11/24/13 - BRRRRRR

I have to say this is the coldest weather I've felt in months!  It seems very early to be only in the low twenties in November although it's probably happened before.  I most likely buried it in my mind as I hate the cold.

Thankfully I had already wrapped and winterized my hive and hope it helps them make it through the winter.  I had added a piece of tin roofing to the top to keep the weather out but when I got home a while ago, I saw that it had blown off...even with rocks on top to hold it in place.

So I removed the tin roof and replaced it with some sheathing material, like plywood, only more porous. At least it's heavier and I hope it will stay in place.  I think that helped the bees last winter.

I also removed the fence today.  Last year, I waited until mid-December to remove it but with it being so cold this year, I was sure they'd freeze and I'd not be able to remove the posts.  So, here's hoping that the bears have settled in for their winter's nap and leave my hive alone.

Since Thanksgiving is just a few days away, let me take this time to wish all my readers a wonderful holiday!  Take a moment to thank something or someone in your life.  That's what the season is all about.

My best wishes to you all!

A honey comparison between 2012 and 2013

I wanted to show you the difference a year makes!  On the left is last year's honey.  It's much lighter than this year's honey on the right.

Last year, I fed the bees all summer using sugar water.

This year, I only began feeding them in August.

Otherwise I'm not sure what the difference in color means but they are both delicious.

The fall beehive and other autumn tasks and thoughts - Nov. 3, 2013

Here it is, at the beginning of November and I've just insulated the hive, or almost, for the winter.  The only thing left to do is to wrap it with roofing paper to insulate it from drafts.  I have 6 bales of hay, two on each of three sides, leaving some space between the hay and the hive.  For ventilation.  However, I have not taken down the fence yet. I probably should because I need new batteries..  I think there's little to no power there now. 

Earlier this year, I ordered enough D-size batteries to last me through October.  Because of the warm fall season, if next year is the same, I'll need to order enough for a couple more months so that I'm not running out. Ordering in bulk was a very convenient, not to mention less expensive way to power my fence.

This year was an extremely low honey year.  Remember that.  2013!! Not a good year for honey.  A friend of mine in Maine, who has been a beekeeper for 10 years, told me she had no honey!  She had to go buy some for her own use. (You get used to using honey for so much when you have it handy).  She also told me that she heard this statistic about this year's honey production...that it was down this year 50%.  More of it having to do with the weather which affected the pollen, vegetative growth, etc. versus colony collapse disorder.

It's always sad in the fall. All my high hopes from the spring are gone and I contemplate what went right and what went wrong as well as handling the fall cleanup.  Here is my list of fall chores:

• empty pond of leaves, pine needles and other debris as well as the floating plants (doing this now with the help of Peyton, my granddaughter.
• remove pond pump (I wait until pond begins to ice over)
• mow leaves into pile and mow them (then add this to vegetable garden...great nutrients for the soil)
• bottle honey that was extracted and put into 5-gallon bucket (there's not much there but I will jar it today)
• dig up herbs that are in the ground and divide them if needed (I have rosemary and sage I'll give as gifts)
• dig up and bring in other herbs for winter use - basil and parsley are already on the windowsill as well as sage and rosemary for me.
• stack wood on the deck for those days when trips to the woodshed aren't safe or I'm just plain lazy or get the flu
• bring in cushions and umbrella from patio and store them in the basement (still on my to-do list)
• change tires to winter snows (this year, with a new car, I had to buy studded snow tires). Regular tires stored in shed.
• straighten up greenhouse and get it ready for spring planting. 

There's always something good to be found in the fall too.  Here are the things I look forward to:

• begin to cook more again...I have little time to cook in the spring and summer or I'd just rather be outside
• Spend bad days inside reading, without feeling guilty for taking time out for myself
• Less pressure to be doing something every moment
• the warmth of a wood fire every day
• no more mowing the lawn every week!
• decorating for fall and then Christmas
• Thanksgiving (I love this holiday all about good food and good company)