the hive card.
• After the treatment, check that the winter stores are sufficient and top up if necessary, as long as conditions allow.

If things do not go as planned

If the first treatment started too late, do not automatically push the second one to the end of September or October. Instead, quickly check colony strength, food stores and infestation level, then choose a safe course of action with help from an experienced person or the Bee Health Service.

If the food stores are still insufficient at the planned time for the second treatment, correct the situation without delaying the varroa control unnecessarily. A colony must not run out of food, but a treatment that is too late exposes the winter bees to excessive varroa pressure.

What to avoid

• Starting the second treatment only at the end of September or in October.
• Thinking that the first summer treatment is always enough.
• Forgetting the feeding between the two treatments.
• Postponing the treatment because the stores were not topped up in time.
• Stacking two treatments without respecting a sufficient interval.
• Treating without considering temperature and weather.
• Using an unauthorised product or deviating from the official instructions.

Key point

The second summer treatment is prepared from the end of the first one: feed in between, do not let the colony run out of food, then treat early enough, ideally at the beginning of September and at the latest around mid-September. The aim remains protecting the winter bees.

See also

• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.2 Overview of summer treatment methods
• Practical Guide: 4.2 Feeding
• Veterinary medicines / preparations authorised in Switzerland

What to do

• Plan the winter treatment after the first lasting cold spells, when laying has stopped or nearly so.
• If necessary, check that the colony no longer contains capped brood.
• Choose an oxalic acid treatment authorised in Switzerland.
• Read and strictly follow the official instructions of the product used: dosage, application method, temperature, safety and conditions of use.
• Wear appropriate protection: acid-resistant gloves, goggles and long-sleeved clothing.
• Place a mesh-protected varroa floor to monitor the mite drop after the treatment.
• Record the date of treatment on the hive card.

If things do not go as planned

If you still find capped brood at the planned time, do not treat as if the colony were brood-free. The safest course is to postpone the treatment to a period free of capped brood, or to seek advice before intervening. Treating too early greatly reduces the effectiveness of the treatment.

If the mite drop remains very high after the winter treatment, the situation must be reassessed. Do not simply repeat a trickling treatment: this method must not be repeated on the same colony. In case of doubt, seek advice from the Bee Health Service or an experienced person.

What to avoid

• Treating too early, when capped brood is still present.
• Relying solely on the calendar without considering the weather and the brood.
• Carrying out a treatment "to be on the safe side" without following the official instructions.
• Repeating a trickling treatment on the same colony.
• Neglecting personal protection when using oxalic acid.
• Believing that the winter treatment compensates for a poor summer treatment: the winter bees must already have been protected in summer.

Key point

The winter treatment is carried out in the absence of capped brood, generally in late November or December. It serves to start the new season with as low a varroa pressure as possible, but it does not replace the summer treatments.

See also

• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.3.2 Trickling treatment
• Practical Guide: 1.3.3 Oxalic acid vaporisation
• Winter treatment against varroa: what to do if colonies are still raising brood?

What to do

• Do not use amitraz, even if the product is sold or authorised in a neighbouring country.
• Before each treatment, check the current list of authorised veterinary medicines.
• Use only a preparation authorised in Switzerland and follow the official instructions exactly: dosage, period, duration, possible removal of supers and restrictions for honey.
• Record the treatment carried out on the hive card.
• In case of doubt, consult the beekeeping adviser, the Bee Health Service or the cantonal veterinary service.

Swissmedic regularly publishes updated lists (list of authorised veterinary medicines).

If things do not go as planned

If amitraz has already been used, do not place the honey concerned on the market before clarification. Isolate the frames, the wax and the batches potentially affected, then quickly seek advice from the competent cantonal service or the Bee Health Service. The main issue is the risk of an unauthorised treatment and of residues in bee products.

What to avoid

• Using Apivar or another amitraz-based product bought abroad.
• Thinking that a product authorised in France, Germany or elsewhere is automatically authorised in Switzerland.
• Making your own strips or dosing a product not intended for bees.
• Treating during a nectar flow or with supers intended for harvest in place without following a Swiss official instruction.
• Relying on a local habit rather than on the current list of authorised preparations.

Key point

In Switzerland: no amitraz against varroa. Only preparations authorised in Switzerland are used, according to the official instructions.

See also

• Veterinary medicines / preparations authorised in Switzerland
• Practical Guide: Recommended beekeeping preparations
• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Beekeeping and honey law in Switzerland

What to do

• Check that the count is reliable: clean varroa floor, short measurement, no ants carrying mites away.
• Compare the natural mite drop with the seasonal markers.
• Act quickly if critical thresholds are clearly exceeded, for example more than 3 mites per day in late May, more than 10 mites per day in late June / early July, or more than 5 mites per day in October.
• Remove supers intended for harvest before any medicinal treatment.
• Assess whether the colony is still strong enough to be saved: colony size, brood state, food stores, damaged bees or bees with deformed wings.
• Choose only an authorised method suited to the season, hive type and brood condition.
• In case of doubt, seek advice from the Bee Health Service or an experienced person before performing an emergency measure.
• Record the decision and the treatment on the hive card.

