1. This month's priorities

• Set the harvest date according to honey maturity and the sanitary calendar.
• Measure varroa pressure and do not delay the first summer treatment.
• After the harvest, quickly sequence the first feeding and the summer treatment.
• Consolidate nucleus colonies and keep only genuinely viable units.
• Plan winter feeding starting now without blocking the brood nest too early.

2. July in the apiary: the guiding idea of the month

Objective Understand why July is not only a harvest month, but a transition month in which several decisions already determine the quality of overwintering.

Since the summer solstice, colony dynamics have been changing gradually: laying decreases, melliferous resources become more irregular, the risk of swarming recedes, and robbing can become more problematic.

Colonies may still appear strong and productive, but the logic of the month is no longer that of June. July requires a shift from an expansion logic to a decision logic: setting the harvest date, preparing the honey house, monitoring varroa pressure, applying the first summer treatment, and consolidating nucleus colonies.

A lowland apiary, a hillside apiary, and a mountain apiary do not necessarily follow the same rhythm. Decisions must therefore not be guided by the date alone, but by observation of the colonies, the weather, and the resources actually available.

In July, it is often more sensible to forgo a few kilos of honey than to delay a summer treatment that is decisive for the health of the future winter bees.

Further reading

• Apiary management: beekeeping management plan
• Practical Guide: 4.12 Dynamic colony management
• Good practices for inspecting a colony

3. Priority tasks for the month

3.1 Harvest: choosing the right time and preserving quality

Objective Choose the right moment for the harvest and recall the main steps that make it possible to preserve honey quality through to storage.

What to watch
The weather forecast, the evolution of intake, the time chosen for the summer treatment, hive weight or the apiary's scale hive, the actual maturity of the honey, and its water content.

Concrete actions
Remove the supers and clear the bees, for example using a clearer board, a brush, or by shaking the frames. Work calmly, cleanly, and without promoting robbing. Prepare the honey house carefully: cleanliness of the premises, hygiene of the equipment, organisation of uncapping, centrifugation, and packaging. Centrifuge, filter, then let the honey settle. Check the water content with a refractometer. Jar, label, and store under good conditions.

Points of vigilance
If forecasts announce cold weather or a lasting deterioration, it may be pointless to keep hoping for significant intake. In some contexts, particularly at altitude, dynamics can nonetheless remain later. The date for removing supers therefore depends on the weather, the evolution of intake, and the timing chosen for the summer treatment. Waiting is not always synonymous with gain.

During uncapping, the cappings wax deserves particular attention: it is a high-quality wax, particularly valuable for one's own wax cycle. The extraction speed, the temperature of the premises, and the type of extractor influence both working comfort and preservation of the frames. The settling tank mainly allows the honey to settle and the impurities to rise to the surface.

The water content must be checked with a refractometer, at no more than 18.5% for a honey conforming to the apisuisse quality standard. An overly moist honey presents an increased risk of fermentation. If the value is too high, it is better to defer jarring and take the necessary measures rather than package an unstable honey. Finally, it is worth remaining attentive to crystallisation speed and not waiting too long when the honey is prone to it.

Further reading

• Honey harvesting
• Managing the water content of honey
• Beeswax — a very valuable good

3.2 After the harvest: first feeding and first summer treatment

Objective Present the practical sequence that follows super removal: a first syrup application, then the first summer treatment, without waiting unnecessarily.

What to watch
The actual timing of the harvest, the availability of uncapped food in the colony, the risk of robbing, the chosen treatment method, and, for formic acid, the temperatures at the time of application.

Concrete actions
After the harvest, first provide an initial feed so that the colonies have uncapped food available. This first feeding remains moderate, around 2 to 4 litres of syrup, and should preferably be carried out in the evening. The first stage of the summer treatment then follows directly. Two main approaches can be considered: a formic acid method, or an oxalic acid method in a broodless state after an interruption or blocking of laying.

Points of vigilance
The aim is not yet to build up all the winter stores, but to prepare good conditions for what follows. In the case of an oxalic acid method in a broodless state, at least three weeks of preparation are necessary before the final treatment. With formic acid, temperature becomes a critical point. Depending on the dispenser or product used, the temperature range is not exactly the same, but around 30 °C the situation becomes delicate, and some methods should no longer be applied above this threshold. The specific practical guides must therefore be consulted before implementation. After the harvest, feed briefly, then treat without unnecessarily delaying the protection of the future winter bees.

