Not working the Hives for Over a Month?

[Beeboy01]

I'm trying to avoid a problem. My wife is scheduled for a knee replacement in about ten days and I'm going to be the primary care giver during her recovery. It's her second knee replacement so I'm aware of just how busy I'm going to be during the first month or so after surgery. 
  My potential problem is that my hives are doing well with a lot of honey on them but there is no way I'm going to be able extract for a good six weeks. I've added enough supers to carry them through the end of the Cabbage Palm flow and expect them to start back filling by August. I've been hit by small hive beetles in August and feel like I'm setting up my hives for an infestation. 
  So far the SHB population in my hives is minimal and I'm using beetle blaster traps and swifter sheets for control along with baited CD cases in the trays under the screened bottom boards.
  So would what I've already set up work or is there something else I could do to up the game against SHBs? Basically I need to get the hives ready to be un-managed for a month or more except for an occasional quick check and a cleaning of the trays under the screened bottom boards.
  I know mites can be a precursor to a SHB infestation but with all the honey still on the hives I can't treat for them effectively with OAV. My last mite count was low so I'm hoping they won't be a problem till I can extract.   
  Of course maybe I'm just being an overly protective bee keeper and all will work out. 
Thanks for any and all input. 

[TheHoneyPump]

Stating the fairly obvious:  Go pull all of the honey off now, extract now. In the next 6 days, before your wifecare needs in 10 days.  Leave them with minimal stores left, just barely enough to survive, and condense the hive size to the min/max of what you think they need for space until you are able to get back to them. Then walk away with no worries or stresses, knowing they do not need you for month(s).

[Bill Murray]

Im going to assume most of what you have on (supers) are not capped. I have 3 yards that have not capped nectar yet. Do a mite check. Move  supers as needed. Or dont do a check and move all uncapped frames to your strongest hives removing all capped. Most of my bees only get looked at on a monthly basis. If you are on with mites you should be good.
I hate to give advise But, this is what I would do.

[FloridaGardener]

  Leave them with minimal stores left, just barely enough to survive, and condense the hive size to the min/max of what you think they need for space until you are able to get back to them. Then walk away with no worries or stresses, knowing they do not need you for month(s).

   Okay I love this advice because I already had all brood nests backfilled and the midsummer brood break is done. Now the bees are chowing down a space in the middle of each hive again and Qs are laying, there is some capped brood.
But I have 100 brood frames of capped honey this year... and I know the populations are going to drop after that brood break...and here come the SHB.  I usually don't extract from the brood comb - I let the bees use it - because I only take the virgin white wax.  But had a bumper crop this year and too much honey! !
    And I WANT A BREAK ! It seems like nothing was synchronized for me this year.  I need some vacation-from-bees time.  My freezer is already packed with capped  brood comb.

Somebody please tell me if it's a mistake to put the sanitized/frozen comb back in a hive body, wrap it all up in double plastic kitchen bags, and store it.   Won't critters chew through the plastic for the honey?

[Beeboy01]

Thanks for all the ideas so far. Can't extract yet because I'm in the middle of a flow and getting ready for my wife's surgery. Working with a two frame extractor is a time bottle neck no matter how fast I work.  Think I'm just going to roll with it and wait till mid August. All the hives are strong and waiting for a little over a month should work. Just don't want to get knocked back this year after getting up to six strong hives. Once a routine gets set up post surgery I will be able to block out a little time for quick inspections.
  If need be I can set up the extractor and decapping table then extract one or two boxes a week depending on how much time I have. Not an ideal solution but a way to get the job done and probably the path I'll take.
   

[FloridaGardener]

@ BeeBoy01 -

Then I would try to make conditions to build the workforce by putting one empty frame on either side of brood nest.  Hopefully they expand the nests, and in 20-30 days you have a greater workforce to defend against SHB.

If you have a West Beetle trap tray (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) you can do a 60-second check by pulling the trap from the back of the hive.  My bottom boards are on 1-3/4" cleats to raise the screened bottom board above the trap.

        If many bees are guarding the West trap slats, they are herding SHB down.  Make sure it has soap/water/oil/etc. I use a 4" drywall blade to scrape it out weekly into a bucket of leaves.  I carry a bottle of cheap vegetable oil and a bottle of water to refill.  5-7 minutes per hive.  GREEN zone, the system is working.
        If the West trap tray has tiny white wrigglers inside, the bees have pulled SHB larvae without the larvae eating much.  YELLOW zone - keep an eye out.
        If the SHB wrigglers in the tray are big and orange-yellow, you have an infestation and the bees can't keep up with the hatching SHB larvae.  The larvae are eating beffore dropping out. RED zone! Get in there NOW and pull/freeze all infested frames, condense the bees.

