Nine Practical Methods to Prevent Summer Decline in Bees

"Summer decline" is generally caused by high temperatures. To avoid and reduce "summer decline," the key is to do a good job of heat prevention and cooling for the colony, creating a suitable microclimate for the bees. The specific measures are as follows:

1. The summering apiary should be set under large trees or in a bamboo grove, in a ventilated and shady place, avoiding direct sunlight. The hive entrances should face south with the backs to the north.

2. Build a shade shed over the hives and cover it with straw, and plant crops such as pumpkins, hyacinth beans, and loofahs to let their vines climb onto the shed, increasing the shading layer.

3. Place a water-soaked sponge between the inner cover and the outer cover of each hive; it can both lower the nest temperature and be used for drinking water.

4. Water the area around the apiary once each in the morning, at noon, and in the evening to keep the ground moist and lower the ground temperature.

5. Open the hive ventilation windows at night to allow air convection inside and outside the hive and increase ventilation.

6. Artificially feed the colony enough drinking water to reduce the toil of @#@255@#@ water collection and thereby extend the lifespan of the colony. You can use an empty comb, fill it with clean water containing a trace of salt, and place it outside the partition board inside the hive. You can also dig pits around the apiary and fill them with clean water for the bees to drink.

7. During high-temperature periods, strengthen artificial supplemental feeding by adding an appropriate amount of vitamin B, vitamin C, and yeast tablets to the reward-feeding sugar syrup.

8. During the summering period, a batch of new queens should be bred in a planned way to replace old and inferior queens.

9. Use medication to prevent chalkbrood disease and wing disease, keeping pathogens outside the hive entrance. Do not wait until the disease occurs or becomes severe before treating it.