{"id":20466,"date":"2026-06-23T10:29:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beefeed.com\/api-of-the-month-46\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T10:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:29:54","slug":"api-of-the-month-46","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beefeed.com\/en\/api-of-the-month-46\/","title":{"rendered":"API of the month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mathieu DOMECQ<\/strong>Editor-in-chief of the API of the Month and Blog<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Beekeeping has had a good spring this year. Now it\u2019s time for summer, with its heat and drought. In July, it will be time to finish off the final harvests before the major honey flows, such as sunflowers and lavender.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

This month, we\u2019ll be looking at the disparity in strength between colonies, seeking to understand why some hives display remarkable vigour whilst others stagnate, deprived of precious foragers during key nectar flows such as the chestnut bloom. We\u2019ll also look at the best practices for protecting your hives from the scorching sun \u2013 an essential strategy to prevent the bees from exhausting themselves fanning the hive rather than storing honey.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Did you know? A hive is capable of drinking up to 27 liters of water<\/strong>over a season!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"Mathieu<\/figure>\n\n\u00a0\r\n\n

Tasks of the month<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

July is the month of the beekeeper\u2019s final major honey flows. The bustle of spring gives way to the sweltering heat of summer. From chestnut forests to sunflower fields and lavender plains, the season\u2019s last major sources of nectar are being tapped.<\/p>\n\n

The supers are filling with honey. This is the moment of truth for the beekeeper. Here are the main tasks to be carried out at the apiary this month:<\/p>\n\n

Starting the summer harvests<\/strong>: The flowering seasons for brambles, lime trees and chestnut trees are drawing to a close in many regions. It is time to harvest these single-flower honeys before other, later flowering seasons (such as sunflowers) mix in with them. Ensure that the honey is more than 80 per cent capped to guarantee a low moisture content (ideally below 18 per cent).<\/p>\n\n

Monitor for blocked brood chambers<\/strong>: If you are in an area with extensive sunflower or lavender cultivation, the supers must be ready. However, the nectar flow is sometimes so intense that the bees store the honey directly in the main hive body, blocking the queen\u2019s brood chamber. Ensure the queen always has space to lay eggs for the future winter bees.<\/p>\n\n

Protect against heatwaves<\/strong>: Heat is the main enemy. A hive can quickly overheat, causing the bees to fan rather than forage. Ensure that the hives are slightly shaded during the hottest part of the day and, above all, keep a water feeder with fresh, clean water in the immediate vicinity of the apiary.<\/p>\n\n

The honey flowers of the month<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

chestnut (nectar), clover (nectar), sunflower (nectar and pollen), lavender (nectar)\u2026<\/p>\n\n

Read more on page 2<\/a><\/p>\n\n\u00a0\r\n\n\n\n

Why such a disparity between hives?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Every beekeeper has at some point witnessed this striking sight: within the same apiary. Indeed, even when placed side by side in the same climate, two hives can show radically different patterns of development. One is teeming with activity, with super boxes piled high and the bees swarming about with boundless energy. The other, more subdued, seems to be stagnating, struggling to thrive.<\/p>\n\n

Why such a disparity? What determines the strength or weakness of a colony? Both nature and the beekeeper\u2019s influence come into play here.<\/p>\n\n

The reasons for this disparity can be explained by the following points:<\/p>\n\n

Genetics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Every hive is unique, and this starts with the queen. Depending on her lineage (whether she is a Buckfast, a Black Bee, a Carniole or an Italian), behavioural traits vary drastically.<\/p>\n\n

Some queens have a phenomenal and early egg-laying capacity, whilst others get off to a slower start at the beginning of the season. Certain genetic lines are more resistant to disease, preventing setbacks in development. <\/p>\n\n

Food reserves<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

For a queen to lay eggs in large numbers, she must feel secure. And this sense of security is determined by the amount of food stored in the hive. A steady supply of fresh pollen is essential for good egg-laying. It is the sole source of protein used to feed the brood.<\/p>\n\n

It is a virtuous cycle. If the colony has reserves of honey and pollen, the queen receives the signal to lay eggs before the main honey flows. Conversely, the foragers will not be ready in time and you will miss out on the harvest.<\/p>\n\n

\"At
At the top of each body frame, a crown of honey and pollen should be observed, a sign of good reserves to guarantee a good harvest in the super.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Forager bees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

We know that it takes 21 days for a worker bee egg to develop into an adult bee, followed by a further 21 days spent inside the hive, during which time the bee takes on all the internal roles (nurser, builder, guard) before becoming a forager.<\/p>\n\n

The beekeeper can therefore plan ahead. To ensure the hive has enough foragers for the next honey flow, the colony must be active at least six weeks beforehand: 21 days for hatching plus the first 21 days of life.<\/p>\n\n

Faced with an intense but short flowering period, a weak hive will spend its time rearing brood rather than foraging. The result: the honey flow passes, and the super remains empty. Conversely, a strong hive (with a large population at the right time) will deploy an army of foragers! <\/p>\n\n

\"Forager
Forager taking advantage of the lavender bloom. Up to 3000 flowers can be visited by a bee every day.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Space management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

One of the biggest mistakes in beekeeping is to aim too high, too soon. A bee colony needs to maintain the centre of the brood at a constant temperature of around 35\u00b0C. To do this, the bees must heat the space.<\/p>\n\n

A young swarm settled on just a few frames in a large hive will exhaust itself trying to heat the empty space. An insulating partition is essential. Reducing the space to the exact volume occupied by the bees helps them to concentrate their heat. The energy saved on heating is then channelled into rearing and gradually expanding the colony.<\/p>\n\n

Adding a super too early is a classic pitfall. If you provide an extra storey to a colony that is not large enough, all the heat will rise into the super. The brood below will cool down, its development will slow, and the hive will literally come to a standstill. The super should only be added once all the frames in the main body are full. <\/p>\n\n

\"In
In the super, the frames can fill up very quickly, especially if the cells are already built. During a heavy honey flow, less than a week can be enough for it to be full.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

To have a strong colony, you therefore need to help it build itself up. You need to be observant and monitor it regularly, even though the weather remains a key factor that we cannot control!<\/p>\n\n

As usual, do share your photos with us: we\u2019ll post them on our website and social media using the hashtags: #apifonda #apiinvert!<\/p>\n\n

See you next month on your API blog with your faithful partner, Les Ruchers De Mathieu!<\/p>\n\n

\"LES<\/figure>\n\n

LES RUCHERS DE MATHIEU<\/strong>Miellerie & Magasin d\u2019Apiculture<\/p>\n\n

Photos \u00a9lesruchersdemathieu<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beekeeping has had a good spring this year. Now it\u2019s time for summer, with its heat and drought. 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