Further reading

• Practical Guide: 1.2 Overview of summer treatment methods
• Varroa control: the summer brood break
• Varroa: the brood break

3.3 Creating summer nucleus colonies and consolidating nucleus colonies

Objective Still use the apiary's strength to form viable nucleus colonies and prepare reserve units for the following season.

What to watch
The actual quality of the nucleus colonies, their population, the presence of a queen, their capacity to build, to be fed regularly, and to become genuine reserve units rather than fragile colonies.

Concrete actions
Create summer nucleus colonies, particularly with the bees from the supers, when they can be properly managed afterwards. A nucleus colony created in summer must have bees, a queen, wax to build, ongoing feeding, and regular management. If possible, also keep some reserve queens or good mating units in order to be able to replace in spring a colony that has become queenless or a disappointing queen.

Points of vigilance
The objective is not only to multiply, but to form colonies capable of developing, of being properly fed, and of becoming genuine reserve units. It is often advisable to plan for around 20 to 30% additional nucleus colonies compared with the number of production colonies targeted in spring. For 10 production colonies desired in spring, this means, for example, overwintering around 12 to 13 units in total, i.e. 2 to 3 additional reserve nucleus colonies.

This reserve is useful, because not all units develop in the same way. It makes it possible to offset any winter losses, to replace colonies that are too weak in spring, and to retain a management margin. An apiary that overwinters exactly the desired number of colonies quickly finds itself short after a difficult winter.

The aim is not to overwinter just any nucleus colony. Units that are too weak or insufficient will often be better united in autumn than maintained at risk. It is better to rely on reserve colonies that are sufficiently strong, with enough bees and food, than to multiply fragile units that will require a lot of work for little chance of success. In small apiaries, this reserve logic is even more important. With only 3 or 4 colonies, the loss of a single unit already represents a significant share of the stock. In this case, overwintering 1 or 2 additional nucleus colonies can offer valuable security, provided they are sufficiently strong.

Nucleus colonies are no exception to varroa monitoring: a high relative load can quickly compromise their development, precisely because their population is still limited. In July, it is therefore better to have a few well-managed nucleus colonies than several units that are too weak.

Further reading

• Summer nucleus colonies with bees from the supers
• Creating nucleus colonies
• Practical Guide: 1.6.5 Varroa treatment in mating hives

4. Bee health

Objective Make it clear that in July, the question is no longer merely to note the presence of varroa, but to measure the situation and decide without delay.

The best prevention is strong, healthy colonies
It is not necessary to know every disease. The essential thing is to be able to recognise a healthy colony and then identify what deviates from it. When in doubt, it is better to ask for help quickly and contact the bee inspector.
Useful practical guide: 4.7.3. Recognising healthy colonies

Varroa

What to watch
The natural mite drop, the brood situation, and the general development of the colony. A colony that is still strong and productive can already carry a significant load without this being visible to the naked eye.

Concrete actions
Measure varroa pressure rather than reasoning from a visual impression. Use, for example, the natural mite drop as a diagnostic basis. Then take decisions without delay on the continuation of management.

Points of vigilance
Varroa multiplies very rapidly once brood rearing resumes. With the gradual decrease of brood, a growing share of the varroa population becomes phoretic on adult bees, and the risk of viral transmission increases precisely when the quality of the future winter bees becomes decisive.

Management should therefore not rely on a visual impression, but on a measurement. The quantitative diagnosis avoids reasoning blindly and makes it possible not to delay subsequent operations unnecessarily. In July, the challenge is no longer merely to note that varroa is present: one must incorporate the fact that each delay reduces the safety margin for rearing the bees that will have to overwinter.

Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)
In summer, this virus can manifest as trembling, crawling bees that are unable to fly normally. Some become black, shiny, and almost hairless, which makes the picture in front of the hive fairly characteristic.
Practical guide: 2.10. Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV)

Sacbrood Virus (SBV)
If the brood becomes irregular with stretched or desiccated dead larvae, SBV is among the hypotheses to keep in mind.
Practical guide: 2.11. Sacbrood Virus (SBV)

American foulbrood and European foulbrood
With brood present, remain equally attentive to American foulbrood and European foulbrood. Patchy brood, abnormal larvae, sunken or perforated cappings, an unusual odour, or a suspicious ropiness test must not be downplayed.
Practical guide: 2.1. American foulbrood / 2.2. European foulbrood

Asian hornet
In July, attention towards the Asian hornet must step up a level: some colonies migrate at this stage to a secondary nest, often high in a tree, and a few individuals may appear near the apiary. At this stage, careful observation during inspections is generally still sufficient, but it is useful to prepare a muzzle or a meshed entrance guard in order to be able to react quickly if pressure increases in late summer. Any suspicious observation must be reported on frelonasiatique.ch.

 

Further reading

• Practical Guide 1.1: Varroa management concept
• Practical Guide: 1.5.1 Measuring the natural mite drop
• Integrated varroa control through the seasons

5. Stores and resources of the moment

Objective Show that, after the harvest, feeding is not a mere support measure, but a central step in preparing colonies capable of surviving winter.

What to watch
The actual level of stores after the harvest, the space still available for laying, the distribution of stores in the brood nest, the risk of robbing, and the overall quality of the colony that will have to overwinter.

Concrete actions
Begin feeding directly after the harvest. Feed regularly and progressively, so that the necessary stores are in place between mid-September and the end of September. Use liquid feed after the harvest to build up stores. Later in the season, use a more concentrated feed in order to reduce the evaporation workload. Also adjust the nest volume by removing empty or poorly occupied frames before winter. Provide the liquid feed in the evening, without spilling food, and closely monitor weak colonies. If necessary, reduce the entrances.

Points of vigilance
The right timing matters considerably. Feeding too late unnecessarily overloads the bees at the end of the season and can harm the quality of the winter bees. But one should also not feed too quickly or in too large quantities. If the stores fill the nest too rapidly, the queen may lack space to continue laying the eggs of the future winter bees.

The total volume of stores is not sufficient on its own. For a production hive on 10 to 12 frames, one generally targets around 16 to 20 kg of winter feed, but the distribution of stores within the brood nest also matters. A few well-filled frames are more favourable for overwintering than a large number of only partially filled frames.

The type of feed must also match the season. In case of dearth during a nectar flow, one does not simply use any syrup: any honey adulteration and any sanitary risk-taking must be avoided. Preparing overwintering also means adjusting the nest volume. Too many empty frames increase the risk that a colony loses contact with its food despite stores still being present in the hive.

Finally, feeding alone is not enough: a good overwintering colony also requires a proper queen, a sufficient population, adequate stores, and controlled varroa pressure. A colony that is too weak does not automatically become a good one merely because it is given syrup; in some cases, uniting colonies in autumn remains the best solution.

Further reading

• Practical Guide: 4.2 Feeding
• Which syrup to choose for winter feeding
• Practical Guide: 4.3 Overwintering
• Practical Guide: 4.8.3 Robbing

6. In the workshop / organisation

Objective Prepare the honey house properly, organise the sequence of operations after the harvest, and prevent July's work from being dictated by urgency.

In July, organisation counts almost as much as technique. One must set the harvest date, prepare the honey house, organise uncapping, centrifugation, settling, jarring, and storage, while keeping in view the calendar for feeding and the first summer treatment.

The right question is not only "how much honey is left to harvest?", but also "what conditions am I creating for healthy colonies in autumn?"

Further reading

• Honey harvesting
• Practical Guide: 1.2 Overview of summer treatment methods
• Practical Guide: 4.2 Feeding

7. What we don't do now

Objective Avoid the timing mistakes typical of July, when priority must gradually shift from remaining honey to the health of the future winter bees.

• Do not delay the harvest unnecessarily in the hope of some uncertain intake if this compromises subsequent management.
• Do not decide on varroa based on a visual impression: in July, one must measure and act.
• Do not defer the first summer treatment when the safety margin for the future winter bees is shrinking.
• Do not feed massively too early after the harvest to the point of blocking laying in the nest.
• Do not multiply weak nucleus colonies simply to increase the number of units: it is better to have a few well-managed nucleus colonies than several fragile units.

In July, the right question is therefore not only "how much honey is left to harvest?", but also "what conditions am I creating for healthy colonies in autumn?"

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