July

July

July Beekeeping Guide

Protect your honey crop. Raise healthy winter bees. Stay ahead of mites.

By July, your colonies have reached their peak population. The big spring build-up is over, and the focus begins to shift.

There's still nectar coming in, but in most parts of Utah the major honey flow starts slowing down this month. Strong colonies are now maintaining what they've built rather than expanding.

Your job this month is simple:

Protect the bees you've worked so hard to grow.

That means watching mite levels, keeping your queen productive, and making sure your colony stays healthy heading into late summer.

Items Needed This Month

  • Mite testing kit
    • Testing cup
    • Soap solution
    • ½-cup measuring scoop
    • Container for collecting bees
  • OAE mite treatment (only if mite levels exceed threshold of 2% or higher)
  • 1 gallon of 1:1 syrup (only if a colony is struggling and no honey super is on the hive)

Start Preparing for August

What You Should Be Doing Every Inspection

Inspect every 14 days.

By now you're looking less at swarm prevention and more at colony health.

Check for:

  • Eggs (the queen is still laying)
  • A solid brood pattern
  • Larvae that are pearly white and moist
  • Healthy bee population
  • Plenty of honey and pollen stores

Your colony should be near its maximum population this month.

If you notice a sudden drop in bees, don't ignore it.

That usually points to one of three things:

  • Mites
  • Disease
  • Queen problems
  • Nutrition

Finding the cause early makes all the difference.

Watch for Signs of Stress

July is when colonies can quietly begin going backward.

Pay attention if you see:

  • Yellow or discolored larvae
  • Dead or twisted larvae
  • Spotty brood
  • Dry-looking larvae
  • Little incoming pollen

Dry larvae can simply mean the colony is short on protein.

Adding a pollen supplement may help them continue raising healthy brood.

If you suspect European Foulbrood or another disease, investigate before assuming it's only a nutrition issue.

New Beekeepers (First-Year Hives)

Your priority this month isn't making honey.

It's building a healthy colony that will survive winter.

If you got honey, that's a bonus.

Continue Monitoring Growth

Your hive should still be growing or maintaining a strong population.

If it suddenly slows down:

Don't Let the Hive Become Honey Bound

If you never added a honey super, watch the brood nest carefully.

Too much stored honey can leave the queen with nowhere to lay.

If needed:

Keeping open laying space is one of the easiest ways to maintain brood production.

Continue Feeding Only If Needed

If your colony doesn't have a honey super and is struggling for food, continue feeding.

If a honey super is on the hive:

👉 Don't feed syrup.

You don't want syrup ending up in your harvested honey.

Overwintered Hives (2+ Years)

Your attention now shifts from building bees to protecting the colony you've built.

The biggest threat this month usually isn't swarming.

It's varroa mites.

Mite Testing Isn't Optional

July is when mite populations often begin increasing rapidly.

Don't guess.

Test!

Use a proper alcohol wash or soap wash and know your numbers.

If mite levels exceed 1% (3 mites in 300 bees), it's time to think about treating.

Waiting until September often means mites have already started damaging the bees that will become your winter bees.

Treat If Needed

If your counts are high:

Apply your OAE treatment according to label directions.

If honey supers are still on:

Place the treatment between the two brood boxes—not directly beneath the honey super.

Oxalic acid derives naturally from plants and even small amounts can be found in honey, so it's safe with honey supers, but proper placement still matters.

Managing Honey Supers

By now, your honey supers should be filling nicely.

If they are nearly full:

Instead of adding another empty super, consider:

  • Pulling several fully capped honey frames
  • Replacing them with empty drawn comb

This lets the bees finish filling a handful of frames rather than spreading nectar across an entirely new box.

You'll often end up with more fully capped honey this way.

Thinking About Another Honey Super?

For many Utah beekeepers, adding another super in July is usually too late.

Unless you're in an area with an exceptional nectar flow or frequent summer rains, another box often stays mostly empty.

Instead, focus on finishing what they already have.

Summer Requeening

If your queen is two years old—or you're seeing a declining brood pattern—this is still an excellent time to requeen.

Replacing an aging queen now gives your colony time to raise a strong population of healthy winter bees before fall.

Young queens typically head into winter stronger and come out laying harder the following spring.

Looking Ahead: Preparing for Winter

It might seem early to be thinking about winter, but your bees already are.

Around the summer solstice, the colony begins changing its priorities. Days are getting shorter, the major nectar flow will soon slow down, and the hive starts preparing for the colder months ahead.

That means your management starts changing too.

Instead of asking, "How do I get more honey?", begin asking:

  • Is my queen healthy enough to take this colony into winter?
  • Are mite levels low enough to produce healthy winter bees?
  • Will this colony have enough food stores by fall?
  • Is the population staying strong?

The bees that survive winter are raised during the next couple of months. If mites, disease, or a failing queen weaken those bees now, the colony will struggle long before winter arrives.

Strong colonies in February don't happen by accident.

They're built in July, August, and September.

Every inspection from this point forward should answer one simple question:

"Is this hive on track to survive winter?"

If the answer is no, you still have time to make corrections.

That's why July is such an important month.

Winter Readiness Check

Before you close the hive today, ask yourself:

✔ Is my queen laying well?

✔ Are mite levels where they should be?

✔ Does this colony have enough young bees?

✔ Am I staying ahead of problems instead of reacting to them?

If you can answer "yes" to those questions each month, your chances of having a strong colony next spring increase dramatically.

July Checklist

All Hives

  • Inspect every 14 days
  • Confirm the queen is laying
  • Watch brood quality closely
  • Monitor population
  • Test for mites
  • Treat if thresholds are exceeded

New Hives

  • Keep the brood nest open
  • Feed only if needed
  • Don't become honey bound
  • Focus on building a healthy winter colony

Overwintered Hives

  • Monitor honey supers
  • Replace capped frames instead of adding unnecessary boxes
  • Test and treat for mites
  • Evaluate older queens
  • Begin thinking ahead to fall management

Final Thought

July is where experienced beekeepers start thinking ahead.

It may feel like the season is winding down, but the decisions you make now determine how many healthy bees you'll have going into winter—and how strong they'll be next spring.

Protect your queen.

Keep mites under control.

Finish the honey crop strong.

The bees are already preparing for winter.

It's time for us to do the same.

If you're unsure whether a colony is slowing down naturally or trying to tell you something is wrong, don't wait.

A quick inspection today is usually easier than solving a bigger problem a month from now.

Keep your Hive Alive.