Title Photo: Bees on Thyme
The start of the month started out very hot with many of our colonies still under siege from marauding Wasps and European Hornets (EH)
Nature can be harsh as the weaker colonies are taken out so the stronger ones can survive.
My Apiary looked like an insect War Zone with little activity from the hives as the heat dried up any flowering plants, and nectar and pollen supplies disappeared.
But those that did fly had to run the gauntlet of “hawking EHs” and Wasps waiting for any tired or faltering worker bees.
I’ve clearly got a big EH nest somewhere near the Apiary so each evening, as the big insects EH fly late into the night, came to predate one particular hive I practiced my racket skills to reduce the predation. Yep! it worked, they got the message and went elsewhere.
In addition I found a Wasp nest in the ground near the hives and one under the Chicken House when replacing a rotten floor. Both eliminated.
Storage Brood and Super Combs.
I always double up my brood boxes on the hives over winter as the bees look after them better than I appear to be able to do so in recent years.
I’d frozen the brood frames in a black plastic bag for a couple of days and intended to put them back into a hive but put them in the garage on top of some drawn super frames.
But the moth found them before Caroline found this infestation of the Greater Wax moth grubs 😡
As every cloud has a silver lining, the chickens enjoyed consuming the wax moth and their great fat grubs before I burnt the lot, not even trying to recover any beeswax.
Bees in Compost Bin.
Well I managed to put bees and comb into a National Brood chamber and united them with a failing Nuc, which I then fed heavily to keep the Queen laying .
Big question is to see if they, even united, will survive the winter – they’ve been given a good chance.
Just in case anyone thinks I’ve got it in for the EH, this is one I saved from my Wasp traps later in the month as their predation dropped to, in my opinion, acceptable levels.
Bearding Bees
The heat again drove the bees to beard outside only one hive as the internal temperature rose above acceptable levels to maintain brood rearing and comb stability.
Then by end of the month temperatures drop with a little rain and everybody retreats back into the hive to get ready for the Autumn.
Feeding
As we now prepare for the winter months, it’s time to reduce colonies down to one brood chamber and if leaving any supers on, remove Queen excluders .
I leave a Queen excluder on top of the stack covered with an eke or any empty super so I can feed a good lump of Fondant if necessary .
The crown board with sealed holes goes on top of the empty super or eke then the roof.
It is essential this is all insect proof until colder weather arrives and wasps and EH’s disappear from the Apiary. If in any doubt tape the joints between boxes and ensure mouse guards are in to prevent any robbing.
As rain arrives we can expect the late flowering plants like Ivy and Water Balsam to produce much needed nectar and pollen for their winter supplies.
Next Month: Get ready to batter down the hatches and secure your hives for the Autumn and Winter.