If things do not go as planned

In spring or early summer, the real emergency measure may consist of a rapid sanitation of the colony. In the Practical Guides of the Bee Health Service, this measure is based on relocating the colony onto new frames and applying oxalic acid. This is not a normal summer treatment: it is an exceptional intervention for a colony that is too heavily infested.

In late autumn, the situation is different: it is generally no longer possible to move the colony onto new frames. If the critical threshold is exceeded, the Bee Health Service then recommends an immediate complementary oxalic acid treatment, even if some brood is still present. This treatment aims only at breaking the infestation peak; the actual winter treatment must still be performed afterwards in the absence of capped brood.

If the colony is already very weak, very heavily infested or strongly affected by viruses, a late treatment will not always save it. In that case, advice should be sought quickly, because the question is no longer only the choice of product but also the colony's real ability to make it through winter.

What to avoid

• Confusing emergency treatment with the normal summer treatment.
• Waiting for the next scheduled treatment when a critical threshold is clearly exceeded.
• Treating without having removed the supers intended for harvest.
• Improvising a method or using an unauthorised product.
• Applying the same solution in June, October and winter without considering the season.
• Thinking that a late treatment will repair damage already suffered by the winter bees.
• Stacking treatments without a diagnosis or a clear strategy.

Key point

An emergency treatment is decided when the varroa pressure is too high to wait for the normal calendar. The right reflex is: measure, compare with the seasonal threshold, remove the supers if necessary, seek advice, then apply an authorised method. In late autumn, an immediate application of oxalic acid may be necessary even if some brood is still present, but it does not replace the winter treatment in the absence of capped brood.

See also

• Practical Guide: 1.7.2 Emergency varroa treatment (Swiss hives)
• Practical Guide: 1.7.1 Emergency treatment – stack hives
• Practical Guide: 1.5.1 Measuring the natural mite drop
• Winter treatment against varroa: what to do if colonies are still raising brood?

What to do

• Start feeding as soon as the supers are removed after the last harvest. Give 2 to 3 kg of syrup quickly before the first treatment, to avoid any period of food shortage.
• Finish the main feeding at the latest at the start of the second summer treatment, so that stores are built up in time.
• Check the stores after the harvest and the autumn feeding, ideally before the end of September.
• Lift the back of the hive gently or use a scale to spot colonies that are noticeably lighter than the others.
• On a final inspection in mild weather, check that the colony has about 4 to 5 well-filled food frames (15 to 20 kg) in addition to the food wreaths close to the brood nest.
• At altitude, in cold regions or when winter lasts a long time, aim for the upper end of the range.
• Record the syrup amounts and the estimated stores on the hive card.

If things do not go as planned

If the final check, towards the end of September, shows that the colony does not have enough stores, the situation must be corrected quickly. As long as temperatures allow, you can top up with feeding syrup or add a well-filled, healthy food frame from your own apiary, placed in contact with the cluster or the area occupied by the bees. In winter or late winter, cold syrup should generally no longer be given in a feeder far from the cluster: the safest solution is then emergency feeding with fondant, placed directly above the frames, as close as possible to the winter cluster. A colony should never run out of food: a shortage causes stress, weakens the winter cluster and can trigger a downward spiral.

What to avoid

• Relying solely on activity at the hive entrance: a colony can fly and still lack food.
• Waiting until December or January to discover that the stores are insufficient.
• Opening the hive for a long time in cold weather to "check".
• Giving cold syrup in winter, far from the cluster.
• Leaving a colony "a bit short" while assuming it will probably hold out until spring.

Key point

The simple marker is this: an overwintering colony must be heavy and have around 4 to 5 well-filled food frames, that is roughly 15 to 20 kg of stores depending on hive format, region and length of winter.

See also

• Practical Guide: 4.3 Overwintering
• Practical Guide: 4.2 Feeding
• Which syrup to choose for winter feeding
• Shaping your own fondant
• Late winter feeding: what to think of it?

What to do

• Renew as a priority the frames that have contained brood, especially if they are very dark.
• Plan a progressive renewal, for example about one third of the brood combs each season.
• Introduce new wax frames or foundation when the colony is strong enough to build.
• Move the old combs to the edge of the brood nest, then remove them once they no longer contain brood.
• Quickly remove deformed, broken, mouldy or hard-to-inspect frames.
• Record the age or year of the frames in the hive record card or with a simple marking.
• Manage super frames separately: keep them only if they are clean, dry, solid and have not contained brood.

If things do not go as planned

If the colony is weak or does not build, do not force the renewal: only remove frames that are truly unusable and wait for a more favourable moment. In case of abnormal brood, suspicious smell or doubt about the health status, do not move the frame to another colony and seek competent advice.

What to avoid

• Leaving black brood combs in place for years on the grounds that they are still solid.
• Replacing too many frames at once in a weak colony.
• Introducing foundation too early, too late or in bad weather, when the bees do not build.
• Placing frames that have already contained brood in the super.
• Moving a suspicious frame from one colony to another.
• Storing damp, dirty or wax-moth-infested frames.

Key point

Renew brood combs progressively, especially in spring and early summer: old, black or damaged frames must be removed as a priority.

See also

• Six scientifically sound reasons not to use old combs
• Practical Guide: 4.4 Comb renewal
• Practical Guide: 4.4.1 Melting down combs
• Practical Guide: 4.4.2 Comb storage