Things to consider in October.

AFB check, destroy any supers that came from infected hives, put an apiary quarantine in place for 18 months where you can’t identify individual supers.

Hives with less than 3 frames of honey should be fed.

Check entrance ways and weed accordingly.

Check stored supers for wax moth and cull old frames, get things organised and ready to go for the season.

Check mite levels and treatment options/dates.
Remember to alternate treatment chemical families in order to reduce the chance of resistance.

Check every 9 days for the formation of swarm cells.

Make splits from strong hives and graft queens as required on warm days.

Super up as needed. How well they overwintered, the season and area will dictate how fast your colonies will expand.

What the bees are doing.

- Queen's egg production will be increasing more.
- The brood nest will be growing faster.
- More flying bees as weather warms.
- Gathering nectar
- Raising more drones
- Raising queen cells in preparation for swarming.

Nectar producing plants for October

Japonica
Later fruiting trees
Ornamental trees
Lamium
Dandelions and Deadnettle - weeds
Spring flowering eucalypts
Red Rhododendrons (poisonous for bees)
Summer red hot pokers
Abutilon
Kowhai
Ribes - ornamental current
Soft fruit - berries and currants
Loostrife - control weed! Found along ditches
Queen Annes lace
Carrot, parsnip,
Borage (Borago officinalis) English Borage
Alcanet/Vipers buglos (Echium vulgare) NZ Blue Borage
Anchusa
Ajuga
Thistle - Control weed!
Mignonette
Phacelia

Herbs,
Comfrey
Mint and Catmint
Thyme
Chives
Rosemary
Sage
Parsley
Fennel - control weed!
Horehound - control weed!
Hyssop
Winter savoury
Self heal - weed