I went into the hive today to see how things are looking. I still have bees, which is a good thing, but I don't see much brood and I couldn't find the queen either. But the hives feel pretty heavy so hoping there is enough food in there for the winter...but am not really that sure so I've made more sugar syrup that I will give them.
I added on the mouse guard. Last year, I wondered why it kept ending up on the ground until I saw a video that showed it being screwed in. So today, I screwed it in to keep it in place.
I also added a super with the cedar pillow for some insulation, even though nights aren't terribly cold yet. Nights are still in the 40's here in southern Vermont. But a cold spell could happen any minute so I wanted to be prepared.
A bit later, I will add the roofing paper around the hive for added insulation and will pack a few bales of hay around the hive too. I generally add a piece of plywood over the top cover too to prevent the front of the hive from getting rain or snow hitting it. I cleaned out a lot of old wood from my basement this year so hope I've kept a good board for this purpose.
So basically I'm done for the season. I am certain I'll be purchasing a Nuc for next spring. I still want to grow to two hives so starting with a Nuc as opposed to a package of bees will give me a better start toward that goal.
I also still have the electric fence in operation. I will keep that going until I'm sure the bears are in hibernation.
No comments:
Post a Comment