August Beekeeping Guide 2025

by August 14, 2025

🐝 August Beekeeping Guide: Focus on Health, Honey & Hive Prep

August marks the beginning of the transition from summer to autumn in the hive. The bees are still working hard, but now is the time for beekeepers to focus on colony health, begin harvesting, and start preparing for the colder months ahead.

✅ AUGUST Checklist

Begin your honey harvest – but leave enough stores for your bees
Monitor for signs of varroa mite infestations
Consider treating hives after supers are removed
Prepare for feeding – assess stores and plan syrup feeds
Check queen performance – consider requeening weak colonies
Reduce entrances later in the month to deter wasps and robbers
Watch for signs of dearth – especially in areas affected by the August Gap
Begin preparing your equipment and hives for autumn

🍯 Harvest Time – But Don’t Take It All!

If your supers are full and the honey is capped, now is the time to begin harvesting. Ensure that at least 15–20kg of honey is left for your bees as winter stores.

Once supers are removed, consider treating for varroa before feeding – this gives you the best chance of entering autumn with a strong, healthy colony.

Tip: Label your frames by hive or apiary if you’re planning to do any selective bottling or want to trace hive productivity.

🐝 The August Gap & Signs of Dearth

In some areas, August brings a noticeable slowdown in forage – commonly known as the August Gap. While there may still be flowering plants around, nectar flow can drop suddenly.

If you see increased robbing behaviour, agitation at the hive entrance, or more wasp activity, it may indicate a dearth. Keep entrances reduced and don’t leave syrup or frames exposed near the hive.

🦠 Varroa Monitoring & Treatment

Now is a vital time to check your varroa mite levels. As the bee population begins to naturally decline and winter bees are being raised, mite loads can rise quickly.

Use methods like:

Sugar roll
Alcohol wash
Drop count with sticky boards

Treat as necessary – options like Varromed, Apivar, or Apiguard can be used, depending on your situation and temperatures. Always follow label instructions. 📝 Don’t forget to log your treatments and any queen changes in your hive records – you’ll thank yourself next season.

🍽 Feeding in Late August

Feeding typically begins in late August or early September, depending on your area. Ensure bees have enough time to process syrup and cap it before cold weather sets in.

Use 2:1 sugar syrup and consider feeding in the evenings to reduce robbing pressure. Aim for at least 15kg of stores for wintering. Add feeders and dummy boards where needed.

👑 Queen Performance

Now is a good time to assess your queens. If a colony is underperforming, or if you’ve had a late-season queen rearing effort, you may want to requeen weak hives before the season ends. If you have a very weak colony, consider combining it with a stronger one before winter. A strong queen now means better chances of successful overwintering.

🧰 Essential Equipment

✔ Honey extractors (electric/manual)

✔ Uncapping trays, strainers, buckets

✔ Mouse guards, entrance reducers

✔ Sugar syrup & feeders

✔ Varroa treatments

✔ Spare frames & dummy boards

✔ Record books to log harvests and treatments

Top Tip: Always keep spare supers, frames, and foundation on hand during inspections. You may need to act quickly to prevent swarming or overcrowding – and having frames pre-assembled can make all the difference.

🌼 Forage & What’s Blooming

Late-flowering plants like heather, ivy, knapweed, Himalayan balsam, and clover are still providing important forage for bees. If possible, plant bee-friendly flowers that will bloom into September to support your local pollinators.

👩‍🌾 New to Beekeeping?

You’re in the final stretch of your first season! Take stock of your progress and don’t worry if everything isn’t perfect – this is the time to learn. If you haven’t harvested honey yet, you may get a small crop now.

Keep up your inspections, watch for signs of queen problems or disease, and start making a plan for overwintering. If something doesn’t look right – ask for help! Local bee associations and online groups are a great resource.

🐝 Irish Beekeeping Resources:

Federation of Irish Beekeepers Association – irishbeekeeping.ie

Irish Beekeepers Association CLG – irishbeekeepersassociation.com

Native Irish Honey Bee Society – nihbs.org

NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS?

We're here to help with everything you need, whether it's sourcing bees, selecting equipment, or deciding which book to read next. If you can't find what you're looking for, contact us directly - we're always more than happy to help!

🐝 Míle Buíochas from Donegal Bees - Happy Beekeeping! 🐝