[Brian MCquilkin]

Thanks for all the ideas so far. Can't extract yet because I'm in the middle of a flow and getting ready for my wife's surgery. Working with a two frame extractor is a time bottle neck no matter how fast I work.  T7.
 

Local bee club or a local beek might be willing to help

[Beeboy01]

Floridagardener, the hives are plenty strong enough with three coming off requeening six weeks ago. During my last full inspection about ten days ago they all were loaded with plenty of brood and honey. I added a shallow to each hive and one got an extra undrawn shallow as well.
    I made my screened bottom boards and set them up with lunch trays which came in handy last year during a SHB infestation with one hive. I used soapy water in them and needed to change it out every two days but they work great. 
  Not sure if the local club could help but I'll ask around. I'm hoping to block out a little time daily or weekly after my wife gets back from surgery for quick hive inspections and check overall strength.  Even a half hour in the yard will help.   

[cao]

First thing, hope all goes well for your wife. 

As far as the bees, if the hives are strong and there aren't double digit SHB's running free around the hive when you last inspected then I believe you will be fine for a month.  With all the trouble I have had in the past year with SHB's, I don't worry about a few running around the hive, but when the numbers are greater then a dozen the the bees have started to ignore them.  I see it as the first sign that the hive is in trouble.  That would be my "YELLOW" zone.  Any larva found in the oil tray would be my "RED" zone.  That is when I would say immediate action should be taken.  Reduce space, Pull any good capped honey, inspect pollen stores and remove any that look bad.  You've got traps so the bees know what to do with the beetles.  Quick inspections, 'just popping the top' can tell if anything else needs to be done.  I think you will be ok.

[Bill Murray]

I am finding this conversation interesting.

Can't extract yet because I'm in the middle of a flow.

Then all you have to really worry about is making sure the bees dont run out of room to store nectar.

During my last full inspection about ten days ago

Just me but I only look at hive entrance, and super space during flow.Unless I see an issue. Ex. bees not binging in pollen, brood dumped out at the entrance, bees doing weird things at entrance. After I pull supers do I do full inspections. Then make all hives right, and do splits

the hives are plenty strong enough

If you have strong hives, you should be good.
I was going to comment the SHB has been low this year, but 1 yard which is only 20 min away from another had issues this year. I blame that on me not getting the bees up to speed fast enough and  to many supers. If you have enough bees your hives should be fine.

[Barhopper]

You get some time during your wife?s recuperation that you can pull boxes I?ll run over and give you a hand. Got a couple power extractors and live in Ocala.

[Beeboy01]

Barhopper, thanks for the offer. There will be some down time for my wife after surgery which is when I can get out to the yard for quick checks and adding supers if needed. I am also planning on setting up my extractor just to have it ready if needed.
  I've only seen one or two SHB's in the hives so there is a good chance they won't be a problem. Just treated the ground around the hives as a precaution. Been planning for this most of the season by building up the hives.
  I just motorized my old Kelley K9 extractor this year and come late August I'm planning to give it a workout.

[Barhopper]

Let me know if you need a hand.

[Beeboy01]

Thanks but due to the massive increase in Covid 19 variant D cases over the weekend all elective surgery including my wife's has been cancelled at the hospital for a indefinite time. Floriduh is number one in both total cases and fastest increase in the new variant of Covid. I would like to go on a rant but this forum isn't the place for it and I would get tossed off if I truly said what I feel  right now.   
  Thanks again for all the offers and ideas. Looks like it will be OK and I'm planning an extraction in about a week.

[yes2matt]

Thanks but due to the massive increase in Covid 19 variant D cases over the weekend all elective surgery including my wife's has been cancelled at the hospital for a indefinite time. Floriduh is number one in both total cases and fastest increase in the new variant of Covid. I would like to go on a rant but this forum isn't the place for it and I would get tossed off if I truly said what I feel  right now.   
  Thanks again for all the offers and ideas. Looks like it will be OK and I'm planning an extraction in about a week.

I'll tell ya what has helped keep me grounded during this whole "thing."   The bees.