September in Ontario is a month of transition. The days can still be warm and sunny, with bees flying well and working the remaining blooms, but the nights are getting colder and the colony is already responding to the change. In the August Apiary Notes⁠, we focused on watching entrances, robbing pressure, wasps, bottom boards, and keeping useful records. Those observations still matter, but September moves the work one step deeper into the hive. In our apiary, this is usuall

July is one of the most important months in the Ontario apiary. The bees are busy, honey supers are getting heavy, and strong colonies can change quickly from one inspection to the next. This year, many colonies seem to be growing especially fast. After the very hot days in June and steady garden growth, some hives have built up sooner than expected, filled space quickly, and needed closer attention from week to week. July is exciting because the results of spring work are n