Title photo: December in the Workshop
The start of this month was extremely wet with the expected floods, followed by unseasonably warm weather and then the cold easterly winds arrived.
This enabled me to get a good look at my 20 colonies I was attempting to over winter, to ensure they were weather proof, had plenty of stores and ensure vermin and predators could not gain entry to the hives.
What a disaster I found as I “dribble” treated for Varroa as their numbers had become significant on the floor screen.
I found 6 dead colonies which other hives were already starting to rob of stores, so I immediately sealed them up and moved them out of the Apiary into shed storage.
I would normally expect to lose about 10% of my over wintering colonies after uniting those which were too small to survive, but losing this many before we really got into any severe winter weather was most unusual.
It is one of those issues with keeping bees as you have good and bad years whatever you try to do to keep them alive, kicking and in good order.
My first suspicion is that the extreme heat of the summer has resulted in poor mating of some Queens which resulted in small worker bee numbers going into the Autumn.
If you look at the pictures closely you can see sealed brood but nothing else alive in the cells around the brood.
They had plenty of food close by on the combs, had collected loads of Autumn pollen and there was evidence of Ivy nectar crystallising in the combs.
My conclusions are that the heat of the summer, devastating attacks by wasps, which destroyed a load of my Nucs, reduced the number of fit healthy winter bees and Varroa viruses ended up with a ‘perfect winter storm of destruction’.
I just hope the remaining colonies can survive the next difficult months, as the colder severe weather bites. There is little else I can do now except ensure they have sufficient food to survive.
The title photo shows my workshop with plenty of demolished Pallet wood dried and ready for my winter construction plan, with renovation of my remaining hives and other equipment.
I see the Equipment suppliers are starting their winter sales early so a good time to reassess what equipment you will need for the season ahead. I always order their ‘seconds’ woodwork as it always works well for me.
If you buy sheets of Foundation keep it in the sealed plastic bags until you need it ready for the spring. But frames can be partially constructed not waiting until you have a swarm hanging from your apple tree!
The following pictures show two different colonies, which have survived so far. Notice the difference in the number of bees on the comb. This is what we call ‘seams of bees’.
I’m concerned one may not have sufficient bees to survive but we shall have to see.
Even this late in the month some plants are in flower, even if it is too cold for bees to get out and work them. Not long before the arrival of snow drops and crocus…….
